A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 317, 12 April 1881, Page 2

A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

A most miraculous escape from death occurred to a lad named Frank Black, about twelve years of age, a Lyttelton resident now visiting here, this morning. Black was riding a horse into Ashburton, and intended crossing the bridge but was delayed by the approach of the TimaruChristchurch train. This, however, had hardly c’eared the gate when the man in charge thereof permitted Black to go upon the bridge, and boy-like, he immediately set to race the train. During the past few days portions of the planking of the bridge have been removed for repairing purposes, and it so happened that there was an opening in the centre between the lines of rail some eight feet by four feet. The train being m front of Black covered the opening until he was right upon the brink thereof, when the horse, on discovering the same, made an effort to jump it, but fell head first through on to the river bed, a fall of some fifteen feet. The horse was killed on the spot, but, strange to say, the boy escaped with a .severe bruising and a few cuts about the face. He was rendered insensible by the force of the fall, but shortly recovered on being removed to the north entrance keeper’s lodge and attended by a medical man. Some men who. were working at the repairs and were standing to one side, state that Black was following the train so closely as to be excluded from their view until at the moment of the horse’s attempting to jump the opening.