A SENSATIONAL CLIMB

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2137, 17 May 1889, Page 3

A SENSATIONAL CLIMB

RAILWAY EXPRESS ON FIRE. The passengers m the express train from Melbourne arrived at Albany one night last week m a state of great excitement. It appeared that when the train was a few miles from Wodonga the occupants of several com- I partments was alarmed by an extraordinary sound as of repeated knocking on the floor of the carriages. The blows eventually became j so violent that the passengers expected every moment to see the flooring burst up, and so much alarm was felt by the occupants of one compartment that they endeavoured to communicate with the guard of the train ; but there being no electric apparatus m the compartment, they sought other means to attract the attention oi that official. They opened the door, and tried to attract the driver's attention, and could not make him hear. Sparks were then observed flying about from under the carriage, and then flames burst forth, and appeared to extend the full length of the carriage. The passengers m the other carriage then noticed the fire, and within a few minutes all the carriage doors were opened and the occupants screaming for help. The train was going at the rate of about forty miles an hour and the shouting failed to reach either the guard or the driver, and at length Captain Jamts Johnson, of the W. F. Witzman, an American vessel, now at Sydney, climbed out of the window of the carriage, aud after encountering some difficulties m making his way to the engine he succeeded m informing the driver that the train was on fire! To his surprise his report was replied to by say* ing that he would be locked up on arrival of the train at the next station. He was not arrested, however, and the driver, on the contrary, admitted that the Captain was right m making for the engine. The train was stopped and the fire extinguished, — ("Melbourne Argus, May nth.)