COLLISION AVERTED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 91, 19 April 1911, Page 3

COLLISION AVERTED.

BETWEEN RUNAWAY TRAIN AND MAIN TRUNK EXPRESS. MAN'S PROMPTNESS PREVENTS A CRASH. x {bx tilegeaph— press association.] • AUCKLAND, 18th April.. The Main Trunk express, which, left Auckland Monday evening, and which numbered his Excellency the Governor amongst itfi passengere, narrowly escaped meeting with a serious accident shortly before reachiug Westfield, between Penrose Junction and Otahuhu.' Ifc was due to a prompt act in stopping a runaway -train that the threatened disaster was averted. A passenger train leaves Auckland for Otahuhu every evening at five minutes' to nine, and arrives at Otahuhu at 9.28 p.m. It is then shunted on to a siding, where it awaits the passing of the Main Trunk express, which leaves town at 9.15 p.m. The train then returns to the city, leaving Otahuhu at 9:43 p.m. This train went out to Otahuhu as usual on Monday evening, but after the engine had been uncoupled from the carriages, in connection with the shunting operations, the train (consisting of four carriages and a. van) by some means got away, and ran back on the main line -down the incline towards Westfield. The engine remained at the station, J i and, as tie express was nearly due, the ' alarm whistle was sounded vigorously in order to attract the attention, if pos- I Bible, of the driver of the express, and warn him of the threatened collision. I j There were, at the time, two passengers j in one of the carriages of tne slow | [ train. The blowing of the engine's whistle at- | tracted the attention of Mr. R. Claude, caretaker of the Auckland Saleyards I Company's yards at Westfield, who was in his house near the yardia at the | time. On looking out, ho saw the runaway coming down the incline from j Otahuhu in one direction, and -the express coming up in the distance in the other direction. Mr. Claude, realising the seriousnessof the situation, ran to the railway line, leaping over two or three fences as he went. On reaching the line the run- ; away train had just passed, but he ran after it, and eucceeded in jumping on the rear carriage, and applying the Westinghouse brake, with. the manipulation of which, he was fortunately familiar. The train having been brought to a standstill, Mr. Claude then ran in front of the train, and waved a red light, and the express was pulled up safely within only about three chains of the othor tram. Naturally, the two passengers on the train which, got away, as well as those on the express who were made aware of the cause of the sudden stoppage, experienced a considerable shock on learning of their narrow escape from participating in a. collision. Lord Islington's special carriage was in front of the train, next to the engine.