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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 338, 4 January 1866, Page 3

FEARFUL RAILWAY ADVENTURE. At the Taunton Police Court, on Wednesday, 13th September, a ease was heard in which 'a fearful railway adventure was brought to light, involving a narrow escape of the night mail train on the Bristol and Exeter Railway. William Steevens, cleaner of railway engines, was charged with wilfully causing damages to a railway engine to the extent of more than £100; and the brief facts are these The Chard and Taunton Railway is in course of construction, and it is so far completed that engines can run over the rails. The duty of defendant was to clean an engine called the Busy Bee every evening after the work of the day, and at half-past three the following morning to light the fire, so that steam could be got up by six o’clock, and the labors of another day commenced. On no account was he to meddle with the machinery, or attemptto move the train, the driver laying on the fire and filling the boiler with a sufficient quantity of water. The cleaner, however, took a singular freak into his head, and determined to have a midnight ride if possible. Accordingly about midnight on the day named in the warrant he lit the fire of the engine got up the steam, and started the engine, he being the only passenger. Up and down the Hue he tore for two mortal hours, and not exactly knowing how to compress the steam it flew off in all directions, shrieking fearfully, and alarming the inhabitants living near the. line of railway. The watchman on one of the bridges was sorelv affrighted at seeing an engine tearing madly along, backwards and forwards, with a solitary whtte face upon it, and he came to the conclusion in the darkness of the night that either a ghost or the Evil One himself bad obtained the masttry over the iron. In one of his excursions he was about to enter the main line of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, but he fortunately heard the noise of the approach of a night mail train from London. A minute or two later and the consequences would have been fearful to contemplate, and the probable loss of life more horrifying still. At length, tired of his ride, he took Bee back to the station, and lay down by the aide of it to await the arrival of the driver. At half-past four the driver approached the scene, but when about 100 yards from it the engine blew up with a fearful explosion, the cleaner having neglected to put more water into the boiler. The most remarkable part of the story remains to be told : the cleaner although close to the engine, was uninjured, owing to lying down. He certainly was frightened, the driver asserting that when he came up to him his hair stood on end, “like quills upon the fretful porcupine.” For this foolish freak of his he was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment, with hard labor.