A RAILWAY CARRIAGE TRAGEDY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9173, 17 June 1908, Page 6

A RAILWAY CARRIAGE TRAGEDY .

KILLED BY" MAN-EATER. Mr F. O. Selous, in his new book, “African Nature Notes and Reminiscences,’’ published by the Messrs MacMillan, gives a graphic account of the terrible tragedy which b ;feil when Mr Kyall was killed by a lion on the Uganda railway. “The railway carriage in question, which contained a small saloon and an adjoining servants’ compartment, bad been pulled on to a siding, in order to give its occupants (Mr Hnebner, "Mr Parent!, and Mr Ryall) a chance of getting a shot at a man-eating lion which bad been giving trouble in the neighbourhood—either as it came prowling about during the night or by hunting it up the next morning. “There was a small window on each side of the little saloon, and a sliding-door at the and of the carriage. Both the windows and the door were wide open. Mr Ryall took the first watch, and seems to have taken up a position on one of the seats of the carriage, with his back to the open window. His head and shoulders would therefore probably have been visible to the eyes of a nocturnal animal from outside. “Mr Huebner turned in and went to sleep in one of the top berths in the carriage, and Mr’ Parent! made his bed on the floor. It is probable, I think, that Mr Ryall also went to sleep after a time. What happened afterwards I will now relate as it was told to me by Mr Parenti. “I was awakened from a sound sleep by the sensation of a weight holding me down on the floor, and for a moment was unable to move. Then the weight was taken off me, and I raised my head with a jerk. My face immediately came in contact with a soft, hairy body, and I became conscious of a disagreeable smell. In an instant I realised that there was a lion in the railway i carriage, and that at that moment it was killing poor Mr Ryall, as I heard a sort of gurgling noise, the only sound he ever made. Mr Huebner seems to have awakened at the same time, and to have at once jumped down on to the . floor of the carriage, where he and Mr Parenti and the lion were all mixed up together. [ At this time the weight ipf timt£ lion and the struggling bined, slightly tipped the II one side, causing the sliding door tv:a close automatically, and thus msterially increasing the horror of th. situation. Mr Parenti, as soon as he could collect hia thoughts, made his J escape from the carriage through the ll open window opposite to the one against which poor Mr Ryall had J been sitting when the lion seizedtß him, and Mr Huebner burst open door communicating with tl smaller apartment occupied by. ? Ryall’s two Indian servants, .j? having become aware that ther a lion in the other rooggr w.' v ~ “Sahibs,” were against the crowd with 'wU*,. strength.” 1 ■ ' The windows of the carriage the Uganda railway are after having killed Mr Ryall, lion—a big male—succeeded f carrying off his body comparatively small opening? ‘J probably never relaxed its. blofc ' - ff his throat until it had got-ji ' body safely out of the car}:. £?]-/; • ■ ' pulled it away to some