A CHILD’S LEAP FROM A TRAIN.

South Canterbury Times, Volume XV, Issue 2065, 5 November 1879, Page 3

A CHILD’S LEAP FROM A TRAIN.

An American paper states : —‘ Ihe passengers on the 7.55 limited express to Hew York, in charge of Conductor Matts, which left President street Depot not many days ago, were greatly excited by an unlooked-for incident in the course of the journey- Two little girls, sisters, whose names could not be ascertained, had been put on the Baltimore and Ohio [Railroad by their mother at Piedmont, W. Va., and consigned to the charge of the conductor for New York. When the two Baltimore and Ohio cars were placed on the Philadelphia train, however, the conductor of the Piedmont train failed to transfer his charges to the care of the Baltimore conductor of the New York train, and in consequence, the little ones, left without a guardian, soon became objects of interest to the passengers. A lady, seeing their dilemma, volunteered to see them to their destination, and this resolution she communicated to the conductor, who signified his consent. The 7.55 train was limited, not stopping between Baltimore and Philadelphia, except at Perryville, Havre de Grace,, and Wilmington. The rate of speed was very high. As the train reached a point about 15 miles from Bayview, the elder of the sisters was seen to rise and go to the water-cooler for a glass of water. While she was away the younger child moved four scats to the rear. When the elder sister returned, she missed the little one. The girl probably thinking the child had fallen off the platform or out of the window,

did not stop to consider for a moment, but running to the rear platform, where the back brakeman, G-us, Murray, was engaged drawing in the bell-rope, she paused a moment and then giving a terified cry, jumped off to the ground. The engineer having his boiler full of hot water, the speed was much less than common, but the train was at full 30 miles an hour. Brakeman Murray saw the jump, as he thought a fatal one, and

signalling to the engineer, the engine was reversed and the train stopped. Murray jumped down, and running to the child, was about to pick her up for dead, when she quickly arose and bounded off like a deer. Murray pursued and soon caught up to her, when she was returned to the car with no injury whatever except a slight scalp wound. Upon being questioned she said she thought her sister had fallen out of the window and been killed. Murray neglected to ask her name, but the children were evidently of refined parents, being well-dressed and of good conversation. The lady again took charge of the two, and for the rest of the way kept a strict survillance over their movements.”