Heroism of a Railway Conductor.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 207, 18 June 1887, Page 3

Heroism of a Railway Conductor.

The New York " Tribune's " Boston special of April 28bh says :- Rarely is greater herosm and unselfishness witnessed than was shown last evening by a freight conductor on the Boston and Albany road, near East Brookfield. A freight train left Springfield in the afternoon in charge of Conductor James Deblois. At South Spencer, while going up a heavy grade, the train broke apart. When the train hands discovered the mishap, the train was reversed .and the forward portion of the train backed after the runaway cars. Conductor Deblois was very anxious to stop the cars, for he knew I that if they were not checked before reaching East Brookfield they would be in colision with a passenger train at that point, and probably cause much loss of life. After a chase of a hundred y,ards the forward part of the train came within a few feet of the other portion. Conductor Doblois mounted the top of the rear car of the forward portion and prepared to jump to the other part. He knew that in order to stop and control the runaway cars itlwould be necessary for some one to jump to the runaway cars before they met and gradu. ally to check the speed of both sections. Deblois resolved to make tho leap. A minute later he made the effort, but the distance was too great and he fell between the cars. His body lay across the track and the looomotivo and cars of the forward portion of the train passed over him. > The unfortunate man was literally cut to pieces. When the wild cars came in sight of Fast Brookfield, Stationmaster James Corcoran, with great presence of mind, turned the switch and let the cars on the south siding and they were thrown from the track into the river meadows.