A TRAIN OF FIRE. A THRILLING SIGHT ON A KEN TUCKY RAILROAD GRADE

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 260, 2 May 1888, Page 4

A TR AIN OF FIR E. A THRILLING SIGHT ON A KEN TU CKY RAI LRO AD GRA DE

I Loi i-\ ili.i , \pul 5. Foui cm- ol l)l.i/ui'i oil i!7s|icd down the ui.'ulc ot Miihbanghs Hill at midnight List niiihl .(( (lie udo of .1 null' a minute, and t lie few st ait led inhabitants in th.it .-el (ion I >oked out ot then windows to see what the\ supposed «,h a 001 net Hmiiu dow n the 1 all load tiack. Kieiuht f i am 17 on the Louisville and \a-sh\ille load leach Mukbaugh- station al out. 11.30 o"\ lock. The last, toui (iu> weie loaded with baiitkd oil. The e<»ndiii toi nolued a leak in o ie of the bamlf and in Ihe ear lo li\. lib lantern wa-> ,iei idently bioken. and iii'-laiitlj there was an explosion The eonduetoi was l>lou n tJuouu'h tin 1 window, and full iin-lons.-ious mid tat.ill.S hull cm MlO ot the liaok. Two men named I'laikc and Stele, wlio wcie helping him, lumped tor tiioii lues, but, theii elothesweic saturated with the burning oil, and they weioicaitully scoiehed. and will die. The trainmen, feeinu Miey could do nothing towaid.s htopjnnn the tiie and lealisinp t,he dan^ci to the i'(\st ot (lie cav>, saw no alternative but to cut loose the burning eais, althounh the Louisville passenger was due in a little time. The men unloosed the coupling and trusted to luck that the pas-i-enu,er iiiight. escape danuer. TJic iiK'lino <>" u'hieh (lie Jieij^ht was >t eaming up is lour miles lomj, uid aoi.v .steep, and the loosened eais shot hackwaid with rapid and e\erinel■ea&^ll<;^peod. When they started on the wild nni downwaid all toui- cu.s were enveloped solidly in (lames. The speed in which (hey made the descent caused the llnnie* to hkcain high behind them like the tail ot a comet, and theie were constant e\]ilosion.s ot bai rolls 'ot gasoline, which sounded like intennittcnt thunder. r Phe run down slo|)e was made in light nmg time. Fanned by the wind the (ire made quick wot k of the eui.s, and when the bottom was reached nothing was left of them but the blackened trucks and iron J barrel hoop.s.

Now South Walus holds tho championship ot Au.stralm for .sculliiij', c^clinn, cricket, looU'Uiniinj', tint winner, Niilinn, hwinuninji, and jockeyy, also the Australasian o!mui])ioiiBhip tor boxing.