TRAIN'S NARROW ESCAPE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1919, Page 5

TRAIN'S NARROW ESCAPE.

OBSTRUCTIONS ON LINE, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, July 11. A deliberate attempt to derail a train near Manutahi was frustrated yesterday afternoon by fireman Annabell, who saw obstructions on the line while a special was ascending a hill pn a filling. The driver, Allen, promptly applied ' the brakes and the train was ■brought to a standstill. An examination of the lino revealed that four different lots of material had been placed across the rails. The first consisted pf two shovels j a few yards further iijn„four. picks and several shovels and j spades, a nick head being laid lengthwise on the rail then a kerosene tin I full of bolts, etc.. had been piled up along the rails and a heel plate placed | on the rail, while 20 yards further on a piece of rail about 30 feet long and a board two feet wide had been put in position. The' material was principally platelayers' gear. The men were working about a mile and a-half awav from the locality. Had the fain been descending the grade instead rlowlv ascending serious results would have followed.

! A BOY SUSPECTED. Hawera, Last Night. Enquiries nmde here with reference to the obstruction on th« railway line r.t Manntahi show that it is alleged they were placed there by a boy of about twelve years of age who ran away from nftrr receiving a thrashing. It jo stated that a ganger found a lad ■'»r on the line. The police hare f-lis matt«c in hand