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FOOTBALLERS. IN TROUBLE
LONG CHASER OF A TRAIN.
Mount Qombicr; July 8.
Tie two mfcer-statexplayera, Mesera. JL
.Hart and L. Bryant, and tie manager, Mr.
E. H. Tassie, of the Norwood Football
Chrb. who visited Mount Ganibier this
?week, had an exciting motor ran dur
ing the early hours of Ibdday morn
ing. They had io arrive in Melbourne on
Thursday to prepare lor the inter-State
football match on Saturday, and a motor
car 'sras hired to convey them to ,Heywood
(Victoria) to board the m-oxming: train for
Melbourne. The car, ian Oakland, I in charge
.of Mr. S. 0. Davis,_ left Mount' G;unbier
art 5.40 a.m. on Thursday. The party air
rived ' at Dartmoor with 4o minutes to
(..aver what, according to their estimation,
shoud have been the remaining 11 miles,
but which they discovered Tress in reality
26" miles. Their informant gave the cheer
ing intelligence 'that the road was "in «.
??pretty bad state," -hut that metal -would be
encountered after two miles. After going
five miles they discovered they were on
the wrong road, and had to turn back to
One of the most wretched * tracks
in the western district The car was soon
bespattered) with mud, and the two players
in a -worse state than they ever .-were on a
' football field. Macadamised roui -WHS
reached after 14 miles, aitid the driven al
lowed the car "her head," so that 42 miles
an hour "was touched. -
Then followed a puncture when' within
a mile land & half of Heywood. The
dapiaged tube was removed, and the car
soorced into Hey wood, only to find that
1 the train was already leaving the mill town
siding. In response to the earnest solici
tations of Mr. Taaaia to the stationrrmster,
that tho train be bieldi up at the next
station ha waa told that.""it «ould not be
done." "Mr. H. Righetti, a local resmflent,
informed the party that, provided they
could cover 14 mfks betwem Hevwood and"
'Oondah in 15 minutes, at -wonld be poffiihle
to catch the train at the station He of
fered to accompany them and point out
the road. This offer was grateSnlly ac
cepted, and though the driver'made a gal
lant attempt the handicap proved too great
land the car ran into the station/aa the
train drew out. It -was imperative that
"the train should be caught, and the next
stage was the pursuit to Branxholme, eight
miles traversed at the rate of GO miles an
hoar. Here the exciting journey ended, as
?the car arrived- three minutes in advance
of 'the train, wMch was boarded amidst
all-round corigiatulations. The footballers
bestowed hearty commendation on Mr.'
Davis for his skill in handling the car i
on the nsxetched rwfa traversed. I
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