A YOUNG HEROINE. How an Accideent Was Stayed and the Passengers Saved.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 224, 15 October 1887, Page 7

A YOUNG HEROINE.

How an Accideent Was Stayed and the Passengers Saved.

At the house of a mutual friend I met a nineteenth century heroine — a young girl who wears upon her breast a massive gold medal that was presented to her by the Legislature of the State of lowa, some years ago, as a mai-k of its appreciation of her wonderful courage and presence of mind. Tall, erect, and well-proportioned, with her dark, bright eyes, rosy cheeks, and clearly cut features forming a charming picture of strong, true American womanhood, Kate Shelley, of Boone, lowa, is a girl that any father or any State might be proud of. She is 22 years old, but she was only 16 years old when, by an act of daring bravery, she won the admiration, and gratitude of the people of her native State, and made her name famous among them. About dark on July 6th, 1881, a wind and rain storm of unparalleled severity burst over Kate Shelley's home in the country, near Honey Greek. The Bes Moines River rose six feet, and every creek was over its banks in less than an hour. The window of this brave girl's room commanded a view of the Honey Creek railroad bridge. Peering out into the darkness she saw, by the aid of the vivid flashes of lightning which at frequent intervals illuminated the scene, that houses, barns, fences, lumber and everything portable within roach of the flood had been carried away, while tho wind swept by with fearful and ever-increasing velocity, and the waters continued quickly and steadily to rise. Through the blackness and storm she saw a locomotive headlight advancing swiftly in the direction of the bridge which the flood had borne away. A second later and the light suddenly dropped down out of sight, and, though the roaring of the wind and waters rendered it impossible for her to hear, the frightful crash it must have made, she knew that a train of cars had plunged into the abyss. There was no one at home beside herself, save her mother and her little brother and sister, and she knew that if help was to be given to the sufferers and a warning conveyed to the engineer of the express train, then nearly due, she must undertake the awful task alone. Tin-owing an old waterproof about her shoulders and

Hastily Lighting a Lantern. she ventured forth into the storm. The flood was far above all roads and pathways to the water's edge, and she soon realised that it would be impossible to reach the wreck. She must try some other plan. A steep, rocky bluff led up to the track. She j began to ascend it. With her clothes torn to rags and her flesh lacerated by the thick growth of bushes, she at last reached the rails. There was a small portion of the bridge left. On her hands and knees she crawled out on the remaining ties to the last one, and, holding on with one hand for life, she leaned out over the water as far as she could, and, waving 1 her lantern, cried out at the top of her voice. From the black gulf below there came in answer the faint accents of the engineer, who told her it was a freight train that had gone over, and that, though badly injured, he had saved himself from drowning by crawling up on some broken timbers. He believed that all the other trainhands had perished, and advised her to proceed at once to the nearest station, warn the approaching express train of its dangers, and return with help for him. Retracing her steps, the young heroine was soon hastening along the track with all the speed she could make against the howling tempest towai'd Moingona, a small station about one mile from Honey Creek. To reach that point she had to cross the high trestle bridge over the Dcs Moines River, a distance of 500 feet. Her trembling foot had scarcely taken its first step upon the structure, when a sudden and appalling burst of thunder, lightning, wind and rain nearly threw her over into the water, and ab the same time extinguished her light. Matches would have been powerless to relight it in such a hurricane, even if she had them, and she was now unable to pee even a hand's length before her, except when a vivid flash of lightning revealed the raging waters beneath her, or the dark outline of the swaying bridge to which she clung. Throwing away her lantern, this dauntless American girl again dropped on her hands and knees, and thus made her way through the darkness and storm from tie to tie over the perilous trestle. Reaching film ground again, she soon covered the short remaining distance to the station, breathlessly told her story, and then fell in a. dead faint at the station agent's feet. Succour was hastily despatched to the suffering engineer in Honey Creek. Telegrams went flying up and down the line, notifying the railway officials that

The Bridge Was Gone. Just one minute after the brave girl had fainted, and while she still lay unconscious, the express train came rushing in. When the passengers learned of the awful accident from which they had been saved by the indomitable courage of one fragile girl, loving hands took her up tenderly, chafed the torn and bleeding limbs, laved the pallid face, and soon called her back to life again. Then they collected for her a substantial purse. When the fame of brave Kate Shelley's exploit spread throughout her native State men and women of all classes united to do her honour. Several subscriptions were started for her benefit, and if money is ever an adequate recompense for such heroism she has been well rewarded for her brave conduct. The Legislature voted that amedal Bhould be given her to commemorate her daring act, and appointed a special committee to present it, her heroism being made the theme of many eloquent speeches. On the day when she received the medal from the hands of the Legislative Committee in the town of Boone, lown, the event was celebrated in a manner which surpassed any previous public demonstration ever held in that State. A procession, music, speeches and a banquet were features of the occasion on which not only the people of her native State, but also many distinguished guests from abroad, united to do honour to brave Kate Shelley.