The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1876-03-31
A Brave R'oanei Isaszy DrowneSE In tane
Des MOlnes River near KeOlkuk.

About II O'Clock last night, says the
keolluk Constitution, a dreadful acci-.
dent happened at the. Des Moines River
bridge, at Buena Vista, about three
miles south of this city, whereby a
young lady named Bella Stevens; met
with death, after fearful struggle with
the ice and water ofthe river.
Miss Stevens lives near Buena v ista,
evening In company with 3 young man
named B.sL Bird to attends school ex-
hibition on the other side. After the
school was dismissed the two returned
together, and, on arriving at the river
bank, they, for some uIaccountabie Tea-
son, concluded to sckuss on itI d nee =
which WAS not considered at all safe
ipstead. of the .bEiidase. g 6 ..,..
4 IL They proceeded on their way chat
ting and unthinking of the great danger
they were in until they arrived about
the middle of the stream, when the
tfeachefols ice began to bend and crack
beneath eheit feet. Adeaperate struggle
to Fetrace their steps, o crash, a shrek,
and they were engulfed in the merciIess
ssRoam.
s. Some laborers, who luckily, were at
that time at work on the bridge, heard
the cries of DISTRESS and FASTENED to the
assistance Of the unfortunates, and as
they rushed upon the ice they found it
lwoald not bear them up. Boards were
torn off of the the fences and showed
out on the ice, in the vain hope that the
young lady and gentleman might be
reached by this means, and in . short
ltime the young man was reached and
pulled out in, safety. Miss Stevens was
farther out in the stream, and whilst
]clinging to the edges of the ice main.
/ taitlcd heroic calmness The men al
i the bridge say that it was q most
knowing sight to see her and hear her
as she clung desperately and with ths
clatch Of a drowning mortal to the edge
of the ice, giving directions as to hel
rescue, in a voice which was by far tn,
most selfpossessed of the lot. ss
! Spurred OH by the heroism OF Mis-
Stevens, the men .rcdoubled their effort
4 to save her; but alas each effort wa
] Irepulsed by the breaking OF the ice, ant
&c was impossible to render any assist
ance. Miss Stevens maintained he
II calmnees TO the last, and cheered ans
'fNrged the mer on. Il finally becam
II apparent to her that her grip was fas
Z losing its hold, and she announced, th
fact to the horfor-stricken men, VIII,
made further efforts to save her with
!. ont avail. She finally announced tha
) she could hold on no longer, and, afte
q struggle to maintain her positioT
, her fingers were uiiioeseised from th
i tedges of the ice and the body sank t
) rise no more. The remorseless curren
) carried her under the ice, and doubles
= oOt into the Mississippi, and thus IA
no traces of the body have been found
5 although search has been institutes
: in the neighborhood where the disaste
Z occurred.
IL is a tale which sickcns one in Oh
! 24eiling, and the ina aginasion can easil
pictrue the horror of tile young lady
: companion, the griet and distraction {
: her friends and relatives, and the minute
! which must have been long-draw
hours to the heroic, young girl, viii
9 she was struggling for life on the cdgs
of the fafoftfT ire 80 s1s5f4