The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-03-03
A BRAYE GIRL.
\ Young Lady Drowned nrsr heos"", ia
the Dss Moincs River.

\ Young Lady Drowned nrsf he"hh"' Hh
the Dos Moines River.
About II o'clock last night drasi iful
accident happened at the Des MONIES
River bridge, ut Buena Vista, ahOut three
miles sonth of this city, whereby a
young lady named Bella Stevens met
with death, after Il fearful struggle with
the ice and water of the river.
Miss Stevens lived near Buena Vista,
and had crossed the bridge early III the
evening in company with Il young man
named =. j. Bird to attend Il school ex-
hibition on the other side. After the
school was dismissed the two returned
together, and, on arriving at the Ilver
bank, they, for some nnaccOuntab.e rea-
son, concluded to cross on the ice
which was not consi !ered at al safe
instead Of he bridge. They proceeded
on their way, chatting, AMI uuthinbing
OF the great danger they werr III, uptil
they arrived obout the middle OF the
stream, when the treacherOus ice 1egan
10 bend and crack beneath their feet.
A desperate struggle 10 rett1ce their
steps, a crash, Il shrek, and ,hey We're
epgulfed III the merciless stream Some
hbOrers who, luckily, were Nt that time
at work on tine bridge, heard he cries
of distress and hastel.ed 20 the assistance
of the unfortunates, and rs they lushed
upon the ice they found 1t wOUld not
bear them mp. Boards were torn of of
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 q short time the young
man was reached and pulled ont ia safe
ty. Miss Stevens was further ont in the
stream, and while clinging 70 the edges
of the ice maintained heroic c1lmness.
The men at The bridge say that il WAS
moving sight 70 see her and hear her, as
she chung d sperately and with the
clutch of IL drowning mortal 70 the edges
Of the ice, giving directions as to her
rescde in voice which WAS by far the
most self-possessed of the lot.
Spurred on by The heroism OF Miss
Stevens, the men redoubled their efforts
TO save her but, alas each effort WIS
repulsed ly the breaking o! the ice, and
il was impossible TO render any assist
ancc. Miss Stevens maintained her
calmness TO the last, and checred and
urgeu the men on. 1t finally bee me
apparent to her that her grip Was last
losing It's hold, and she announced the
fact to the horror stricken men, who
male further efforts t. save her, bat
without avail. She finally announced
that she could holl Oh no longer, and,
after struggle Or two 20 maintain her
position, her fingers were unjoosened
from the edges of the lee, and the body
sank to rise no more. The rcmorSeless
current carried her under the ice, and
doubtless out into the Mississippi, and
thus far no traces OF the body have been
found, although search has been insti-
tuted in the nei ghb0rhood where the dis
aster occurred.
1t is a tale which sickens ore IN the
telling, and thdf imagination can easily
picture the horror of the young laly's
companion, the grief and distraction %
her friends and relatives, and the min
utes, which mast have been longdra~E
hours to the heroic young girl, while
she was struggling for life on the edges
of the fateful ice. That one so young
and fair, ana full of the promises OF life,
should be suddenly taken of without
warning. is sad enough, but when the
death struggle occurs while help is so
near, and yet nothing can be done, it is
rendered iucXpressibly so.-Rc0EUE
Constitutions