The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-13
Kate Shelly


plot to save passenger train on the
Northwestern Railway in Iowa, is full of
romantic interest. On the night of the
18th OF July there was fearful storm.
The current of the river was q raging
torrent. The surging waters washed
the banks and destroyed the foundations
OF the bridge across the stream Clouds
OF lnky blacl5ness shut out the light of
comet, moon and stars. The occasional
flashes of lightning only served to ron
der the scene hideous. At intervals the
peals of thunder broke in on the roar of
the mad waters and the moaning of the
wind. There were no friends or neigh
bors near. Kate Shelly and her widow
Ell mother were in their cheerless shanty
alone on that fearful night. They thought
of the time when their protector was
killed in the discharge Of his duty as IL
railroad operative. They were alone in
the world, and they drew close together.
They had no protector now but God
They knelt and prayed to him.
There was a noisc,a crash-something
very different from the fall of Il tree or n
discharge of lightning. 1t was the fall
of all engine over the embankment Kate
Shelly took q lantern and went out to
brave tile tempest. The wind blew out
her light; the rain drenchcd her scanty
clothing. Sometimes her steps were
guided by the flashes of lightning, and
at other times by the sense Of touch. At
length she reached the scene of the
wreck An engineer who had saved HIM
self by catching hold of branch of Il
tree made his voice heard through the
tumult of the winds and waters. He was
the only survivor from the freight train
His companions were crushed by the
falling engine or drowned in the swift
flowing, deep waters. They had met
the fate of her father-died in the dis
charge of duty. Kate Shelly did not re-
main long at the scene of the disaster
She did not stay to give aid to al nc
quaintance who could sustain himself
till relief could be obtained. She did
not return to her mother. She knew
that al express passenger train was
nearly due and that it could only be
saved from destructson by conveying i'll
formation to n telegraph Office. There
was no one to convey it but herself.
There was telegraph Office at Boone.
on one side Of the river where she was;
but it was i've miles away, and the
route to it lay through wilderness. She
could walk five miles through wilder
ness, even with the wind blowing like a
hurricane and the rain falling in torrents,
but she could not reach the place in
time to give the alarm and save the
train. There was another telegraph Office
Mt NIoingona, only mile distant. But
in the space of that mile was bridge
over four hundred feet long, over river
which presented the appearance Of the
Niagara. 1t was not made for human
feet to tread. Its only covering was ties
and rails. Kate Shelly did not hesitate
She snw there was no choice of routes
She took the road that led over the
bridge. On that bridge, fifty feet above
the watery abyss, she endcavored to
walk, but the wind rrostrated her. She
grasped the timbers and saved herself
Then on her hands and knees she made
her way across. She was in momentary
expectation that the express train would
come dashing across the prairies and
hurl her into eternity. On her knees
she crawled and prayed; the blood from
her wounded limbs stained her clothing
and the timbers to which she chung. She
reached the shore in safety, and forget
ting hor wearincss and exhaustion, ran
half q mile to telegraph office. Almost
breathless she told her story to the as
tonished operators, and fainting, foil
into the arms of one of thcm. An alarm
was sent over the wires. The train and
oil it's passengers were saved by the
heroism of this brave girl.