Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-08-16
BRAVE KATE SHELLEY.
A Heroine for whom n Eureka Man
Has Conceived an Admiration.

From the Ogden Qowa) Reporter. July l6.
On last Wednesday night, when O'Neil
Donahue and 0lmstead went down to
death, a noble girl. but Is years of age,
was watching and praying for those whose
duty called them out over the railroad in
the fearful storm. Kate Shelley, whose
father was killed on the railroad some
years co., lives with her mother just on
the east side Of the river. and nearly OPP
posite to where the engine made the fatal
plunge and Donahue and Olmstead lost
their lives. Miss Shelley and her mother
heard the crash, and, realizing what had
happened, Kate took a lantern, and amid
the hurricane OF wind, the deluge of water,
the incessant glare of the lightning and
peal upon peal Of thunder, left her home
and started for the wreck. Her light soon
went out, but she felt her way through the
woods and fallen timbers to the edge Of
the dashing waters that covered the
drowned men,. She could hear, above the
roar Of the tempest, the voice of Wood,
the engineer. who had caught in a tree
top. She knew that the express, with it's
load Of passengers, was nearly due, and
there was none to warn them Of their dan
ger. She, a young girl, was the only liv-
ing being who could prevent an awful
catastrophe. The. telegraph Office at
Moingona or Boone was the only place
where she could notify the officers. To
Boone was five miles over hills and through
woods, and before she could get there the
express train would have passed. To
Moingona was only a mile; but between
here and Moingons was the Des Moines
River. 10 or Is feet above its natural
hight, and TO cross this she must pass
over the railroad bridge. so feet above the
rushing waters. She must cross the
bridge, 400 feet long, with nothing but the
ties and rails, the wind blowing q gale,
and the foaming, seething muddy waters
beneath. Not one man in a thousand but
would have shrunk from such a task. Not
one man in five hundred would have gone
over at any price or under any circum-
stances. But this brave, noble girl, with
the nerve OF . giant, gathered about her
her flowing skirts, and on her hands and
knees crawled over the long, weary bridge.
Tie after tie was passed. 1t was time for
the express train to come dashing over the
bridge, and to hurl her down to death
amid the dark and muddy waters OF the
rushing, roaring waters. The blood from
her lascerated knees had stained her dress,
but she did not falter. She reaches the
shore, and the remaining half-mile she
flies, almost, to the telegraph office.
B~reathless, aud in broken accents, she
tells her story of death and destruction,
and faints in the arms OF the bystanders.
The wires were set at work and q more
| horrible disaster averted.
The attention OF the SENTINEL was called
to the above article by a prominent citi.
zen of Eureka. who in q communication
SAYS: at tells u an act Of bravery per
| formed by Miss Kate Shelley that oughl
| TO place her name as one Of the most noble
| among those of the heroines OF this, Oh
any other country. For this act Of human
ity, on the part Of this brave young lady
I think she deserves the profound admira
| ton OF the whole country. This nobl'
| Young lady Is . stranger to me, and ! only
| know by reading the article In question
| that she Is the daughter OF q widowet
mother; but that she has performed a,
act for which all humanity is her debtor
no n will deny. If ever there was q cas-
that called for a public testimonial II
token OF appreciation Of 9 brave act o
humanity, this Is one. and TO this end
respectfully propose that contributions I
a fund, 10 be known a. the Kate Shelle
Fund be suggested and advocated b.
every newspaper in the land, the same I
be forwarded to this young lady at tn
proper time. As an earnest Of my goo
intentions in this matter, I hereby han
you my humble unit Of IS, hoping that q
appreciative public will take an inseres
therein and swell this insignificant amour
to large proportions" sunsonBEn.
The SENTINEL fully agrees with the view
Of Its correspondent; there 10 sense In h
proposition. That heroic girl 10 vastl
more entitled TO q substantial pecuniar
testimonial than the wife OF the Presiden
because she has done something to mer
such a tribute. Besides, she is poor. an
1t would be in the line Of rue charity
extend her a helping hand. The new
papers in the neighborhood should sta
tba Kata Eha1lav boom.