The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-04-14
4 MEDAL FOR KATE SHELLY.
Her Heroic Deed to be Suitably Recognized.

Action of the Iowa Legislature in provid-
ing suitable testimonial to Kate Shelly re-
callsto mind the events which called forth
this testimonial. The father of Kate Shelly
was for many years employed as a section
man on the Chicago and Northwestern rail-
road, and died several years ago, since when
the mother, with the assistance Of Kate, six
teen years of age, supported herself and sew
eral children. Their home Is on the hillside
near the railroad, and one of the widest and
| most rugged sections in the West. In this
wild section are the Moingona coal mines,
worked by the railroad company. On the
night of the 9th of July last, suddenly burst
upon the State one of the most terrific storms
known. Rills, rivulets, and creeks were
suddenly swollen to devastating floods.
Railway tracks and bridges were swept away
like floating cork. Over Honey creek, in
one of these gorges, was long, high bridge.
Kate had become familiar with the passage
of the trains, and as the storm increased in
fury she went to window overlooking the
railroad and peered out into the darkness,
to watch the track, made visible only by the
lightning flash. Soon she saw the advancing
headlight of locomotive approaching Honey
creek bridge. 1t entered the bridge, the
headlight swung to the right and left, and
went down with a crash. She determined
to go to the rescue. She knew there would
soon follow the Pacific express train, and
unless warned of danger it would sweep in
to the abyss. There was no lantern in the
house, but lighting small miners lamp she
improvised lantern by placing the lamp in
side lantern globe. Fully realizing the
perilous task, she kissed her mother and sis
ter and fastened TO the scene of danger. She
reached the spot of an oft-trod foot-log
across sharp ravine, only to find it gone.
Her only course now was up the banks of
high, abrupt cliff. This she climbed, and,
drepched to the skin in the binding rain, by
the lightning's flash she followed the bluff
to a point opposite the bridge, where she
again descended the bluff, rending her hands
and clothes on the roots and crags. Stand
ing on the abutment of the bridge she low
cred her feeble lamp inte the yawning chasm
and asked if any one was alive. There came
back a feeble response from the engineer,
the only survivor of four strong men. He
had been swept from his cab, against the top
Of tree, but the whirling torrent, rapidly
swelling, was sweeping logs and driftwood
against his frail support. She was powerless
to render him any aid and she determined to
hasten to Moingona, a mile distant, and
warn the Pacific express of the impending
peril. Cautiously she felt her way along the
narrow track at high grade until she
reached the long bridge over the Des Moines
river, and here her feeble light went out.
The wind and rain nearly took away her
breath. She knew that to walk the bridge
would be impossible, so, getting on her hands
and knees, she crawled over the open bridge,
foored only with the timbers on which the
rails rested, for five hundred feet, with the
river rushing like mad beneath her. With
almost superhuman strength the frail girl
reached the farther side and fastened on 10
the station, relating what she knew aud ask
ing that the Pacific express, then already due,
be stopped. She fell in swoon upon the
platform. She was tenderly cared for, but
several months she lay in bed, tortured by
rheumatic pains and Frustrated from the
terrible strain upon her nervous system.
Representative Holmes, of Boone county
| in the House asked leave to introduce bill
providing gold medal for Kate Shelly val
ued at not less than $50, as tribute from
the Legislature Of Iowa for her heroic act
He briefly recounted the incidents, when tin
bill was passed under suspension of th'
rules without negative vote. 1t went Il
the Senate, where an amendment was addet
giving her 5000 in addition to the medal
when the bill again passed without mega
| tive vote uuder susnansian Of all rules