Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-12-06
AN IOWA GIRLS GRIT.
Her Perilous Journey in Howiing Storm, and
the Reward She is to Have for IL.


Kate Shelly is now comedy girl OF
eighteen, but she achieved her present
fame by an act of the greatest bravery
when she was but sixteen.
At about dark on the 9th of July,
1881, storm of wind aud rain of I'M
paralleled severity broke over this re-
gion. In an hours time every creek
was out of its banks, and the Des
Moines River had risen six feet. So
sudden was the flood and such was the
velocity of the wind that houses, barns,
lumber, and all portable objects within
reach OF the waters were carried away.
Looking from her window, which in
daylight commanded view of the
Honey Creek railroad bridge, Kate
Shelly saw through the darkness and
storm locomotive headlight. A second
later it dropped, and though tie crash
which it must have made was not per-
ceptible above the roar of the wind,
she knew that the bridge had gone, and
that a train of ears had fallen into the
abyss There was no one at home but
her mother and her little brother and
sister, and the girl understood that if
help was to be gwen to the sufferers,
and the express train, then nearly due,
warned, she would have TO undertake
the task alone.
Hastily filling and lighting an old
lantern and wrapping herself in
waterproof, she sailed out In the storm.
She first made an effort to reach the
waters edge, but finding that the flood
was already far above all the paths
and roadways, and realizing that she
could do nothing in or near that mad
torrent. she climbed painfully up that
steep bluff to the track, tearing her
clothing to rags on the thick under
growth and decorating the flesh most
painfully A part of the bridge still re-
manned, and, crawling out on this to
the abyss and called out at the top of
her voice. 1t was pitchy dark below,
but she was answered family by the
engineer. who had crawled up on some
of the broken timbers, and, though
injured, was safe for the time being.
| From him the girl learned that it was
a freight train that had gone into the
chasm, and that he alone of the train
hands had escaped. He urged her,
| however, to proceed ut once To the
nearest station to secure help for him
and to warn the approaching express
train of the fall of the bridge.
The girl then retraced her steps,
gained the track, and made her way,
with all the speed that the gale would
permit, toward Moingona, a small sta
ton about one mile fir M Honey Creek.
In making this perilous journey it was
| necessary for her to cross the high
| trestle bridge over the Des Moines
River, about 500 feet in length. just
as she tremblingly put her foot on this
structure the wind, rain, thunder, and
lightning were so appalling that she
nearly lost her balance, and, in the en-
| deavor' to save herself, her sole COM
panion, the old lantern, went out. She
had no matches, but if she had had
thousands of them they would have
been of no service in such a place and
in such storm. Deprived of her light
she could not see a foot ahead save
when the dazzling flashes of lightning
revealed the grim outlines of the bridge
and the seething waters beneath. Know
ing that she had no time to lose, the
brave girl threw away the useless lamp
and dropping on her hands and knees,
crawled from tie 10 tie across the high
trestle. Having gained the ground
again, she ran the short distance re-
naming to the station, told her story
in breathless haste, and fell unconsciou
at the feet oi the gaping rustics, who,
in their eagerness to know her adven-
lures, forgot the terror and suspense
which she had endured.
Men were then sent to the rescue of
the engineer, and kilograms were fly
ing up and down the line notifying
officials and others of the loss of the
bridge. The express train came thun-
dering in and was stopped. and the
passengers, learning the story of the
child-hero, looked, few at time,
upon her wan face and ragged clothes.
The purse that was made up for her
was of very substantial kind.
When the story of her behavior spread
throughout the State several funds for
her benefit were started, and, SO far as
money can pay for such devotion, she
has been well rewarded for her nights
work. At the session of the Legislature
last winter it was ordered that a medal
commemorative of the girls bravery be
struck, and committee was appointed
to present it to her. Her heroism was
made the theme of many eloqu ent
speeches.