The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-09
A Reward for a Brave Woman.
THE HEROINE OF THE GREAT IOWA TENPEsI
OF 1881 DECORATED WITH GOLD.
fIcwa pooIator

TIE HEkOlNE VI lht bfsbAl lOnh LhfhSi
OF 1881 DECORATED WITH GOLD.
lIowa Register.
The Iowa legislative committee to-day
presented Miss Kate Shelley. a young girl
Of eighteen, with gold medal for bravery.
The story Of her brave deed will bear re-
peating:
At about dark on the 9th Of July, 1881, a
storm OF wind and rain OF unparalleled Sc
verify broke over this region. In an hours
time every creek was out Of its banks, and
the Des MOineS river had risen six feet. So
sudden was the food. and such was the We
locity 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
Shelley saw through the darkness and
storm a locomotive headlight. A second
later it dropped, and though the crash
which it must have made was moi perceptl-
BILE above the roar OF the wind, she knew
that the bridge had gone, and that train
Of cars had fallen into the abyss. There
was no one at home but her mother and her
little brother and sister, and the girl un-
derstood that II help was to be given 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
salhed out in the storm. She nrst made an
effort 10 reach the waters edge, but finding
tbat the flood was already far above all the
maths and roadways, and realizing that she
could donothing in or near that mad torrent,
She climbed painfully up the steep blut TO
the track. tearing her clothing to rags on the
thick underground. and lacerating her flesh
most painfully. A part OF the bridge still re-
manned. and crawling out on this TO the last
tie she swung her lantern over the abyss
and called out at the top OF her voice. IL
was pitcby dark below; but she was an
swered family by the engineer, who had
crawled up on some Of the broken tlmberS,
and. though injured, was safe for the time
being. From him the girl learned that II
was freight tram that had gone into the
chasm, and that he alone OF the train-hands
| had escaped. He urged her. however, to
proceed at once to the nearest station 10
secure help for him and to warn the ap-
proaching 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, q small station about one mile
from Honey creek. In making this peril
Gus Journey it was necessary for her to
cross the high trestle-bridge over the Des
Moines river, about five hundred feet in
length, Just as she tremblingly put hel
| foot on this structure the wind, rain. thun'
der, and lightning were so appalling that
she nearly lost her balance, and in the en-
deayor TO save herself her sole companion
the old lantern. went out. She had nc
matches. but if she had had thousands ol
them they would have been of no service
in such place and in such storm. De
prived of her light, she could not see fool
ahead save when the dazzling flashes OF
lightning revealed the grim outlines OF the
bridge and the seething waters beneath
Knowing 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 TO tie across the high tres
tie. Having gained the ground again, sh'
ran the short distance remaining to th'
station, TOLD her story in breathless haste
and fell unconscious at the feet OF th'
gaming rustics, who, in their eagerness tt
know her adventures, forgot the terror aht
suspense which she had endured.