The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-11-22
Brave Kate Shelley.

BOONE, La, Nov. 3.-NeXt week when
the committe of the Iowa Legislature will
formally present to Miss Kate Shelley the
medal voted her by that body in recogni-
ton of her bravery, this little town will
il. dulge in a celebration which, it is ex-
pecteo, will eclipse any public demonstra.
ton ever held in this region There will
be procession, music, speeches and Il
banquet, and many distinguished people
from abroad will be present. So worthiiy
bestowed is the Legislatures medal for
heroism that no one here will tail to do
everything in his power TO make the DEM
onstration success. Kate Shelley is now
a comely girl OF eighteen, but she achieved
her present fame by an act OF the gre Attest
bravery when she was but sixteen.
At about dark on the 9th OF July, 1881, a
storm of wind and rain of unparalleled Sc
verify broke over this egion. In an hours
time every creek was out OF its banks ana
the Des Moines river had risen six feet. So
sudden was the flood and such was the ve-
locity of the wind that houses, barns, lum-
Der and all portable objects within reach Of
the waters were carried away. Looking
from her window, which in daylight COM
manded view OF the Honey creek railroad
bridge. Kate Shelley saw through the dark
ness AID storm locomotive headlight. A
second later IL dropped, and though the
crash which II must have made was not per
csptibe above the roar OF the wind she
knew that the bridge had gone and that Il
train of cars lad FALLEN into the abyss.
There was no one az home but her mother
and her little brother and sister, and the
girl understood that If help was " be given
TO the sufferers and the express train, tnen
nearly due, warned, She would have to
undertake the task alone.
Hastily filling and lighting an old lantern
and wrapping herself In waterproof, she
! 4 s.,e la aNq laa HTgF aNo o.
effort to reach the waters edge, but finding
| that the flood was already lar above all the
paths and roadways, ana realizing that she
could do nothing in or near that mad tor
rent. she climbed painfully up the steep
| bluff to the track. tearing her clothing u
rags on the thick underground and lacer-
ating the flesh most painfully. part oil
the bridge still remained. anu, crawling out
| on Inis 10 Lbe last lie, she swung her lantern
over tue abyss and called cut at the top OF
her voice 1t was pitchy dark below, bat
she was answered family by the engineer,
who had crawled upon soRe Of the broken
timbers, and though Injured, was safe for
the time being. FIR IN MIN the girl learned
that IL was a freight train that had gone
into tbs ohssm, and that he alone of the
train hands had escaped. He urged her
| no viewer, to proceed az once to the nearest
station 10 secure help for him and to warn
the approaching express train ofthe bridge.
The girl then retracsd her steps, gained
the track, aud made her way, with all the
spesd that the gale would permit. toward
| Noinsona, q mall.station about one mile
from Honey Creek. In making this peril
Gus Journey il was necessary for her to eros
the tresls bridge over the DesMoines river
about 800 feet in length. Just as rhe trem'
blingly put her foot on this structure the
wind. rain, thunder and lightning were 80
appAlling that she nearly lost her balance,
| and in the endeavor to save herself her sole
com panion, the old lantern, went out. She
mad no matches, but II she had had thou
sands Of them they would have been OF no
serv &c 10 such O place and In such storm
| DEPRIVED OF her light. she could not see 9
TOT shsad save when the dazzling flashes
Of liehtuing revealed the grim outlines o
The bridge, and the seething waters be-
meath. Knowing that she had no time 10
lose. the brave girl threw away the useless
lamp, and dropping on her hands and
knees, crawled from tie to tie across the
high tretsle. Having gained the ground
again, she ran the short distance feInalninf
TO The station, told her story IN bresthles'
haste and fell unconscious al the feet o
the gaping rust 'cs, who, in ibeir eagerDes'
10 know her adventures, forgot the terror
and suspense which she had eIdOred.
Men were then sent 10 the rescue of th'
engineer, and kilograms were lying up anc
down the line notifying officials and other
Of the loss Of the bridge. Tbs express trail
came laundering In aud was stopped an'
toe psssugsrs. learning the story OF ID
chi 4 hero, locked, few at q time upon be
van face and ragged clothes. The purs'
that vas made up for Der vas . OF very SUP
stantisl hind.
Whss Tbs story Of her behavior sprssi
tbroufbsst the stsfs several funds for be
bsnsfi we're stsrtsc, and. % far a. none.
can pay Tor such dsvofi07, tns has betl
veil rewarded for her nights work A
the ssskisn 81 the legislature last winter u
vas orcsrsd that . medal COMMENCEMENT
Of the girls bravery Be struck. spd q CON
mittss ga sppoiutsd n present u - bei
Her hsroism Wa made the theme Of ma
sIou usrf gueecnef.