Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-15
PERILS OF A HEROINE.

PEklLS UT A hEhUlNE.
A Female Telegraph Operator Faces
Death to save a Train-Many Lives at
Stake-ROmantic CulminatiOn OF What
Would Have Been a Terrible Accident
Miss Ransom was the telegraph Oper-
ator and station agent on little road
called the Columbia and Port Deposit
division of the Pennsylvania Line. This
road Rugged the banks Of the Susque-
hanna river from end TO end, and there
wasn't spot on the entire division OF
forty miles that it wasn't almost sure
death TO the train hands for train to
leave the rails, says the Washington
StUr:-
Wrecks occurred on an average OF
once week and were always followed
by several fatalities. The station she
was located NJ was near immense lime
stone quarrieS wherein some half q
hundred Italians were employed.
About 100 yards above the station was
1OO-fOOt trestle spanning small
stream at ordinary times, but on the
day in question greatly swollen any very
swift as IL emptied into the river at that
point. A blast mad been just fired OF
unusual force, and an immense rock
landed directly on the tcestle, tearing it
apart in the centre, the swift water
washing away the debris and leaving a
gap in the rails of about twenty-five
feet.
DEFYING A wATERY GRAVE.
The river was very high at that point,
and the small boats that were handy
could not be propelled against the swift
current. The nearest bridge on the lit
tie stream over which the treStle was
stretched was some three miles distant.
Miss Ransom saw the mischief done
by the rock and Immediately rushed
out and told the uperintendent OF the
Italian gang TO send man or go him
self around the wreck and stop train
that was due from the north in about
half an hour. The Superintendent was
an Italian, with q smattering of Ens-
! lish, but who failed entirely 10 see the
gravity OF the situation. The only wire
that ran along the road had been
stretched on the treStle for economy's
sake aud had been broken with the
/ treStle, so that no communication with
the north could be had. Miss Ransom
tried TO tell the Italian the true Situa-
ton, but he only smiled aud with
shrug Of the shoulders and grimace
walked back into the quarry and re-
Sumed his overseeing.
The railroad was very crooked at this
point, many sharp curves obStructing a
/ long view ahead, and matters looked
very blue for the train coming south.
| The employees of the road at the south
end had been told over the wire by Miss
I Ransom the situation, and she had been
ordered to stop the train at all hazards,
/ as they could not reach her station In
/ time TO help her.
BRAVELY FACING DEATH.
Time for talk was past, and Miss Ran
/ som decided 10 act. Going down 20 the
rivers bank she got into small boat
aud pushed OF. hoping TO work her way
around the break in the trestle. In
some way the current pushed her boat
/ in among some driftwOod, and in a
twinkling her boat was overturned and
/ she was tloundering in the deep rushing
/ water.
Miss Ransom had learned to swim
and managed TO reach out aud grasp
heavy log as it swept by. With one arm
around this log, she called for help and
/ az the same time tried TO work herself
I in toward the shore. Soon several Ital-
/ iauS came running 10 the rescue, and in
a short time Miss Ransom was safe on
shore. But the train was still coming
south aud nothing had been gained by
the adventure. Miss Ransom was the
coolest one in the crowd. 1t was now
too late to send man around bs the
other bridge, and she determined to
try and cross the smaller stream in some
way. Followed by the Italians, they
ran up the bank OF the little stream,
but nothing could be found on which a
crossing could be made.
SIGNALING THE TRAIN.
Miss Ransom hesitated but minute
10 ask il any one could swim, and re-
ceiving negative answer decided, with
the aid of a plank, TO try 10 again. The
I Italians In their imDetuOuS way tried 70
persuade her not 10 tempt the swollen
waters again, but with the decision OF a
true heroine who realized the danger
the oncoming train was in, she cautious
ly pushed the plank into the water and
with a quick movement followed IL.
The brave girl had entered the water
some distance above the broken treStle
In the hope of gaining the opposite
shore before that point had been
reached, as 20 be carried out in the river
meant almost certain death. The Ital-
ianS encouraged her with shouts of
praise, but eadeGvOr as she would to
work her way out OF the currentin mid
stream but little Roadway was made.
Down stream the brave girl was car
ried with a SwftneSS that told palmer
than words that her struggles were
fruitleSs. AS she neared the broken
trestle, inch by inch the worked the
plank over % the northern side, aud as
she was within few feet of that struc-
ture she abandoned the plank and
struck out with one forlorn hope Of
reaching it unaided Her foresight and
strength proved stanch qualifications.
As she was being carried by the pro-
jectiug a Splintered trestIe Miss Ransom
gave one last strong sweep of her arms
and was enabled TO grasp heavy piece
Of timber.
ROMANCE AND REWARD.
Slowly and labOriouSly the heroine
worked her way out Of the water and up
through the treStle as her strength COM
menced to show signs Of waning, and
finally reached the top. For only few
seconds did she hesitate, to grasp for
breath and regain strength, when the
staggered to her feet and hurried down
the track.
It was a close calculation. Miss Ran