The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-31
THE HEROINE OF HONEY CREEK.
a Talk With Miss Kate Shelley, Who
Saved a Trai1, in iowa
From the Chicago Record.

from the chicago RECORD.
Miss Kate Shelley 1.-The heroine of
Honey Creek, . is visiting the worlds fair
this week. At her throat she wears the
gold medal given her by the school chill
dren of Dubuque The gold watch she
carries was presented by the conductors
of the Northwestern road. II have other
medals at home, " said She "but did not
wish to carry many valuables while
was travelling. 1t has been II years since
l saved that train, but l still receive let
tiers and an occasional visit from persons
who remember it."
THE HEROINE's MODEST STORY.
at was Ii O'Clock on the night of July
6, ISL said Miss Shelley when asked to
recall the story. "Our little home stood
near the Honey Creek bridge and this
| was a half-mile east of Moingona, Ia.
! That night there had been an awful
storm, d cloud burst. in fact. The bridge
| across Honey creeK washed out. The
Northwestern passenger train from the
west sent push engine ahead to see if
the track was clear. This engine and the
crew went into the creek, which was
swollen to a freshet. ] looked out of the
window and saw it go down. My father,
who was dead, had worked on the road,
and l knew all about the trains. l knew
the passenger train was coming and that
some one must stop it.
Il found an old miners lamp, put in a
piece of felt for wick lighted it and put
it inside a common lantern. With this
light | went into the storm. | had to go
through the woods by a roundabout way
to reach the track, as most of the ground
was under water | fell down several
times and my light went out. reached
the tracks. but l had no light. 1t was
nearly time for the train. | started to
rim for the station. Then / thought of
the long bridge ahead. 1t was pitca dark,
t e rain fell in a sheet and the wind blew
hurricane. When 1 came to the open
ties of the BRUCE 1 had to lie down and
crawl 500 feet to get across.
"sToP THE PASSENGER TRAM"
''When [ reached the station l fell
through the doorway and said: Stop
the passenger train; the Honey Creek
bridge has fallen The agent did not
know me at first, was so wet and dirty.
| said: Quick, the engine has gone
down. He said: Why, it's Kate
Shelley He jumped to the telegraph in
strument and sent a message to the next
stop west: Hold the passenger train
the Honey Creek bridge is OUT After l
reached the station / gave way, and for
three months l was sick from the shock
and exposure.
PLEASANT PENALTIES OF HEROIsM.
Il found it rather pleasant to be a live
heroine, except that l have been COM
PEELED to tell the story every day for
twelve years. My two sisters are now
teaching school, but we are all living in
the old home. the one which was saved by
the subscriptions sent to us. Enough
money was sent to US to keep it and to
build an addition. The Woman's Christian
Temperance Union sent me to school at
Indianola for two years. l do not care to
teach school and expect to get some other
kind of work No / am not married.
received any number of proposals by mail,
but they were all very silly. had never
been to Chicago, but knew 7 could not
afford to miss the fair That is how
hapOen to be here now"