The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-02-24
AREAL HEROINE.
How Brave Woman Telegraph opera.
tor Saved Train from Destruction.

MIS- Ransom was tne telegraph
operator and station agent on a
little road called The Columbia Il
Fort Deposit division of the Penn
sylvania line, says lhe Washing
ton Star. This road hussed the
banks Of the Susquehanna river
from end TO end, aid there wasn't
a spot ON the entire division of
forty miles that 1t wasn't almost
sure death to the train hands for a
train to leave the rails. Wrecks
occurred on an average of once a
week, and were always followed
by severe fatalities. The station
she was located at was near i'm.
mense limestone quarrles, wherein
some half a hundred Italians were
employed. About 100 yards above
the station was a hundred loot tres.
tie spanning a small stream at or
dinary times, but on The day in
question greatly swollen and
very swift as 1t emplied into the
river at that point. A blast had
just been fired of unusual force
and an immense rock landed di
rec,ly on the lreslle tearing it
apart IN The centre, The swift wa
ter carrying away The debris and
leaving gap in the rails of about
twenty five feet. The river was
very high al that point and the
small boats that were handy could
not he propelled against The swift
current. The nearest bridge ON
the little stream over which the
tyestle was stretched was some
three miles distant.
Miss Ransom saw the mischief
done by The rock and Immediately
rushed cut and told the supern-
lendent of the Italian gang to send
a man or 90 himself around The
wreck and stop II train that was
due from the north IN about half
an hour. The superintendent was
an Italian, with a smailering OF
English, but who Jailed entirely 10
see the gravity of the situation.
The only wire that ran along the
road had been stretched on the
tre,lle for economy's sake and had
been broken with the treslle, Sc
that no communication with the
north could be had. Miss Ran
som Tried to tell the Italian the
true situation. but he only smiled
with a shrug of his shoulders and {
grimace walked back into the
quarry and resumed his oversee
, ing.
Miss Ransom hesitated but 9
minute TO ask if anyone in tht
crowd could swim, and receiving {
negative answer decided, with tht
aid OF a plank, to Try crossing the
river. The Italians in their impet
uous way tried 10 persuade her mo-
, TO attempt the swollen waters, bu
with the decision OF true heroine
who realized ihe danger OF the on
coming tram was in, she cautious
ly pushed The plank into the wate
and with quick movement fol
: lowed it. The brave girl had en-
J, tered the water some dlstanc,
Q above the broken lrestle in lh'
:. hope of gaining ihe opposite shor
. before that point should be reach
: ed, as TO be carried out into IN
river meant almost sudden death
il The Italians encouraged her wit
!, shouts of praise, but endeavor a
Il she would to work her way out
/, the current III midslream, but hi
n lie headway was made.
Down stream the brave girl wa
!. carried with u swiItness that ,0l
! J. palmer than words that her siru,
= gles were IruiIIess. As she near
i i ed the broken tresile, inch b
i. inch she worked The plank owe
A. toward the northern side, and .
she was within a few feet 0t ths
!. structure she abandoned the pla,,
y and struck out with one iOrlor
!, ! hope Of reaching it unaid+d. HI
y, "a foresight and strength prove
IN sianch qualifications. As she W,
'. being carried by the projectir
land spliutered trestle Miss RAJ