The Philipsburg mail., 1899-04-14
Stories Of Brave Girls.

During an attack by the Indians on
Fort Henry,a small establishment near
the Wheeling creek, now Wheeling, w.
Va, in the summer Of 1777, the powder
of the garrison becoming exhausted,
Ebenezer Zane, one of the garrison, re-
membered that there was keg OF the
article in lis house, sixty yards away.
The man who should attempt to go for
it would be exposed to the close and
numerous shots of the Indians. Only
one man could be spared from the fort
for the service Col. Shepard, the COM
mander, was unwilling to order any
man to the duty; he asked for volun-
teer. Every man present eagerly Of
fered to undertake the hazardous du-
ty. They contended so long for the
honor, that it was feared the Indians
would return to the siege before an at
tempt to get the powder should be
made. At this moment Elizabeth
Zane came forward and asked permis-
sion to go for the powder, giving, as
reason, that her life was less valuable
to the garrison than that OF man.
She was sister Of Ebenezer and Sllas
Zane-the former the future founder
of GAINESVILLE, O.-and had just return
ed from Philadelphia, where she had
finished her education, and was but
little accustomed to the horrors of bor-
der warfare. With other females, she
had assisted in casting bullets, making
cartridges and loading rifles. At first
she was peremptorily refused, but SO
earnest were her solicitations that con-
sent was reluctantly given. She went
out of the gate and fearlessly passed
the open space to her brothers house.
The Indians saw her and watched her
movements. When she came out OF
the house, and, with the keg of powder
in her arms, sped with the tleetness OF
a fawn toward the fort, they sent a
, full volley of bullets after her, but not
, bullet touched her person.
I On July 6, 1881, storm of wind and
rain burst over Iowa, and in an hours
/ time every creek was out of it's banks.
, So sudden was the food that houses,
barns lumber and all portable objects
$ within reach of the waters were car
ried away. Looking from her window
which in daylight commanded a view
of the Honey creek railroad bridge
Kate Shelley saw, through the dark
ness and storm, locomotive headlight
A second later 1t dropped; she knew
that the bridge had gone, and that
train of cars had fallen into the abyss
There was no one at home but he1
mother and her little brother and sis
ter. and the girl understood that /
helm 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 oil
]anter and wrapping herself in
waterproof, she sailed out in tn
storm. She climbed painfully up tn
steep bluff to the track, tearing he
clothes to rags on the thick under
growth, and lascerating her flesh mos
nainfully. A part of the bridge still
remained, and, crawling out on this t
the last tie, she swung her lantern owe
the abyss. and called out at the top Q
her voice. 1t was pitchy dark below
hut she was answered family by tn
engineer, who had craWled upon som
of the broken timbers, and, though in
iured. was safe for the time being
From him the girl learned that 1t wa
a freight train that had gone into tn
chasm. and that he alone OF. ths
trains hands had escaped. He urge
her. however, to proceed at once to tn
nearest station, to secure help for hin
and to warn the approaching EXPIRE:
train of the fall Of the bridge.
The girl then retraced her step
gained the track and made her way t.
ward Moingona, small station abo1
one mile from Honey creek. In NAL
ing this perilous journey it was nece
sary for her to cross the Des Moin
river. about five hundred feet
length. Just as she tremblingly p
nd her foot on this structure, the win
)rt rain. thunder and lightning were
to appalling that she nearly lost her ba
ance, and in the endeavor to save he
self, her sole companion-the old la
tern-went out. Deprived of her lig
RS. she could not see foot ahead of hi
a save when dazzling flashes of lightnil
gt revealed the grim outlines of t.
bridge and the seething waters b
meath. Knowing that she had 10 ti1
to lose, the brave girl threw away t
tb- useless lamp, and dropping on b
ico hands and knees, crawled from tie
o+ tie across the high trestle. Havi
,ha gained the ground again, she ran
I'D short distance remaining to the 81
nat ton, told her story in breathless ha:
and then fell unconscious. She vi