The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-14
Mrs. Roy Saved a Train and the
Railroad May Educate
Her Son.
SHE SAW BRIDGE BURNING.
Waded Through asLake and With
Her Red Hood Tagged the
Train in Time to Pre-
vent Disaster.


SPECIAL.
Louisiana, Mo-, April 81 was not
thinking of any reward at all: I was only
trying to save lives"
Thus spoke Mrs. Louisa Roy Saturday
about her brave act Thursday afternoon.
when she tagged a train with her red hood
and saved 1t from running into a burning
bridge.
She lives in the sny Levee district. in
Illinois, about six miles east of here. Her
husband Is Jasline Roy. a farmer. and their
home is only about 200 yards south Of the
track of the Chicago and Alton Railway,
where 1t crosses the neck Of q lake known
as the '"Towhead." The railroad crosses
this neck of water by a wooden trestle a
hundred yards long. Mrs. Roy went out or
her house into her garden late in the after
moor and was startled to find the bridge on
fire.
She lives on the west side of the lake. and
she knew it was nearly time for train No.
113 to come from the east. Realizing the
imminent danger of trains coming in either
direction. she tore of a red skirt and start
ed her 11-year-old son. Anthony. down the
track to the west. She thought tho train
coming from tho east was in the greatest
danger. She was on one side of the lake
and the train was coming on the other side.
She could even hear its roar.
PlunEea Into Lake.
Mrs. Roy is a practical woman, and she
took in the situation at a glance. There
was nothing else to do but wade or swim
est point and plunged In. She was soon
across and snatchinG off a red hood she ran
as fast as she could down the track.
The train in charge of Conductor w. c.
Evans was late. and was running perhaps
burning on both sides OF the track, and En-
gineer John Updegraf did not heed the
smoke from the burning bridge. He thought
train along without thought Of danger.
Rounding a curve, Mrs. Roy suddenly came
into view. From the way she waved that
hood M ne I Knew o som 4he powe sef and a WaI Mt ths
brakes. The train could not be stopped
until it had run on by Mrs. Roy. She fol-
lowed it waving her hood wildly and call
Evans says that he could hear her above
the roar Of the train.
The train was brought to a standstiH a
few yards from the %trestle, and every man
on it knew what Its fate had been but for
the woman whose pluck, bravery and cool
Judgment amounted to herolsm.
Rondmaster's Thanks.
Roadmaster Sullivan was on the train and
he was profuse in his thanks to Mrs. Roy
for saving the lives Of the crew and him
and the property of the company. He
assured her she would be suitably rewarded
Dy the T.. d A., Dul Sue lolu IT'LL, us Suc
did The Republic correspondent: that she
no reward. and would claim none.
II simply did my duty she said.
Nevertheless, she will certainly be re-
warded. General Superintendent J.. H.
Barrett of the Chicago and Alton has
asked Division Superintendent w. H. Starr
officialIy for the name and address of the
woman who saved the train from running
be suitably recognized.
All the employees Of the road here speak
In the highest terms OF praise about Mrs.
Roy's act. There are several similar Incl
dents on record in which the one who
rendered the service was nicely rewarded
by the railroad. whose property was
saved. Agent B. 8. Carrick. recalls the case
in Iowa Of a 13-year-old girl who saved a
train under circumstances almost Identical.
The Northwestern Railroad gave this girl
a splendid education, bearing the entire ex-
pense.
but there are many comforts and adj
yantages they do not enjoy. One Of the
lacking is educational. It
would be perhaps most acceptable of all II
the company would help her boy, who was
a willing performer of his part, to get q
Mrs. Roy is IS years OF. age and has been
living at the present place Of abode for
eight years. She is 9 comely woman of
retiring nature. Amid her humble sur
roundines she has gone on doing her duty
simply. refusing to believe that she possess
ses any more pluck or any cooler head than
any Of her ~neighbors.