The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-12-26
A HEROINE OF THE WEST.
Home Bought for. Kate Shelley b
} the State of Iowa.

j :tu6 SldIS OF Iowa.
Kate Shelley, the heroine who's
name was Il household word som
twenty years ago, was recently. at he
own request, appointed station agen
at Moingona Station, Iowa. Nearb
is her cosy home, built for her by til
state of Iowa in recognition of he
bravery. 1t was on the 9th of JULY
1881, that Kate Shelley brought homo
to her name. On that night heav
rains had swollen the Des NIoine
river until it was out of it's banks an,
eleven out of the twenty-one bridge
in the Des Moines valley between
Boone and Moingona, on the mali
line of the Northwestern railroad
had been washed out. The high win.
added to the terrible situation an,
gave renewed force to the water
Kate Shelley was then 16 years old
Her father was section foreman OF
the Northwestern. When darkness Sc,
in and the fierceness of the storm in
creased, Kate Shelley and her mothe,
became alarmed as to the safety OF
Mr.. Shelley. The intrepid girl wished
to go in search of her father, but this
her mother would not permit Sud
denly they heard crash, as helper
engine sent out from Boone crashed
through a trestle and was buried in
the bayou beyond. Taking a lantern
Kate started out, and after rendering
all the aid she could to the two sur
vivors Of the engine crew, she started
for Moingona, four miles west of
Boone, to save the oncoming passenger
train. She made her way by Il devious
path across the bayou, into which the
climbing by means of undcrbrush and
weeds at last reached the main track
on the other side. Once on this track
the brave girl hurried toward Moin-
gOna for help. To reach the village
it was necessary to cross Il treStle half
a mile long over the raging Dcs
so that it surged and doomed no,
more than twenty feet beneath her.
To add to the danger and difficulty
her lantern was eXtinguiShed by the
wind and she was forced to crawl
and creep over the trcstle most of the
way on her hands and knees. i'm utter
darkness, except when the vivid light
ming flashes showed her the way. At
ter Il perilolls journey, lasting nearly
an hour, the girl ran at top speed to
the station. reaching it only just in
time to stop the weSt-bound passenger
train which she had come to warn,
and save the two hundred passengers
aboard Having gaspcd out her warm
ing to the station master. she fell
fainting at his feet When she had
revived she boarded the special train
that had been quickly prepared and
accompanied it to the scene of the
wreck, plotting the crew wcarily across
the bayou by the path known only to
her. Many honors have been shower
cd on Kate Shelley since that night
The state Of Iowa. has done all in it's
power. by money and honors. to show
its appreciation of her bravery The
next legislature after her daring act
appropriated $1,000. with which Miss
Shelley purchased the home and farm
on which she is still living. At the
last session of the legislature Miss
Shelley WAS made ono of the leading
officials of the session. Shortly after
the rescue the Northwestern railway
gave hcr II gold medal and life pass.
The night of the rescue the passengers
made her purse Of many hundreds of
dollars.