The Detroit times., 1912-01-22
WOMAN DECORATED BY
IOWA FOR BRAVERY DEAD
Kate Shelly Crept Across Bridge
at Night To Save Passen-
ger Train

BOONE, Ia, Jan. 22.-Kate Shelly.
the only person to whom the state OF
Iowa ever granted a gold medal for
heroism, died yesterday at her home
near the scene OF her heroic act or
1881. she was 45 years old.
Miss Shelly had suffered greatly
since last summer. when an operation
for appendicitis was followed by an
attack OF Bright's disease, but she
was as brave in the face OF death as
when she won renown.
Conscious TO the last, she was un-
able 10 speak 10 the other members
of her family Miss Name Shelly, Mrs.
George Swisher of Woodward, and
John Shelly, who were present at her
deathbed. Funeral services will be
acid Wednesday morning at the
Church of the Sacred Heart.
The deed which placed Kate Shelly s
name in the list OF heroines was a
bright example OF the courage OF 10
year.old girl who believed she was
saving the lives OF the passengers on
a limited train. although, later de-
velopments proved, the number or
lives she actually saved was two.
The girl was the daughter OF a
farmer living near Boone. and late on
the night OF July 6, 1881, as she was
preparing TO retire, from her bedroom
window she saw locomotive ap-
proach the bridge crossing Honey
creek. stop a moment. then advance
and plunge into the torrent below as
the bridge gave way
Realizing that a limited train was
due to cross the same bridge in few
minutes. the girl dressed hastily i'm
provised a lantern out OF miners
lamp and started to Moingona to give
the. alarm. The feeble light soon was
dashed out by the fury OF the gale,
but as she approached the bridge she
saw two OF the engines crew clinging
to trees in the creek.
Kate's trip across the bridge was
made doubly difficult by the fact that
all the planks had been removed to
keep pedestrians from crossing IT,
and as she crawled on hands and
knees across thefoatin & ties her flesh
was lacerated in many places by the
stubs of nails protrudlng where the
planks had been removed. But she
succeeded in giving the alarm at
Moingona before the limited train had
ltll anu III HdNIub a itoCut party VI
ganiZed to save the two railroad men
who had plunged through the bridge.
Passengers on thes limited at once
made up a purse for the brave girl
and railroad men undertook to raise
contributions In recogniation of her
heroism. Appeals OF the press to the
public for similar contributions fail
ed to bring hearty response because
the Northwestern railroad officials at
once called attention to the fact that
the Admitted train had not been en-
dauEared and by issuing a statement
thafMiss Shelly would be amply re-
warded
AS matter of fact, the locomotive
had been sent out TO see that the
bridge was safe and the limited train
would not have proceeded beyong
Moingona until the engine crew had
reported from the next station. But
this did not minimize the hc~oism of
the girls act, and a short time later
the Iowa legislature passed an act,
awarding Miss Shelly a gold medal.
Soon after Miss Shelly was made.
station agent OF the railroad at Moin-
gona. a position she held for years.
In 1890, through the efforts OF the
press. mortgage of nearly $1,000
vas paid of on her home and she had
lived in comfortable circumstances
since