The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-01-24
HEROINE OF IOWA
CALLED BY DEATH
Kate Shelly Dies at Her Home r
Moingona After Long Struggle
With Bright's Disease.
SAVED NORTHWESTERN TRAIN
Railroad Company Rewarded Brave
Woman With Position as Sta

Woman With Position as Sta
ton Agent.
Moingona, Iowa, Jan. 21.-Miss
Catharine Carroll Shelby, Iowa's her.
oine. died of Bright's disease at her
home here this morning.
Miss Shelly was Al years of age. She
became famous the night OF July 9
llSS1. when she saved Chicago and
Northwestern passenger train from go
ing into Honey Creek. The stream
Ihad swollen out OF it's banks and haC
washed away the railroad bridge.
At the next meeting OF the Iowa leg
|islature Miss Shelly, then 16 years
old, was given a gold medal and $20t
for her bravery She was also reward
ed by the railroad company and giver
the position as station agent, which
| she held until two months ago.
Miss Shelly's name has gone down
| in Iowa history for her daring in say
ling the railroad train and its passen
gers. She was living at the time or
1.-The east side of the Des Moines river
| in Boone county A terrific storm OF
wind and rain swept over that region
on the night of July 6, 1881. Honey
Creek, ordinarily small stream, cut
ting it's way through the prairie south
i and west of the town of Boone, and
winding it's way through the forest in
westerly direction to empty into the
Des Moines river, was swollen from its
banks. Not far from the mouth OF
the river is Moingona, near which was
the railroad bridge and the Shelly
cabin.
On this night the Shelly family was
awakened by the roaring waters OF
the creek and the crashing of trees
near the cabin. Shortly thereafter
the loud crash of the falling bridge
beneath the weight Of freight train
brought Kate Shelly out into the bad
storm, lantern in hand, to save hund
reds of lives and to become heroine
throughout the United States. She
had realized at once that the freight
train had gone down into the f1ooo
with the wreck Of the bridge and thai
a passenger train was due.
The storm beating against her face
she made her way in the darkness t
the wreck. The engineer OF the train
hanging from a projecting tree on thu
|opposite bank, told her that the crew
was safe and she hurried away a.
best she could to give warning to tht
approaching passenger train.
When the little girl reached the
Des Moines river bridge the light O
her lantern was blown out. Fearing
she would step through the ties or be
blown from the trestle, she craWlet
on her hands and knees across the
bridge to the telegraph station OF
the opposite side. She had scarcei!
time TO arouse the operator and tel
him of the impending danger before
she sank upon the floor OF the little
office, completely exhausted. The
warning was flashed over the wire
and reached the crew OF the approach
ing passenger train barely in time t.
avert a disaster.
AS her heroic deed became known
to the press the story of the fearful
nights adventure was told in every
portion of the country and the name
of Kate Shelly became as widely
known as any famous woman OF mod
ern times.
The Iowa legislature a few years
ago secured the appointment of Miss
Shelly as file clerk OF the senate,
position which she held during the
entire session OF the legislature. Later
the Northwestern made her agent a,
Moingona.
The funeral will be held Wednes
day morning at the Church of the Sac
red Heart. Father Barron will be il
charge of the burial ceremonies.