Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-01-30

be done for the poor dumb beasts,
and I made the effort to relieve
them. When got to the stable, the
ground was all afloat about 1t. l
let the horses out to care for them
selves-and the cows-and found in
a corner on heap of hay some lit
| tie pigs that had climbed there for
safety, but the others had been
swept away by the flood-and the
waters had come to be knee deep
when came back from the little
oat field where I turned loose the
stock.
We sat and watched the storm,
looking for it to finish and at a
late hour began to tremble for the
trains, when an engine passed to
the west. Mother assured me that
no train would be dispatched In
such storm. and so we hoped and
prayed.
Honey creek was loaded with all
kinds of burdens, picket fences,
lumber, trees and stumps, and rub
Dish, swept down and heaped up
against the piling Of the bridge
The storm had ragged from $500
o'clock to 11:00 p. m. when, IN
! lull the rumble Of train was heard
crossing the long bridge. It was
the pusher obeying an order to
cross and go to Boone, as was after
wards learned issued to the gallant
Wood, Moingona.
Run to Boone and return to Moin-
coma regardless of all trains.
w. P. Ward.
| The engine was backing over the
road, the brakeman and the section
foreman standing on the running
board behind the tender keeping a
lookout, as we learned afterward,
and signalling the engineer. The
fireman named Olmstead, climbed
out from the cab over the coal, say
ing as he came back, Make room
for me boys" heard the bell toll
twice distinctly, as she swayed on
the uprooted bridge, and then came
the horrible crash and the fierce
Kissing of the stream as the tender
and engine went down in twenty
FIVE feet of water, told the nature OF
the fate that had overtaken them!
The shock seemed to shake the
earth. "Oh, Mother" l said, 1t is
No. Eleven. They have gone down
Honey creek bridge" 1t seemed as
still as death; as silent as the grave.
The storm and all else was forgot
ten and said that must go to the
help OF the men, and to stop the
passenger that would soon be due at
Moingona, the midnight train from
the west. "Reminiscences were OF no
avail. I felt / had to go. I believe
that God makes strong the weakest
and makes the poorest Of us able to
endure much for His merciful pur-
poses. When they found that was
mot to be dissuaded, mother said,
go then in the name Of God, and
do what you can" I had on an old
skirt and jacket. caught up an Old
straw hat, improvised light by
handling little miners lamp in the
frame Of an old lantern. I filled the
little lamp, and for a wick cut q
strip from felt skirt and started
out into night and the storm, to do
what could, and what I thought
was my duty, knowing that mother
and the children were praying God
to keep me from every harm.
The entire valley which from our
doorway Is like the inside OF huge
oval bowl, was full Of water, rush
ing and swelling through the breach
and covering the track; / went
around the bluff in a semi-circle be-
hind and to the south of our house
until I reached where the turn OF
the road finds the cut in the spur OF
the bluffs, and then ran east along
the track back to the broken bridge.
AS I came down the breach, the
lightning lit UP the awful scene,
and Wood, the engineer, seeing me
by the vivid lightning flashes, or
catching the CLEAN of the lantern
In the thick darkness, called out to
me. He was caught by the branch
when the current swept him away
out Of the cab--and he was safe In
the tree In the midst of the swelling
food. His brakeman, Agar. was
fortunate also In catching to attree
or a willow. but the other two OF
the hapless companions were lost.
and only one of them was found
O'Donohue. the section man. He
called to me again and again, but
neither Of us could understand what
the other said, for the raging of the
elements, and I turned toward Moin-
NJ hn