Averting Disaster
Kate Shelley
Fifteen-year-old Kate Shelley was helping her mother clean up after dinner as the tempest of July 6, 1881, raged outside their farm near Boone, Iowa.
Kate listened carefully for sounds of distress from the barn. If Honey Creek continued to rise, the animals could be in jeopardy. Frequent lightning flashes enabled her to glance out the window and reassure herself that all was well.
When she heard something clanking in the distance, Kate remembered the railroad track running along the creek. On stormy nights, a railroad crew would check the tracks ahead of the late-night train.
Recognize Larger Implications
Suddenly, Kate heard a loud crack followed by the sound of timbers creaking and snapping and a bell ringing wildly. Kate immediately realized that the bridge had collapsed and the engine had fallen into Honey Creek! Kate's mother remained with the children while Kate ran out to see if the men were safe.
Wet and out of breath, Kate emerged from the woods where the railroad crossed the creek. She gasped. The tracks extended out over the creek and ended abruptly.
Leaning over with her lantern held high, Kate called through the howling wind. Faint replies told her there were survivors, but they were trapped amid the rising waters.
Respond Immediately
Turning on her heels, Kate ran along the track toward the station at Moingona. She had not run far when she came to the trestle spanning the Des Moines River. Without wasting a moment, she began to crawl across. Grasping the slippery rails and ties as she advanced, Kate could see the raging waters rushing beneath her.
Cold, wet, and weary, she made it to the other side and continued running. She had to reach the station! Several wide-eyed attendants looked up as she burst through the door. The drenched girl exclaimed that the bridge was out and collapsed on the floor.
The men removed Kate's wet hat and coat and lifted her to a chair. When she was able to speak again, she explained that the railroad crew was trapped in the rising creek and asked if it was too late to stop the midnight passenger train.
Several men grabbed rain gear and headed into the night to rescue the crew trapped in Honey Creek. Another man grabbed a lantern and ran out onto the platform. If the train had already passed Ogden, he would signal it to stop. The telegraph operator jumped to his keypad and began tapping: STOP EXPRESS…BRIDGE OUT…STOP EXPRESS. He hoped that the Ogden Station would hold the train at its last scheduled stop.
Rewards of Alertness
Maneuvering a lone engine to the edge of Honey Creek, the rescue party reached the wreck and successfully retrieved the weary survivors. The midnight express, carrying over two hundred passengers, was intercepted, and scores of lives were saved that night because of one girl's alert initiative.
Kate Shelley was recognized for her heroism with a medal from the state of Iowa, a scholarship, a lifetime railroad pass, and other honors. A Chicago newspaper raised money to pay off the Shelley's farm mortgage, and the bridge rebuilt over the Des Moines River in 1901 bears the name Kate Shelley.
Points to Ponder:
- How can you prepare for greater responsibilities by making alertness a habit in little things?
- What can you do to make the effort to find a better to deal with a situation?