Kate Shelley Saves the Train
An Iowa Legend based on a true story
retold by
S. E. Schlosser
One night, in 1881, a fierce storm broke over the Des Moines river valley. The storm raged through the night, flooding the river and the nearby creeks. Along about 11 p.m., a "pusher" train was sent to search for any wash-outs along the track. After it passed the home of the Shelley family, a railroad widow raising five children, the family heard a terrible crashing sound. The bridge over Honey Creek had collapsed, taking the pusher train with it.
The eldest daughter, fifteen year old Kate Shelley, ran out into the storm to investigate. She saw two of the four men trapped in the water, but she could not reach them. Kate realized that she could not rescue the men by herself, and furthermore, that a midnight express train was due to pass over the Honey Creek Bridge, possibly sending more people to their death if she did not warn the nearby Moingona station of the washout.
Kate Shelly knew there was a nearby trestle bridge with a tiny catwalk over the flooded Des Moines River. So, amid the darkness and the storm, Kate crawled on hands and knees across the catwalk. Halfway across, a tree came crashing into the center of the trestle bridge. Kate was sure the tree would break the rickety bridge apart, throwing her into the flood waters below, but at the last moment, the tree slipped between the piers, splashing water all over Kate.
As soon as Kate reached the other side of the river, she ran towards Moingona Station, trying to beat the clock. She burst into the station, wild-eyed and warned the station agent of the wash-out. The station agent ran out into the storm with a red lamp to halt the express, whose headlight was bearing down upon the station.
As soon as the express train was safe, Kate led a rescue train to where the two men from the pusher train were clinging on for dear life, and they were saved as well. Only two lives were lost that night, thanks to the bravery of Kate Shelley.
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Comments
i lovvvvvvvvvvvvvve this folk tale!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i really enjoyed your tale!
Posted by: Kate | October 11, 2010 12:38 PM
Wow, that was awesome.
Posted by: Christopher | October 31, 2010 12:31 PM
that was really good i really liked it
Posted by: Mary | October 31, 2010 01:55 PM
that was a good folk tale!!! i think it was funny how the tree just slipped between the piers and splashed water on her face. that's kind of like one of those stupid but funny things that happen in cartoons.
Posted by: jacob | December 8, 2010 09:50 AM
cool
Posted by: Anonymous | December 9, 2010 12:55 PM
was really good
Posted by: Maserati Bora | December 17, 2010 11:03 AM
nice folklore
Posted by: jonathan | January 2, 2011 03:09 AM
very nice of kate!
Posted by: Anonymous | January 7, 2011 10:42 AM
wow unbelievable!!!! i'm so impressed!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | January 17, 2011 03:46 AM
so nice
Posted by: Anonymous | February 4, 2011 11:24 AM
I really enjoyed reading this folktale!
Posted by: Anonymous | February 10, 2011 09:27 PM
Nice story .We read this story in our school .Our schools name is ICAS
Posted by: Anonymous | February 25, 2011 03:47 AM
I so much love these small actions of heroicness! :)
Posted by: Anonymous | March 1, 2011 05:32 AM
i think this story is kool
Posted by: Anonymous | March 3, 2011 10:04 AM
wow , i love this . while reading this my friend was trying to tell me something and i just keep telling her to shhh ! im reading ! it is really intense !~
~love alyssa
Posted by: alyssa | March 11, 2011 12:57 PM
I was just at the bridge. It was really cool to see. It is near Boone Iowa.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 20, 2011 03:09 PM
i love it!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 8, 2011 02:16 PM
kate is a very brave girl
Posted by: Anonymous | June 13, 2011 08:29 AM
I could read this stuff all night long.....amazing is you can see her clinging to the bridge as if it was a movie.
Posted by: Rooney | July 24, 2011 08:40 PM