Honey Creek Railroad Accident
The railway accident at Honey Creek near Moingona ( Iowa ) in the United States on July 6, 1881 became famous mainly because the then 15-year-old Kate Shelley (Catherine Shelley) (1865-1912) prevented an impending second, major railway accident.
The accident
During a strong summer thunderstorm on the afternoon of July 6, 1881, the Des Moines River swelled strongly , which also undermined the railway bridge crossing it 1.5 km east of the Moingona depot . The place of the crossing was called Honey Creek . A steam locomotive should of Boone westward from the route of the Chicago and North Western Railway control towards Moingona for damage. When the locomotive crossed the bridge over the Des Moines River, it collapsed under her at around 11 p.m. and the locomotive fell about eight meters into the river. Of the four railroad workers on board, two died.
The accident prevented
15-year-old Kate Shelley, who lived near the scene of the accident and who ran a farm there with her mother , heard the accident and ran to the scene of the accident. She knew that an express train from Moingona would reach the scene of the accident about an hour later and would also fall into the river without warning. To prevent this, she had to walk to the Moingona depot about 1.5 km from the accident site , but also to cross the remains of the bridge over the Des Moines River in the persistent storm . The lamp she had taken with her went out and she had to negotiate the ruins of the bridge in the dark. She managed to reach Moingona. From there, who could train in the station of Ogden are stopped in time - there were about 200 travelers on board.
Kate Shelley led the rescuers to the scene of the accident and showed them where the locomotive had crashed. The two survivors of the locomotive crew had been able to save themselves on trees standing in the river.
aftermath
Kate Shelley became known nationwide for her rescue operation and the story became part of national folklore . Numerous songs and poems were written about the rescue operation. The passengers of the rescued night train organized a collection of money for her, she received awards from public authorities, including the State of Iowa, the Association of Railway Conductors presented her with a gold watch on a chain, and the Chicago and North Western Railway presented her with one in addition to material donations lifelong free ticket .
The old wooden bridge was replaced by a steel truss bridge in 1900 , which was named after Kate Shelley. Kate Shelley was the first woman after whom a bridge was named in the United States and also the only one until 1976. The Kate Shelley Bridge was replaced by a modern new building in 2009, retained its name and is now one of the largest double-track railway bridges in the USA.
Kate Shelley was also one of the few women who named a train, the Kate Shelley 400 . The train operated from 1955 to 1971 and carried her name until 1963.
The Boone County Historical Society now operates the Kate Shelley Railroad Museum in the former Moingona depot .
Web links
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ See e.g. E.g .: John Brayshaw Kaye : Our Kate . In: Songs of Lake Geneva and other poems . New York 1882.
- ↑ Jim Scribbins: The 400 Story . Minneapolis / London 2008. ISBN 978-0-8166-5449-9 .
- ↑ Kate Shelley Park & Museum. Boone History Museums, accessed February 2, 2020 .
Coordinates: 42 ° 3 ′ 33 " N , 93 ° 58 ′ 12" W.