Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1891-05-13
Awful Experience of a Train
Load of Laborers in a
Forest Fire.
They Had Gone to Fight Flames
and were Soon Surrounded
by Fire.

county, are on the verge OF panic, two
especially being threa'ened with an
Inhalation from fires that seem to form
an impenetrable wall on every side.
For several days past the skies have
been lighted up with fires apparently
In every direction, but little fears were
entertained by the people living in the
towns; those threatened and In danger
were farmers in the country districts
or lumber camps In the midst Of the
blazing forest. In spite Of every effort
however, flames orept up steadily In
snaky lines OF smoke and flame toward
helpless towns until 1t was seen that
tie people must fight back The flames
or have their very houses burned
down over their heads. At Moore's
Run, on pretty Sinnemahoming road,
. train load Of IS willing men sent out
from Austin Sunday night had been
fighting back the fire by every con-
ceivable means. They made trenches,
piled up earth and lighted back fires
but were finally obliged to retreat.
The men hastily boarded q train and
started to make a run to another point
when it was found they
WERE HEMMED IN
by forest fire on one side and a huge
skidway OF logs on the other side. 1t
was finally decided to dash past the
burning skidway, and the engineer
and fireman, with their faces covered
with dsmpen,d cloths and their hands
and arms wrapped in wool, mounted
the little engine anc pulled out through
the wall OF fire. The 75 exhausted
men gathered in groups n the flats
foI protection or lay on their faces on
the floor. As the blazing furnace o.
logs was approached the heat became
and the smoke was so blind
ing and stifiing that the men were
obliged 10 cover their mouths with
cloths. Just opposite the millions of
feet Of burning logs, where the heat
and smoke and flame were greatest, q
terrible thing occurred. The engineer |
had forgotten that such great heat
would spread the rails aud he pulled |
the throttle widerin the hope OF sooner
from the torment Of the heat
and smoke, then there was q lurch, an
ominous heaving and q shrek of de-
spair as the train toppled over
INTO THE DREADFUL FIRE BENEATH.
A scene ensued never to be forgotten
by those who escaped, though every
man will bear to his grave the mark of
that awful moment. The cars caught
on fire like 80 many paper playthings, |
and the men within, half blinded, and
scArsely realizing anything, except
that they were being
SLOWLY ROASTED TO DEATH,
struggled fearfully 20 regain the track |
where safety lay. for q time at least;
those uniDjured from the fall. and only |
from pain Of the intense heat,
bravely turned thei. burned, blackened |
hands to aid their more unfortunate
fellows. At this hour 1t is impossible |
10 secure details, though enough is
known Of the scene that followed the
hurling OF the hestruggling men into the
furnace Of flames, to cay its like had |
never occurred before. Superinten-
dent Badger, superintendent of the
ahoning Valley road, was in
charge Of the relief train and had
worked hardest of all TO save properties
Of others. When the train ditched, |
ard rolled over 50 suddenly, he must
have be N injured so as to be unable
10 help himself, and owing 10 smoke |
and panic, he was not found until too
late. Jammed in the wreck he had
evidently
SLOWLY BURNED TO DEATH.
At this timt-9:S9 p. NIT is known
that:six Others r'iserably perished at
once. or died soon aher, and thirty
others Of the party were badly burned,
many probable fatally owing to fears
that they inhaled the flames that
seemed to fairly spring into their faces.
seven Others Of the party are missing
and their fate is unknown, though |
.hsy are likely in ;he charred wood |
Of the los OF train. Relief parties
started for the scene as sOon as the
fearful news spread. many male rela-
tives Of the men injured insisting on