The record-union., 1894-09-04
THRILLING TRIP.
Story Told by passenger on a Burn
ing Train.

story Told by 81 passenGer on Burn
ing Train.
ST.. PAUL (A1inn.), Sept. 3.-Several
travelling men, among them james Lob
dell of this city, who abandoned the ILL
fated train which burned at Hinckley,
have just arrived here. The thrilling
story of their trip from the train back TO
Hinckley is thus told by Mr.. Lobdell:
Il have been a travelling man for the
past dozen years and had been over the
Duluth line so many times that felt safe
IN making trial. l was so well ac-
quainted with the location Of the streams
that thought If we got in tight place
we could run into one of them and save
ourselves. We had lost all our baggage
and we had nothing besides the clothing
we wore, and each had light overcoat.
With the rest Mr.. Anderson had lost
1000 OF bonds, which could not be re-
placed. Wo got along pretty well for
the first half hour, but then the smoke
became so thick we could not see fifty
feet IN front of us. We were in great
danger OF being suffocated. We could
not see the track and the ties were burn
ing beneath us. Each one of us took an
overcoat and wrapped it about his head
leaving only a small opening through
which to breathe. To add to the horror
OF the situation every little while we
We're only saved by occasionally arriving
at railway cut, where there was gener-
ally but little smoke,
Two miles above Hinczley the dead
bodies began to grow thicker. Most OF
them had died from suffccation. In sew
eral cases they had saved their heads by
running them into sand heaps, only to
have their bodies so badly burned that
they could not survive. In one place we
found four dead IN one heap-a mother
and three children She had laid them
on the ground and then lay down on
them in an attempt to cover them. Every
shred Of clothing was burned from them
On the way down to Hinckley we counted
twenty-nine bodies. Many people ran
directly into the woods, where they had
no chance of escape
MIR. LoDdell and his companions found
wagon bridge and went in q round
about way to point south of Mission
Crock, where they found band-car and
went TO Pine City.
The telegraph operator, Thomas Green,
remained at his post until all but three
buildings in Hinckley had been burned,
When the depot took fire he ran to the
safe and took therefrom $1,000 in green
backs and fled to the river He re-
mained In the river several hours, when
be joined Lobdell and his companions in
their trip to Pine City. Dozens of people
tried to save themselves by running into
the river. Some were successful but
many were Sutfocated by the smoke.
Nine bodies were taken out at the same
time and probably twenty or thirty more
will be found. Everybody is in a state
of bewilderment, and as all records are
burned it is hard to get any definite in
formation as to the people or property.
A large number of sportsmen left st.
Paul within ten days 10 hunt prairie
chickens near Hinckley, Mora, Sand
stone and other points in that vicinity.
The fire covers wide stretch of territory,
and If these sportsmen were in the forests
no power on earth could save them unless
they were close to some large body of
water.
4 force of men and supply of tents
have gone to Hinckley, those being most
needed just now. Additional supplies
were picked up at every station along the
road. Philip Martin, of the land depart
ment of the road, went in search of
Thomas Fitzgerald, land examiner at
Del Grove, who, with dozen men, was
in the midst Of the fire and has not been
heard from. The Cham ber of Commerce
raised $1,000 for relief at meeting to-day
and adopted resolutions favoring the Sc
curing OF information from United States
consular agents as to forestry manage
ment in foreign countries.
a large amount of timber and farm
crops have been consumed near Ishpem-
ing. There are big fires south and west
of that city, close To dwellings,