St. Paul daily globe., 1894-09-02
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
PINE CITY, Minn.. Sept 2. 3 a.. m.-
The thriving little village of Hinckley is
in ashes, and at least dozen people
have lost their lives. Among the ia
tally burned was Engineer Jim Root,
the oldest engineer OH the st. Paul &
Duluth road. The loss will probably
reach half a milltoa. dollars. Most of
those who escaped with their lives are
entirely destitute, half of them not hav-
ing even clothing. The little town of
Mission Creek is also wiped out. The
situation at Hinckley is heartrending.
and the governor will be asked tomor-
row for state aid. At this hour the
wires are all down, and it is impossible
to get definite information.
A Relief Party
hasegone flom here with medical aid
for the suffering and provisions for the
hungry. The wires are down and no
communication since the train came
down at IL o'clock. The town is COM
pletely wiped out. The limited train
from Duluth. Root, engineer,
was caught in the fire. and
Root. standing to his post like hero,
ran his train back to Skunk Lake with
it all OIL fire, and saved his passengers.
When last seen he was lying in his cab
badly burned, but breathing. The people
OF Mission City saved themselves by
lying down in a potato patch until the
fire was past. The disaster is full
and complete, and sad enough to dis.
may the stoutest heart. Relief, tenn
porary, substantial and immediate is
needed. and needed badly. The linn
tied passenger train, six miles above
Hinckley.is in ashes, and about 200 peo-
pie are there in the marsh near
Skunk Lake with fire ali around them
The yardmaster at Hinckley Is badly
burned. The relief party is pushing
| through and hopes to get there by 7
| O'Clock. 1t was only by the most SUPER
human effort that the train was backed
out of the fire and the passengers saved.
Poor Root, he ought to live. Such men
are always heroes in time of need.
! Many people of st. Paul and the
Northwest will read of the probable
fatal burning of James Root at Hinck.
ley with sorrow. Jim Root, as he is
familiarly called, is the oldest engineer
of the Duluth road. and one of tine most
widely and favorably known en-
gineers of the Northwest. He has
served on that road continuously
almost from the time it came into exist.
ence, and has never been found want
Ing In the matter of ability, faithfulness
and courage. There is only one point
on which jim has ever been found al
fault, and that is weakness for rapid
running. In his younger days nothing
pleased him SO much as to fall behind
time, to get all opportunity tG
pull his throttle wide open. /
is said that he was sometime:
called down for doing so, and once OF
twice suspended. But he was always
so true in other respects to the Interest,
Of the company that he was never muct
in danger of discharge on that account
Jim Root has always been a broad
gauged citizen, and his head has neve
been turned by a popular labor clamo
for strike where there was no justic,
in the movement. Matters of tha
character have always been weighed
by him in light of reason and no amoun
of pressure brought to bear has ever at
fected him. He at the same time has al
ways been true to the best interests O
labor, and never forgot that he himsel
) was laboring man. Mr.. Root has fo
many years lived at White Bear, but h
, is almost as we'll known on the street
Of st. Paul as in the village on the lake