The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-04
HARVEST OF DEATH.
Awful Scenes in the Fire Swept Dis
tricis OF Minnesota.
The Misery is Widespread-Noble
Work Done by Survivors of the
Holocaust.

y
T hot tell the story OF the death and do
ttruction that is revealed 70 the traveller
on the ST. Paul and Duluth from Mission
Greek, two miles above the little town OF
Miller, to Sandstone Junction. The awful
ness OF the desoation which strikes upon
the eye OF the observer as he reaches the
camp which was once the town of Hinck.
ley Is more strongly impressed on his
vision as he journeys northward.
The smoke lifted yesterday, revealing
landscgpo bare and black, the few stand
ing trees being charred TO height of 40
feet while the ground was of that peculiar
tint of brown mixed with gunpowder,
for the grass had been burned 10 the roots.
Here and there In the bleak and dreary
stretches of country, in what is now
great lone land, was seen the body of a
deer, whose flcet feet had not been able 20
oufrun the flames, or OF human being,
who had been absolutely powcrless against
the grim destroyer
A relief party started on handcar
loaded with provisions 20 relieve the people
of Sandstone, who were reported in dis
tress They proceeded as far as Skunk
lake, where the Duluth limited train was
burned. Here they found Engineer
Williams in charge Of q gang OF mon re-
building the burned bridges. From them
IL was learned that the living at Sandstone
had been taken TO Duluth by special
trains on Sunday night and their pressing
necessities relieved, so that the help from
Pine City was not needed. The party,
therefore, resolved itself into one of search
ers for bodies
The Death List.
The latest reports OF the number of dead
do not materially alter the former esti-
mates. In fact, the estimate is proving
remarkably exact, considering the confu-
sion of the first day. One element that
makes close figuring very difficult is tho
fact that bodies seen In the woods and
along the track are not infrequently re-
ported 10 two points and sent out from
each among its dead Then, too, the ten
dency Of the occasion has been to exag-
gerate.
However, eliminating these doubtful
elements as far as possible from its ap-
proximation, the total is believed to be as
nearly exact as possible. The number of
dead at Hinckley is placed at 200, A
reporter has actually counted 1914 Of these,
and the margin allowed is about all that
Is necessary. The figures are as follows:
Hinckley, 200; Sandstone 62; Miller 12
between Skunk lake and Miller, 12; Poke
ga1na, %; in the lumber camps and scat
seHiHg5 estimated 10 Total, 364-
How Sandstone Looks.
Mr.. Webster, the father of Mayor Leo
Webster of this town, was among the
dead and yesterday afternoon Mr.. Web
ster went TO Sandstone TO bury his father
and mother. The scene at Sandstone as
described by Mr.. Webster was heartrend-
ing. The streets of the town were only
lines of sand, between heaps of ashes
Within these lines lay 40 bodies scattered
at random, and % more were found dead
in the outskirts of the town and i'm the
hollows and marshes toward the river.
bank. Il
The bodies were lying exposed to the
sun and rain, and were rapidly decompos- |
ing. They were identified as far as pos
sible, and will be buried at once The
Duluth people are looking after the care
and relief of the people on the line north
of Hinckley.
How Live Stock Farcd.
One of the marvellous circumstances of
tho affair Is the escape of so many cattle
and horses. Many were absolutely un-
scathed, though no one can tell how they
escaped the ordeal of fire. Others were
pitifully burned, and steps are tardily
being taken TO put them out of their
misery.
The animals were without food until
late yesterday afternoon, when the relief
train brought up some hay, and the cows
were In great suffering, not having been
milkcd for two days. The carcasses of the
dead animals, which are becoming very
offensive, will be put out of the way.
One House Exempt.
A five-mile tramp out through the wood
70 the north of Pine City revealed a scene
of dcsolation which rarely falls beneath
the eye of man, The country is absolutely
swept clean. There is but one settlers
house standing within radius of miles.
1t Is that of Mike Dean, on the edge of the
n--r, three miles east of town.
Dean and his next neighbor fought the
fire until they had to abandon hope They
got the women and children into The
water covering their heads with cloths,
kept wet by dAshing water over them. and
when the fire had passed they came out
unhurt and were much surprised to find
their building standing
Brook Paxlk wiped Out.
Brook Park, Pokegama station. n new
town on the St Cloud Hlnckley branch of
the Great Northern road, was totally de
stroyed The flames burned 100000 feet of
schoolhouse and section house Twenty.
five families in the immediate vicinity are
homeless. Six thousand tons OF hay, 90
head OF horses and 30 head of cattle are
gone. The total loss of property Is placed
az about $4,000; no insurance. sixteen
persons are missing, and five were found
dead.
Dave Williams Presence of Mind.
Yardmaster Dave Williams Of Duluth Is
Something OF n hero. He is the man who
.xvaspcd the situation, acted on his knowl.
edge promptly and relieved the people of
Sandstone. He received a message from
Miller sunday night which said "Thore
sre 100 people at Sandstone without food
or shelter; for Gods sake, get them out of
there"
In an incredibly short time an engine.
IN charge Of Yardmaster Williams' was
on the way 20 Sandstone. The entire road
after the burned district was reached. was