The morning call., 1894-09-04
AFTER THE HOLOCAUST.
Scene of Awful DesoIation Where
Was the Town of fiincklev.

Scene of Awful DesoIation Where
Was the Town of f1inckley.
HINCKLEY, MINI. Sept. "a gentle
rain is falling to-day and Quenching the
burning embers OF the immense forest
tres that did so much damage to this
city. The blackened ruins of two or three
buildings are all that remains standing of
the once prosperous town of Hincklev.
with 100 people. and its busy railroad and
numbering interests. The town is a june
ton point OF the st. Paul and Duluth and
Eastern Railway, MIMI, and both those
roads have suffered losses that cannot be
DOW estimated, while the loss to the tim
Der interest is something beyond computa-
ton. This is today place of mourning
and the burial of the rharred and unrecog-
nizable bodies of hundreds of victims has
saddened the survivors even more than the
disaster itself.
The IRE was so overwhelming in its in
tenslty that none in the first terror of the
moment could realize how great was the
loss Each was SO intent on saving bis
own life that little thought was given to
the disaster in general by the most, al
though many cases of unselfsh heroism
have been reported. The bodies thus far
recovered have been placed ia rough pine
boxes for burial, and the majority were
buried without the knowledge of their
identity. Most of the survivors went to
Pine City yesterday for food and shelter.
and the women and children are still
there, but many men have returned to
their ruined homes to see il by any posi-.
bility anything remains.
The hospital patients demanded contin-
ued attention of the physicians all night.
and the only druggist in Pine City was
kept busy until daylight filling prescrip-
lions and supplying lotions, for most of
the injuries were burns more or less seri-
Gus. BY morning all were in a state of
comparative comfort. Among the citizens
of Pine City who opened their hearts.
homes aud public buildings to the stricken
neighbors all was hustle and activity.
Coffee with plain fare was served to all
corners. The Courthouse, schoolhouse and
many private homes were thrown open.
Every blanket in town was called into
service. Before daylight arrangements
for the relief of the destitute were taken
up where they were dropped at midnight.
Before Z o'clock a construction train
loaded with bridge material for repairing
the bridge across Sandstone River at
Hinckley came up to Pine City from Rush
City. a couple OF hundred of Ioaves of
bread and other light provisions were
placed on board. A party of laborers to
dig graves and inter the bodies was COL
lected and the train proceeded into the
burned country. AT Einckley provis ions
were loaded on to a handcar and a start
was made across shaky bridge to Miller.
At Hinckley the visible situation had
not materially improved over night.
Thirty or forty caskets and boxes with
their gruesome contents still lie along the
track where they were placed last night.
No attempt had been made to dress or en-
balm the bodies, and they were already
growing very offensive. Fortunately
they day was cool and cloudy
and grateful showers fell at inter-
walls during the forenoon. Under
taker j. ID. Donnelly of st. Paul advised
that the bodies be put under earth as rap
Idly as possible. Every attempt at identi-
fcatOn had been exhausted. Out in the
little cemetery a mile east of town was a
scene which words are absolutely power
less to describe. At the best the little
spot would be as dreary as could be well
Imagined. There were oHly a few little
sandy. unsodden mounds before. Now.
with blackened, fire-scarTed stumps and
fallen trunks of trees all about, it pre-
scented an appearance OF desolation hard to
describeH In the center. in an indiscrimi-
nate heap. lay more than ninety corpses of
men, women and little children. Some
were burned to a crisp, others only
Drowned by the heat, and none had a frag-
of >
hand to conceal its awful nakedness.
Some were mere trunks, the extremities
having been burned of. From cracked
abdomens the intesHnes were protrudIng.
Skulls were burned and brains were es-
Gaping, and all The cOrpses were twisted
and cramped.
A force of men were quickly at work
digging a shallow trench. The sandy soil
was as hard as flint. II had been baked
10 a crust by weeks of drought and almost
solidifed by fire. The work progressed
slowly. Of in the corner of the clearing
smaller graves were being dug for Mrs.
William Grsinger and her two baby girls.
Caroline, aged 6, and Mabel, aged 8. The
husband and father had recognized them in
the CHASTITY heap.
Another grave was for the Best family.
whose numbers make their destruction a
notable event at this time OF death. John
Best Jr. was digging a pit with the
friendly assistance of two neighbors.
Laid in row, decently covered. were the
bodies of John Best ST., Mrs. Best and
Bertha and Fred Best. Mrs. Annie WeigeI.
a married daughter, and her three-year-old
daughter Minnie; Mrs. Annie Truman OF
Diamond Bluff. Wis, visitor, aged 26,
aud Victor Best. aged 8. The other sons
George. aged a5. and Willie. aged 2D are
certainly dead. And of this whole family
of three generations only the sorrowing
qraye-digger and wife and child, who took
refuge in a dugout. are left. They all
lived together about two miles southeast
of Hinckley.
The only other corpses recognized were
Charles Anderson, cashier Of the bank.
and Mrs. William Ginder and her daugh-
ter Winifred, aged years.
Enough rough boxes were Knocked To-
getner to contain more bodies and they