The record-union., 1894-09-05

lie GreaL n Ort0orn, ana Wn6n the strike
was settled the road refused to re-employ
Best. The American Railway Union of
ticials threatened another strike, but the
difficulty was referred to arbitration, and
the arbitrators decided in favor of Besps
restoration. He seems to have by this
move demonstrated his fitness for a per-
manent place in the cab.
A FARMERS NARROW ESCAPE.
MINNEAPoLIs, Sept. A Duluth
(Minn.) special to the Journal says Oil
yer Dubois, q French Canadian farmer.
living on the outskirts of the little village
of Sandstone, was among the $50 refugees
from that stricken spot. He saved his
life by jumping into the bottom of dry
well, and was one of the very few who
took refuge and did not find it a grave
already dug. His experience was similar
in many ways to that of scores and hum
dreds OF others, but it shows the fearful
speed of the flames.
Mr. DUBOIS was little distance from
ms homo when he heard, in the south,
mighty roaring, and thought a cyclone
was coming. The blackness of the sky
increased, and he ran still farther from
the building to escape any flying sticks
that might come from the house. He
threw himself down at the root of a
stump, his head under root. Scarcely
was he on the ground before the awful
| heat aud ire showed that he contended
| not with cyclone, but with flames.
| There was a well a few feet away. into
which he jumped. 1t was twelve feet
deep, and was dry. Above him be could
see the rolling cloud Of flame, high in the
air and then down close to the ground
HIS position grew sitting. and the air
seemed TO be SO eXhausting that he could
| only breathe by clawing hole in the
damp earth and pressing his face to the
Slue. As soon as one place got too sitting
ne would make another little fresh spot
L he we'll llled with smoke and gas, but
after time he managed to climb out.
Il was SO weak [ could hardly walk"
| he said, "and for a few minutes / was
dazed. was shoeless, but knew there
were shoes little distance away. could
not see the ground at my feet for the
smoke, but CROPPED my way to those
| shoes, losing my way once and feeling
every step. l found them at last, and
they are the only thing / own in the
world. Then l started into town. 1t be-
gan 30 grow lighter, so l could see the
street. stood in the center of Sandstone
and called. Not sound came in answer.
| called again and again, but the place
had been in only two hours before was
as still as grave. l walked toward the
river, shIvering with fear. On the way l
counted bodies, more than fifty of them.
l climbed down the river bank and there,
crouched in the water, | found the peo-
pie. During the passing of the fire,
women had held their screaming chill
dren's mouths in the water and had stood
mouth deep in it themselves"
| Several, 1t is reported have been found
in wells in the neighborhood of Sand
| stone dead. AS was the case at the
Prestige forest fires in Michigan twenty
two years ago, the wells were suffocating
spots, and were dismal refuge.
ANOTHER THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
|
stone Lake, ten miles north of Hinckley,
has been the camping ground for several
summer parties from Hinck ley. This wear
larger number of people were camped
there than usual, and consequently when
fire was seen to be approaching NeaPs
place, about mile from one of the camps,
! several men started for the scene. John
| Patrick and Messrs. Ellsworth and Col
Inns were among the number. Four
other men were fighting the tire when
| they got there, and it was supposed that
they could control it. The relief party had
hardly reached the scene, however, when
! they discovered flames shooting over the
| tops OF the timber back OF their own
camp.
Patrick started back along the shore,
| while the others got into a small skitf and
| padded faster than they had ever before,
hoping TO reach the camp before it was
overwhelmed. While they were still
|
rushing into the lake and the camp outfit
| going skyward i'll smoke. Patrick hardly
| comprehended these things, however
as 1t had not yet gone far before ball of
| fire darted across the lake over mile
wide, where he stood and knocked him
down as 1t passed onward in its work of
| destruction through the forest. His
clUthing was ignited and for time he
was completely daZed. When he recov-
cred his senses the fire was all about him
and only narrow pathway through the
water at the edge of the lake where the
| banks shelved very steep all along offered
| an avenue of escape.
| As he was splashing through the water
! stray dog fell in behind him and
marched along in his company. The two
| had an encounter with a black bear that
| barred their passage, and would under
| ordinary circumstances have annihilated
| both man and dog. Bruin. who was
| squatted in the water, did not even deien
to notice them, but simply moved aside
about six inches so that they could pass.
They finally reached place where the
road opened out from the lake. and here
met twenty-one people, homeSteaders
and their families, who had been fleeing
through the binding smoke ahead of the
! flames. All the members of the party
threw themselves into the lake and re-
! NAMED there until the flames had passed
| over. None were seriously injured, but
all were so exhausted as to preclude the
possibility of going further that night.
They lay on the banks of the lake until
morning and then started back over the
road they had come in the direction of
Sandstone junction. Patrick has not
seen or heard of them since Eleven of
the settlers, one woman with babe five
weeks old, got into an old canoe and pad
died into the lake, only to be nearly
| destroyed by water after escaping from
flNn tigaR Ntn1
boat several times, and the baby was fire.
quently held aIoft to keep it from drown
ing. The frail craft drifted ashore in the
early morning.
Patrick, after passing an awful night of
anxious forebodings, was able to reach
bis family, and was overjoyed at finding
them unharmed.
THE WORST DANGER.
| ST. PAUL, Sept. At seems the worst
danger now in Minnesota is to the south
| east of Brainerd and Little Falls. and
that section is keing watched anxiously.
The Northern Pacific reports that alonp
the line from Little Falls TO Cutting three
small sections have been burned The
timber through that section is on ii re and
the fire is raging furiously to the north
and northeast OF Brainerd and Little
Field, and the timber in mat section is
much heavier than where the fire ragged
in the pine country. The railroad Off
cials say nothing can save the whole coun-
try but very heavy rain. Omaha has
reports from Washburn that the fires
have been confined thus far to the out
skirts of the city. and only a few lumber
| mills and yards on the edge of the
town have been destroyed; but a heavy
wind would quickly fan the flames and
carry them through the country and pos
sibiy into the town.
Duluth is taking care of about 1000
refugees. and sending supplies to the