The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1894-09-08


heads. They dashed water over
each other and covered their
heads with wet cloths to prevent
suffocation, and all were saved.
Others of the citizens sought refuge
in Grindstone river under the
abutments of two railroad bridges and
at the foot of a bridge. The exact
number is not known, but many es-
capped and some were drowned.
Mrs. Martin Martinson and her four
little babes were taken, drowned,
from the water this morning.
In the meantime Hinckley was
burning with the utmost rapidity and
in few hours nothing was left but
ruins. The total loss will exceed
81 100000, with comparatively
light insurance.
The situation at Sandstone is
even more appalling than at Hinck-
ley, except in point of numbers.
OF the 200 residents one-foruth are
dead. Otto Stafferfeldt, of Sand
stone, talking of the disaster, said
that last night about $50 flames
neared the town and people pre-
pared to leave. The wind blew
like a hurricane, and as people were
getting ready to leave the fire
closed in on three sides. Not a sin
gle person saved a thing except his
clothes. About 100 went to the
river and fifty or sixty were burned
to death. Before eight o'clock this
morning he saw over forty-fve
bodies charred and burned, lying
on every side.
People are destitute of every
thing In addition to forty-ive
bodies at Sandstone, there are TWEEN
ty at Kettle River Junction. All
settlers in the vincinity are probably
burned to death. There are about
eleven home less families still al
Mission Creek, but they have pro
visions for twentyfour hours.
Brook Park, two miles west of
Hinckley, is burned, there are abou
12o people there, many of whom
are in need of immediate relief.
From stories of passengers OF
the limited train which was burned
near Hinckley the entire crew de
serve to be placed on the roll o
honor for personal heroism, Engineer
James Root, of White Bear, at the
head of the list. He was badl,
burned and almost blinded, and fel
from his seat unconscious immed
lately on getting out of the fires.
When about two miles north o
Hinckley, Root first discovered thai
the fires which had been raging OF
both sides of the track were racing
him for his life and the lives of tn,
passengers. He thought to outrul
the flames which were coming
after and bearing down upon hin
at sixty-mile gait. When abou
a mile and half from Hinckle,
he discovered the fire was too fas
and overlook the train and over
leaped it so it was literally sur
rounded with flames. The air wa
sitting, and the clothes of both en-
gineer and fireman caught fire
Fireman McGowna leaped into ;
water tank and seizing a buckle
dashed water over the burning en-
gineer. Root kept steadily at hi:
post, although scarcely able to 81
up.
In the meantime the passenger
could see nothing but heard thu
roaring of the oncoming tornado oI
flame, and soon the heat outside wa.
too much for the reason of number
of them. The rear car caught fire
and as the flames overlook it the
passengers rushed headlong into for
ward cars. Shrieks of women anc
children, as we'll as the terrified
shouts of men, increased and terrible
feelings were aroused by the uproal
of flames on every hand. Several o.
the male passengers, too terrified foI
further self-control, leaped headlone
through broken windows and were
swallowed up in the flames outside
Others seeing this act quickly fol
lowed, and altogether in the mex
ten minutes, dozen men leaped tt
death in the flames in like manner.
Women, whose terror had beer
unite pitiful few minutes before