The Helena independent., 1894-09-03

uuo was 1915 tO toll the thle, anu thln mOfn-
lnR In aspaee little mofe than i've serea
we're oonnted l30 oorpses. There were
many famillss OF fvs, sir and seven. and
there they lay. the men generally littls In
advance. the mother surrounded by her lit-
Vie ones, out on By The most horrible Of
deaths. Nearly all the bodies we're nude
hre having burned oveFy vosiigs OF their
clothing .and blaokensd and ehatTtd the
oorpses, many being unrecognixable. Those
who He'd 10 the north on foot folio wed the
Duluth track, and 40 rapid was the prog.
rsss OF The flames that many OF them were
actually buined ha fed, falling on the
right-of-why for distance Of thrse miles
or more. Nearly thirty bodies we're feeoy-
cred along here.
Some Of tho foremost escaping citizens
met the Duluth train coming IN from ths
north. Il was due al Hinoklsy at 4;0b.
Engineer Jim Root was al tho throttle.
He stopped The train aud took on board
about l2O fefuRees. by this tlmo the woods
were blazing on each aide OF the track, and
AZ Root reversed hia engine and started
back the cars snorohsd aud ofackled In the
heat. Root ran his train back about three
miles 70 skunk lake and the people eseapsd
from the burning cars 10 the water and no
liveu we're loat.
People who remained In Hinokley Jared
the best of all. Ths Eastern Minnesota
tracks mark the eastern edge Of tho city
proper. Just beyond the edge was q traot
OF land probably embracing ton aorss The
whole area had bssn excaystsd to a depth
OF thirty OF forty fos,. and in its center was
stagnant pool of rain water three feet
deer. To 10 hsd q hundred eitixsns who
we're willing 10 . ust 70 ita friendly depths.
They romainsd for hours willis the smoke
rolled over their heads. They dashed wa
ter over each other aud covered thsir heads
with vel cloths TO prevent sufocstion. and
all were saved. Others Of the cisizsns
sought refuge In Giindstons river under
the abutmsnti Of two railroad bridges and
al the foot Of n bridge. The exact number
10 not known. but many escaped and some
were drowned. Mra Martin Mattinson
and her four little bebss wore taken
drowned, from the water this morning.
In tho meantime Hinckisy was burning
with tbe utmost rapidly and In a few
hours nothing vas isb but ruins. Tho
total loss will eroesd $1,000. 600. with com
pathtively light insurance.
The situation at Sandstone ID even more
appalling than at Hinoklsv, except In point
Of numbsrs OF the 200 residents one-
fourth are dead. Otto stsfferfeidt of
Sandstone. talking OF the disaster, said
that last night about $50 hamos nearsd the
town and people prepared to leave. The
were wore getting ready 81 leave ths fFs
clossd in on three uidsA NotA single per-
son saved thing except his clothes. About
160 vent TO the river and fifty or sixty we're
burned 10 death. Before eight O'Clock this
morning he saw over forty-fvs bodies
charrsd and burned. lying on every side.
Psopls are destitute OF everything In
addition 10 forty-fv bodies st Sandstone,
shers are twenty al Kettle River junction.
All settlers in the vicinity are probably
burned TO death. There are about eleven
homeless families still AZ Mission Greek,
but they have provisions for twsnty-four
hours.
Brook Park two miles west OF Hinckley.
Is burned. aud thero are about 125 peopls
there, many Of whom are In need Of imme-
diate relief. 'r~ ~ see
From stories OF passengers on the limited
train which vas burned near Hinoklsy the
entire crew deserve 10 be placed on the roll
OF honor for personal hsroism. Engineer
James Root. Of White Beao. nj the head OF
the list. Hs was badly burned and almost
blinded. and fell from his seat uncon scious
i'm nediAtely on getting ont OF the frss
When about two miles north of Hinokley.
Root first discovered that the hrea which
had been raging ON both sides OF the track
were racing him for his life and the lives
OF bis pssssnRsrs. He thouRht 10 outrun
the tiamea which were coming after and
boatino down uIon him al sixty lie
gait. When about milo and half from
Hinskley ho discovered the ere was too
fss. aud overlook the train and ovsrleaped
IL so 10 was literally surrounded with flames.
Ths air WAS stiflina. aud the clothes of
both engineer aud fireman caught FIRE.
Fireman McGowns leaped into q water
tank and seizinQ a bucket dashed water
several times over tho burning engineer.
Root stendily kept at his post. although
scarcely able 10 sit MP.
In tho meantime the passengers could
eco nothing but heard the roaring OF the
oncoming tornado of fame. and soon the
heat outsids was too much for the reason
OF a number Of them. The rear car caught
FIRE and as the flames overlook 10 tho
passengers rushed headlong into forward
cars. Shrieks OF womOn and children. as
we'll ~ the terrified shouts OF men, In
creased and terrible feelings were aroused
BY the uproar Of flames on every hand.
Several Of the male passengers, too terrified
for further solf-contfoi, leapsd headlong
through broken wlndows and we're swsl-
lowed up Ia tho flames outside. Others
seeing this act qniekly followed. and alto
gethsr In the nett ten minutes q dozen
men lsapsd 20 death In tho flames In like
manner.
Women, whose terror had been quite pit
iful a few minutes before. now osme hero.
ioally 20 the help Of the trsinmen In sn-
deavorinR 10 soothe the frightened chill
dren. Engineer Root sAv there was no out
let apparently for his train ahead and oon-
oluded 70 turn back through the distance
already burned over rather than encounter
possibly greater psrils bsfoie them. He
backed NJ fast speed 10 Skunk Lake, Eve
miles from Hincklet. The passengers de-
aae "a H. Nsa aA L..
the svamp, where they spent tho night.
Engineer Roo, lies NJ his homo al White
Boar. too badly injured 10 be interviewed.
He 10 badly cut by broken Rlsss but his
worst injuries we're from iuhalinG hot air
and smsks.
As night closed In the people began 10
ooms out OF their hiding plaoas aud msdo
their way over tho het smbsrs OF their
burned oitY. fhoy wee absolutely da1ed
by the eaiastrophs and the night was spent
In an sndsnyot 20 nnd relatives. Ths hTe had
spsnt itself and the air was ollie 1 with smoke.
Two huge heaps OF coal, which marked
the location OF tho Duluth coal sheds, we're
blazing. and By this htful light people
wandered about picking out the places
where cir hours before their happy homes
atood. The fact that 80 many had escaped
BY train added To the anxiety Of those
whose lends aud relatives were MOI 10 be
found while /, furnished AZ the sams time
basis for the hope that they we're in
safety.
Whom morning broke n few energetic
spirits began orIanizlng tho work OF rsoov-
cry Of bodies. 4. w. sargent passenger
conductor OF the Duluth road, Organized q
volunteer crew who manned two hand cara
whose capacity was Increased by the use OF
plank. Tnsy vent up the Duiuth track
north and picked mp thift,-ons bodies bo'
tween tho river and skunk lake. Citlzens
volunteered and hnruessed up available
vshioles saved IN tho gravel pit, and went
out 10 tho swamp across the Grind
stone. 1hsv brought Ia ninety.slt
bodies. There was neilher time or
oppoFtuny 10 observe the sacred forms nau-
ally surrounding death. Ths sroltsmout Of
the ocoaaion, tue bic exporisnop