Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-03
MANY BURNED ALIVE
Appalling Disaster in the North
western Forests.
HUNDREDS MET DEATH IN THE FLAMES
Towns Wiped Out and Whole
Regions Devastated.
A RAILWAY TRAINS RACE

Throughout the great lumber regions of
northwestern Minnesota and northwestern
Wisconsin forest fires of unusual size are
raging furiously, and as result the loss
OF HE Il believed to be appalling. Towns
have been wiped out. extensive districts
laid waste. and it Is believed that the num-
Der Of deaths in the whole burned district
may reach 1000.
So far is known now. the estimate of
the dead is follows: Hinckley, 2OO; Sand
stone. 10: Sandstone Junction %; Poke
CANA. -; Skunk Lake, -; miscellaneous.
30: total. 355.
The list Of dead to date includes the fol-
lowing: Sandy Henderson. ten years; John
Henderson. twelve years: Thomas Jones.
Mr.. and Mrs Alex. Hanson. Emily Hanson,
sixteen years; Charlie Hanson. nineteen
years; Charles Anderson, twenty years,
bank cashier; Mrs. Madison, twenty years;
Mrs. William Ginder. Dennis Riley, yard
Waterman; John Best. wife and four
children: John Anderson and wife, two
Anderson children: William Nesbitt. Saw
yer. Henry Hanson. T. Turgeon - Lamb
and one son; Mrs. Martin and four children
drowned; Mrs Blanchard and two children:
DIR. C. H. Kelley OF New Brighton; James
Bean. mill foreman, BreI nan Lumber Com
pany; b. Blanchard, wife and two chill
dren; Louis Nelson. employe Eastern rail-
Mary Robertson, - Robertson child !:
- Hoffman and wife, Emma Dolan
Belle OBrien and Anna Wallace
HinekIcy Destroyed.
The walls of the school house. the iron
fence about the town hall property, the
bank vault and one absolutely uninjured
clubhouse Is all that Is left to mark the site
OF Hinckley. where yesterday stood a score
Of store buildings and dozen times as
many dwelling houses
The story of the catastrophe which wiped
out the material possessions that had made
Hinckley busy. prosperous little city Is
snort snort one; The town was built of wood
The school house. erected last year at a cost
or $4,000. and one-half the Duluth round
house were the only brick structures in the
city BY one of those peculiar freaks for
which there Is no accounting the Eastern
Minnesota round house and water tank on
the southwestern edge Of the town. almost
IN the woods. escaped the fames-a circum-
stance the more remarkable from the fact
Lnat II stood directly In the path of the
flames. which seem to have jumped II as
cseanly as IL playing leap-frog.
All saturday forenoon the towns people
were apprehensive. The smoke, rolling I'D
from the south, told story Enthusiastically
plain to those accustomed to a wooded
country. The fire kept advancing, famed
by the wind, which was blowing gale.
About IL O'Clock the fire company got out
their engine and laid an l, S0O-f foot line of
hose to the southern outskirts Of the town.
The hose was all too short for the meas
ure OF protection desired, and a telegram
was sent to Rush City for more. Five hun
dred feet were sent, but 1t never reached
Hmckley. The main part of the village lies
IN the north fork. made by the crossing Of
the Duluth and Eastern tracks, the latter
to the east and the former on the west
On the west side of the Duluth tracks
were few small houses belonging to the
railway employees. The firemen's attention
was mainly directed to keeping the Are
away from them, as the main business part
OF the city was built in solidly just across
the track.
About O'Clock in the afternoon the fire
literally jumped into the town. Its ap-
proach was not gradual. 1t did not eat
its way along. devouring everything in its
path. but came in huge leaps. as IL to over
take everything fleeing before II, and then
burned back at its leisure.
1t is described by those who witnessed its
onward progress at Hinckley and elsewhere
a. IL IL were forced along by cyclones Of
develop a veritable whirlwind of fame that
actually twisted of poplar trees several
j. ches in thickness and carrying them
forward for some forty to eighty rods
there to fall as fiery brands to begin the
work of devastation anew.
The fire first struck Hinckley on the east
side of the Duluth track and brave fighters
Tor the first time gave up the unequal bat
tie. and, already too late in many Instances,
turned their attention to their personal
safety. The Eastern Minnesota train from
the south had just come in. and the people
Of the panic stricken city fed to it for
safety.
A number Of box cars1vere coupled on and
flled and covered with men. women and
children Some were bare-headed, some
were coatless. some few clutched a pitiful
bundle OF the more precious of their port
able possessions. Families were separated
Children Joined the throng and left parents
tn all there was motley crowd of about
$50 or more people.
The train pulled out just ahead of the
nre and succeeded in ultimately reaching
Duluth This circumstance, while fortu-
nate in degree that cannot be estimated
has made the confusion greater, for 1t is
not known who escaped in this way and
many people are reported dead and may be
IN safety Had not this number of people.
largely women and children, left the DOOM
ed city when they did, the loss of life would
nave increased in a geometrical ratio, for
their presence would have added immeasur-
apIy 10 the subsequent confusion.
On n burning Train.
About the SAM hour the accommodation
train on the Hinckley and st. Cloud branch
ief. for the latter place. with about twenty
nve passengers. Its path lies directly
across the path of the fire and their stu
alton speedily be- anne desperate The ties
We're burning, the rails were warming and
he trestles werv sagging under the train.
The smoke had increased SO that the en-
gineer was helpless. He could not see the
train behind him. Burning trees lay on
the track and were tossed aside by the
engine Suddenly the track gave way and
Inc train toppled off on one side No one
was injured and they pressed on to Poko-
saIna station. a few rods ahead But a
Few teet In front of the engine was dis
covered a gorge sixty feet wide and forty
feet deep, where the trestle had been burn
ed away. They succeeded in reaching the
clearing about the station and escaped with
a few burns and bruises. There were burn
ed along the track, however four or five
people. including DR.. Kelley of New Brtgh-
ton, who had come up to look after his
brother.
In a Hopeless Condition
The people who We're left in the CITY were
In what seemed to be an almost hopeless
condition. Egress by the only means of
transportation that could hope to distance
the swiftly-advancing flames was out of
The question.
The men had been fighting fire for hours
and the women and children were in a pan
lc-stricken condition. Many of them were
or the more ignorant population, for a very
large percentage Of the people who got out
on the Great Northern railroad were of the
more intelligent class
Horses were harnessed to buggies and
WAGONS Women and children were hur-