The Helena independent., 1894-09-03
500 BURNED
TO DEATH.
Six Towns in Northern Minnesota
Wipsd Out by Fires From
the Forest
An IncAloulable Loss to Property,
Appalling Sacrifice OF
Human Life.
The Town OF HIncklsy Furnishes a
msjority Of the Victims Of
the Flames.
Scenes That BegRar Description In
Written Word or Speech
OF Tongue.
Mad Race with the Pursuing Flames
Refuge In swamp. Pond aud River
Heroic Train amen.
Scenes That Begaar Description In
Written Word or Speech
OF Tongue.
Msd Race with ths Pursuing Flames
Refuge In swamp. Pond aud River
Heroic Train amen.

and more than 600 dead 10 the record OF the
nres Of this state the past twenty four
houfa In Hinokloy. Sandstone. Pokeeam.
Sandstone junction, Skunk Lake and Mis-.
sion Creek there are 1856 known dead. In
addition. several hundred are missing,
while from 100 70 200 are scattered on farms
Throughout the district burned over. De-
struetion was complete In most Of the
towns named. The loss will be In the mill
lions. and the loss OF life will NOT be dsin-
itely known for several days. II ever. Re-
lief trains brought supplies sent from this
city. Minneapolis. Duluth and other towns.
and the sufferers are being cared for al
Pine City and other points.
Estimate of the dead is: Hinckley 200.
Sandstone forty-fvs. function twenty Eve.
Pokeena twenty-five. Skunk Lake twenty
nine. miscellaneous thirty. total 35s. The
list Of dead 10 date includes ths following:
Sandy Henderson. IL years; John Hsndsr-
son. ~ years; d. Hanson. Mrs. Hanson.
five Hansen children. Thomas Jones
Chambers. Alex Henderson and wife;
Emily Hanson. 16 years; Charlie Hanson.
10 years; Charles Anderson, 20 years; Hans
Attison. - years; Mrs. VIM. Glade Dennis
Riley. yard watohmsn; jim Bean. 70 smau
OF the Brennan Lumber company; John
Best. wife and four children; two Anderson
childrsni VIM. Nssbits, Henry Hansen. Il.
TurRson. : Lamb and son; Mrs. Martin
and four children. drowued; Mrs. Blsn-
chnrd and two children; DIR. @. II. Kslsy. OF
New Brighton; L. Blanchard; Louis Nell
son. an employe OF the Eastern railway;
Peter Robertson. Ncls Robertson, Mary
Robertson. - Robertson, q child; = Hon-
man aud wife; Emma Doisn. Bsile O'Brien
and Anna Wallace. demi-mondes.
The walls of the school house. iron fence
and town hal property. bank vault and
one absolutely uninjured outhouss 10 all
that 10 left 20 mark the site OF Hincklsy,
where yeste day stood q score of buildiugs
and dozen times as many dwelling
houses. The sioiy Of the catastrophe 10 a
short one. The town was built of wood.
The school house. erected last year al a
cost OF $4,000. and half Of the Eastern
Minnesota railway roundhouse were the
only brick structures In the city.
by one OF those peculiar freaks for which
there Is no accounting the found house
and water tank In the southwestern edge
of town. almost In the woods. escaped the
flames. q circumstances mofe remarkable
from the fac, that 10 stood dirsstlv In tbs
patch OF the flsmee, which seem TO have
jumped 10 as clesnly as playing lssp-frog.
All yesterday forenoon abe townaveopis
we're q .prshenalve. The fro kept Advano-
Ing. famed by the wind, which was blow
ing a gale. About eleven o'clock the fire
company got out their engines and laid an
800 foot line Of hose to the southern out
skirts OF town. The hois was TOO short for
the measure OF protection desired. and @
telegram was sent 10 Rush City for more.
A hundred feer vas sent, but 10 never
rec ohed HIncklsT.
Abou, three o'clock In the afternoon the
Ere literally jumped into the town. 10 did
not eat its way along, dsvoui ing every thing
In its path. bot came In hugs leaps. ss n 20
take everything before IL. IL appeared 40
II 1, was hurried along BY cyclones of It's
own generation. Intense heat would de-
velop veritsblo whirlwind OF flames that
carried huge blazing firs brands high Ia the
air. and carrying them forward for from
forty 10 eighty rods let thsm fall and begin
the wo of devastation anew.
The a. Q struck HInckler on tho east sids
of ths Duluth ttnek. and the brave hrs
n flahters for the frat tins gave MP ths un-
equal battlo and, already too late In m any
instances, turned their attention 10 their
safety. The Easts n Minnesota
train from tho south had Just come In aud
the people OF the panio-s,Tioken olty
l0eked 10 II for safety. A number OF boz
cas- we're coupled on and 6lloi aud covered
with msn. women and ohildrsn. Some
we're baTshsadsd, aomo ooatless. some few
carried q pitiful bundle of the more D o
cious Of their portable possessions. Fam
ilios we're separated. and in all this was q
motley crowd Of abou, 100 or more people.
The train pulled out Just ahead OF th9 iie
luth.
About the shms hour the acoommoda ation
train on the Hinoklsy a 81. Clopd lsft for
the latter place with about twenty Ave
It's path lay directly across
the path OF the fire aud their situation
speed y became desperate. Tiss we're
rails were wATping. aud the tres
tlea we're aagelnR under tne train. The
smeks had increased 90 tho engineer Was
helplsss. lie could not ass the train be.
hind him. Burning trees lay across ths
tack aud we're being tossed aside by the
engine. Suddenly tho track gave war and
the train toppled of 10 one side. No one
vas injured and they pressed GU IN Pogsma
station, q few rods ahead. hut few feet
In from, OF the engine w0s discovered
gorge sixty fsst wide aud forty feet deep,
whsfe trsstle had becn burned away.
A hey anoceoded In reaching the clearing
about tas station and escaped With a few
burma and bruises. There were burned
along the track, however, four or fiVe peo.
Pie.
The people who we're lstt In The olty
wers In whA, seemed 10 bs an alInost help
less condition. ER esq BY the only means
Of TRANSPORTATION thai could hups 70 dls-
lance the swiftly advancing flames was out
ot Abe qusation. Men had been fighting
ARE for hoars and the women aud children
WsFs In pRnio.Sttioken oohditioa. HorAes
usra hArnessed TO buEpisa and wagons.
Women and onildren wero loaded In and
b obably two hundred OF thom len town on
foot OF In vehiolsa, plunRinR into tho woods