Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-10-17
HERO ROOTS STORY.
The Engineer Who Raced with the For.
est Fires Describes His Experience.

Above and beyond every deed of
bravery, sacrifice and charity in con-
nection with the Eastern Minnesota
holocaust stands the act of Engineer
James Root, the hero who drove his
train six miles through seething cy-
clone of flames, plotting 300 passengers
to safety, who otherwise would have
been burned to death. No praise is
too high for the man who performed a
deed of such daring heroism in an hour
of such frightful peril. The people of
st. Paul are already moving to present
a lasting testimonial of their gratitude
to Mr.. Root.
The hero of Hinckley was found at
his pleasant little home at White Bear
recently. He was still in great pain
from his horrible burns and cuts, one
of the latter having almost severed the
jugular vein, but is much better now, 4,
and has good chance for recovery.
When shown a dispatch saying that
London papers were paying him high
compliments for his courage, a tear
glistened in his eye for a moment, and
he said: II merely did my duty" Then
in voice scarcely more than a whis-
per he said: "When we left Saturday
afternoon the air was heavy with
smoke. At Charleton the smoke was
so thick that it became necessary to
light the headlight. which was done
by the fireman, Jack McGowan. I
spoke to Jack about it and said I
guessed we were going to have rain.
We never thought the fire was so near
to US. On and on through the night
of smoke the engine rushed on its way
to Hinckley. We were due there at 4
o'clock and arrived there three minutes
late. AS pulled into the station l
saw an excited mob of people who took
my train by storm. That was the first
intimation I had that we were 80
stricken. could not have started the
engine without running persons down
on the track in front of me.
VI received no orders, and as my
train was completely filled with pas
sengers who had boarded it while we
were standing there 1 was about to
pull the throttle to cross the Hinckley
bridge, when wall of flame fully ten
feet high burst through the rolling
smoke right in front of my engine, cut
ting off all hope of making the bridge.
/ noticed that the wind was from the
south, and knew then that the fire
must have already crossed the bridge
and destroyed it, so reversed the en-
gine and we began to race with the
flames. remembered shallow marsh
known as Skunk Lake, about six miles
back and north of Hinckley ,and made
up my mind to reach the lake, come
what might. There was no other SAL
walton. The wind was blowing the fire
in the same direction we were going.
and the flames raced along in the tall
grass on both sides of us, almost keep
ing pace with the speed of the train.
| put on my heavy coat and rolled it
over my head. and Jack McGowan, my
fireman, got back in the manhole of
the tank. He would stand up and
throw water on me as long as he could
stand the heat and then he would re-
treat to the manhole again, and in that
way we got to Skunk Lake, not more
than two minutes before the flames.
We piled out of the cab, Jack and l,
after cutting off the air and kicking
the cars down about two car lengths
and made for the lake, getting there
just as the fire struck us.
ut was awful" Engineer Root con-
tinued, after resting a moment, land
hope may never live to 60 through
such an experience again. The fire
swept right over us, and we had to lie
fiat in the water for time. After the
first sheet of flame passed over it was
not 30 bad, but still the heat was ter
rife. The woods were burning all
around us, and to add to the horror,
the train caught fire and the cars
burned fiercely, radiating an awful
heat, which affected us almost as much
as the forest fire, we were SO near the
track.
For four hours we remained in the
water, and then the ground began to
cool sufficiently at the edge of the lake
SO that we were enabled to stand on the
bank by wrapping our heads in coats.
Later I went to the engine and sank
down on the hot seat of the cab, the
engine having passed through the fiery
ordeal almost upscathed. I did not
fall asleep, but into a kind of stupor,
from which l was not fully aroused
until the rescuing party came for us
with handcars. So far as I know,
there were only two lives lost on our
train. They were only two Cinnamon
who could not be got off the train, and
they were burned to death on the cars.
1t must have been a terrible experience
to those women and little children
who passed the night in the water of
Of the lake."