The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-09-12
Town of Hinckley and Its Citizens
Destroyed. Sought to Escape
by Flight 10 the Swamps
A Railroad Train Runs Into the
Burning Forest and is Set
Afire by Flying Embers.
RACE WITH THE FLAMES.


caused an awful loss of life, the full ex-
tent of which cannot be known for sew
eral days and perhaps not for weeks.
The town of Hinckley, Mimi, about
half way between this city and Duluth,
is the worst sufferer, but many towns in
that vicinity have been burned.
A passenger train which approached
Hinckley and was compelled to back five
miles on account of the flames caught
fire from flying embers and was consum-
ed. The passengers took refuge in a
swamp, but were there made prisoners
by the fire.
A few OF the passengers secured a
hand car and made the run through the
burning town. They were badly burned
They describe the scenes as sad in the
extreme.
A special to the Pioneer Press from
Pine City, MINI says that the estimate
of the dead is as follows
lIinckley, POO.
Sandstone, 46.
sandstone junction, 20
Pokegama, %.
Skunk Lake, 20.
Miscellaneous, 80
Total, sos.
The walls of the schoolhouse, the iron
fence about the town hall property, the
bank vault and one absolutely uninjured
outh ouvo 10 oil that 10 loft 70 norL tho
site of Hinckley, where yesterday stood
score OF store buildings and dozen
times as many clearinghouse.
THE BURNING OF HINcKLEY.
The story of the catastrophe which
wiped out the material possessions that
had made Hinckley a busy, prosperous
little city is a short one. The town was
built of wood The schoolhouse, erected
last year at cost of 100000, and one
half the Duluth roundhouse were the
: only brick structures in the city. BY
one of those peculiar freaks for which
there is no accounting, the Eastern Min
nesota round house and water tank on
the southwestern edge of the town, al
most in the woods, escaped the flames, a
circumstance the more remarkable from
the fact that it stood directly in the path
OF the flames which seem to have Jump
ed it as clearly as if playing leap-frog.
All yesterday forenoon the townspeo-
pie were apprehensive. The smoke ioll
ing up from the south told story unmis-
takably plain to those accustomed to
wooded country. The fire kept advanc-
ing, famed by the wind which was blow
ing gale. About II o'clock the fire
company got out their engine and laid
an ,S00-foot line of hose to the south
ern outskirts of the town. The hose was
all too short for the measure of protect
ion desired and a telegram was sent to
Rush City for more. Five hundred feet
was sent, but it never reached Hinckley.
The main part OF the village lies in
the North Fork made by the crossing of
the Duluth on eastern tracks, the latter
to the east and the former TO the west.
On the west side Of the Duluth tracks
Were few small houses belonging to the
railway employees. The fremens atten-
ton wss directed to keeping the fire
away from them, as the main business
part OF the city was built in solidly just
across the tracks
About 8 o'clock in the afternoon the
fire literally Jumped into the town. Its
approach was not gradual. 1t did not
eat its way along, devouring everything
in its path, but came in huge leaves, as
il to overtake everything fleeing from it,
and then burned back at its leasure. 1t
is.described by those who witnessed its
onward progress at Hinckley and else
where as il it were forced along by cy-
clones OF its own generation. The in
tense heat would develop veritable
whirlwind OF flame that actually twisted
off poplar trees several inches in thick
ness and carried huge blazing frebrands
high in the air, and, carrying them for
ward for from 40 to 80 rods, to fall aud
b. gin the work OF devastation anew.
SOME ESCAPE BY TRAIN.
The fire first struck Hinckley on the
east side OF the Duluth track and the
brave irefghters for the first time gave
up the unequal battle, and, already too
late in many instances, turned their at
tenti0n to their personal safety.
|, <The Eastern Minnesota train from the
south had just come in and the people
Of the panic-stricken town flocked to it
for safety. A number OF box cars were
coupled on and filed and covered with
men, women and children. Some were
bare-headed; some were coatless; some
few clutehed pitiful bundle ofthe more
precious Of their portable possessions.
Families were separated. Children
joined the throng and left parents, In
all there was motley crowd Of about