The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-09-08

farms throughout the district burned
over. The destruction was complete
in most of the towns named. The loss
will be in millions, and the loss Of life
will not be definitely known for sew
eral days, If ever. Relief trains were
sent out from this city, Minneapolis,
Duluth and other towns, and sufferers
are being cared for at Pine City and
other points.
The Fire Demon Consumes Everything
in Its Awful Flight.
ST. PAUL, Sept. 2.-The town of
Hinckley, Mimi. about half way be-
tween this city and Duluth. has been
wiped out by forest fires, and the list
OF dead may reach 1000. 1t will GER
tainly exceed 200, and reports now be-
ing received indicate the larger figure
may not be too large. On train to-
day from there there were one or two
persons who came through the fires
and who gave graphic stories of the
scene. The train from Duluth reached
a point mile and half north of
Hinckley some time afler midnight
and was forced to return to point
five miles away en- account of the
threatening flames.
Dead Bodies Along the Railroad.
Half dozen passengers, however,
secured handca- and rode through
the flames to Hinckley, taking north
bound train this side of there and re-
turning on it to this city. On their
ride on the handcar they encountered
p dead bodies along the line OF rail-
road. Seventeen were discovered at
Hinckley during the morning and p
others have been found up to / o'clock.
They say the people Of Hinckley ran
to the woods when their houses caught
fire, and as the timber afterwards
burned it is more than probable that
great numbers persisted. The most
conservative estimate OF the dead is 200.
Whole Country on Fire.
The whole country around Hin ckley
is on fire, and the full extent of the
disaster can not be learned Tor day or
two. 1t Is feared that several other
towns have suffered like fate. Mil
laca called for help yesterday afternoon,
and a relief train from St. Cloud was
unable to get beyond Bridgman. Moth
ing further has yet been received from
Millaca, and how much it may be suf-
feung can not at this time be known.
Bridgman was apparently safe after "a
hard fight. The flames, however, were
very threatening around that town,
and as it is very dry all over that part
of the state, the worst is feared.
Entire Families Perished.
A party that came through the fires
around Hinckley on hand-car suf-
fered severely from burning. Their
injuries, however, will not prove fatal,
They tell many sad stories of what
they saw. One woman had evidently
tried to save her five children and was
overtaken by the fierce flames, and the
whole family persisted close to the rail-
road tracks.
Another case was where mother,
seeing her house in flames, ran to save
her child. her husband following her,
and the walls of the house caved in be-
fore they could get out.
Passengers Surrounded by Fire.
The passenger train from Duluth, on
which these men were, is in ashes and
the rest of the passengers have taken
refuge in a marsh near Skunk lake,
where they are surrounded by fire.
The engineer was badly burned by
the flames, but stood to his post aud
got all of the passengers out of the fire
safely. This engineer james Root, IS
one of the best known and pluckiest
men in the employ of the S.. Paul &
Duluth railroad. He tried to take his
train through the fires to Hinckley,
Ont when the cars caught fire from
flying embers he reversed his engine
and backed at full speed TO Skunk lake.
1t was so DARK during the day yester-
day that it was almost impossible for
anyone to see 100 feet away, and during
the night the headlight on the engine
was useless. Engineer Roots iniuries
are quite serious, but II lie hoped that
he will recover, although one report
gives no hope.
Mission Creek Reported in Ashes.
The little town of Mission Creek.
north of Hinckley, was also reported
i'll a. hes. Special trains were sent out,
both from Duluth and ST. Paul