The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-05

his son. He went out in q wagon with
Dave Kane, of Rock Creek, also a visitor
here. and both persisted, though the
horses came out unscathed.
The busiest point at Hinckley at noon
was the Associated Press telegraph Office.
IL was not much of an office, but it
sufficed 20 serve the public with the AS
ISOLATED Press report, the only press
report sent out of Hinckley today. The
wires were brought down to a burned
stump OF a tree A dry goods box near
by served as the operators desk.
Another box made him a seat. A spike
held down the copyFin the breeze. The
Associated Press correspondent had a
like homely desk and sat on a beer keg.
An occasional shower blurred the copy,
but 1t was rapidly fed TO the eager wire
despite the discomforts Of the occasion.
Absolutely Swept Clean.
The Associated Press correspondent
took a fve-mile tramp through the woods
10 the north Of town this morning,
through a scene Of desolation which rare
~ falls beneath the eye of man. The
country is absolutely swept clean. There
Is but one settlers house standing within
an unknown radius Of miles. IT Is that
OF Mike Dean, on the edge of the river,
three miles east Of town. 1t was a new
house and very substantial Dean and
q neighbor fought the fire until they had
to abandon hope. They got the women
and children into the water, covering
their heads with cloths kept wet by dash
ing water over them, and when the fire
had passed they came out unhurt and
were much surprised TO find their build
ing standing, and this morning when
the Associated Press correspondent en-
tered the clearing the house dog barled
as savagely and the rooster crew as
loudly as If they had not come within an
ace OF death.
The hand-car party which went north
this morning has just returned. 1t met
the Duluth construction train abou:
eight miles up the track with word that
the city of Duluth had furnished the
necessary relief at Sandstone and Miller.
They accordingly turned back and on
the way Is located eleven bodies, swell
ing the total of those found along the
track between Hinckley and Skunk
Lake, to about fifty. one OF
them was Otto Rowley of Du-
luth & Winnipeg. He was passenger
on the limited south-bound train on Sat
urday. and had left the main body OF
refugees and passengers. running back
toward the lake. His body was Identified
by the name on his collar. Near another
body, evidently that of a passenger, was
found a letter addressed TO Michael
Schrumski, Chicago. and charred busl-
ness card bearing the same name. Three
other bodies We're probably those Of pas
sengers on the Inflated train. Another
was a young man, a SPLENDID specimen OF
physical manhood, and from his cloth
ing and high-laced boots. apparently a
prOspectOr or cruiser The other five
We're the family of a settler named John
Robinson. consisting Of himself, three
women and an infant. Above Skunk Lake
the work train reported twelve bodies
on the right of the road, presumably pas
sengers.
Might Have Saved Themselves.
The most sorrowful feature of the
horrible fatality at Hinckley is the
thought that had the situation been real
tied in time not a single life among the
residents Of the town need have been
lost. The Great Northern gravel pits,
where only 100 sought safety, Is ten
acres in extent. broad enough and long
enough and deep enough to have shell
tered every soul In Hinckley. with their
domestic animals. There Is a pool OF
water of considerable depth there. The
bottoms are bare Of grass or shrubbery,
and there was no inhammable material
near the brink on the side from which
the fire came. Those who did seek this
have passed the hours OF their enforced
Imprisonment in comparative comfort.
This morning a detail OF twenty regu
lars from TT. Smelling, under command
of Capt. Hale and Lieut.. Mccoy. and an
army surgeon came I'm from st. Paul.
They brought some tents, but finding
that Adjt.-Gen. Muhlberg had sent up $50
state tents. the regulars turned in and,
put up fifty OF them for the refugees,
with regular army expedition. The local
physicians were about played out and
there was an abundance OF work for the
army surgeons.
BADE ONE ANOTHER FAREWELL.