The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-09-11
THE GREAT FOREST FIRES.
IN THE TRACK OF DEsonaTIoN.

There are Miles Of Country without
Human Habitation-Thc CycIoni
Progress ofthc Flames.
The details OF the great forest fire
In Wisconsin and Minnesota are sick
ening and fearful in the extreme. From
the dispatches sent from day to day
in which the particulars are given a
the dreadful tales are unfolded by the
survivors, we Gull thc following sum
mary:
In stretch of territory twenty-si3
miles long. and from one to fifteei
miles wide, not u single human habita
tion has been left standing and il
every part of the track of the flames
bodies OF men, women, children, horses
and cattle were found. The position
of every bodv9found outside OF Hinck
ley show aat shelter OF some kline
was sought by the agonized sufferers
and the dead are found in holes, behind
stumps, trees, marsh dcprcssions and
in every water course.
The general shape of the iire-swept
district is like u huge cigar with q
southwestern end about Mission Creek
east of Finlayson or Itutledgc. From
this number of branches extend
northward to beyond the tracks of the
eastern Minnesota Railway. The work
of the flames has been complete and
cyclonic in character. Where the fire
held sway not Il single tree is standing
except as II blackoned stump. Thous-
ands of overturned trees are lying pros
trate, and the roots were burning
tiercely when tho welcome rain began
to fall.
A careful canvass reveals the fact
that seventy-two settlers homes, out
side of towns, fell AS near as can be
learned, there were 500 people in these
homes. At Brookdalc, a littlo town,
ON the Eastern Minnesota Railroad
south of Hinckloy, about ninety per-
sons took refuge in the water Of II small
creek. Out Of this place siXty-seven
dead bodies were taken and buried,
and some thirty living persons were
rescued, few badly burned. James
Sargent, of the ST. Paul and Duluth
road with an improviscd train, consist
ing Of three hand cars spliccd together
with planks, picking up all and idcnti-
flying the bodies of the dead. All the
bodies were carefully examined and in
many cases were fully identified and in
every case a complete record was made
of everything that could possibly lead
to identification.
BY the Duluth relief committees,
most remarkable work has been done,
without regard to age, scX or social
standing. Hundreds of people includ-
ing those of the worry highest social
standing in the city have been work
ing day and night since Saturday night.
They have organized thoroughly into
all needed subcommittee and have in
a systematic way taken caro- of men
and women, children and babies. Over
$4,000 in cash has boon given for tom
porary relief and goods and clothing
valued at as much more have been given
Nearly all those who survived the
terrible forest fires in Northern Min
nosota have now been removed to
places of safety in Superior and Du-
the flames there will be no further cas-
ualtics. The work Of searching for the
dead is progressing in earnest. Fifty
four bodies were buried ut Sandstone,
most of them charred beyond rccogni-
tion, and they were buried wherever
found. When the relief train reached
Sandstone not II sign of IL building was
left in the town. Around on in the
ruins Of each house were found several
human bodies. The living inhabitants
of the town were brought into Supcr-
bodies were lying in the streets. They
are being buried as rapidly as possible
by q committee from Pine City.
At PoRcgama on the Great Northern
there are twcnty-eight corpses. They
are still )ying unburicd, the rest of the
people having left the place. At Par
fridge only two are dead, though not a
building is standing. 1t is impossible
to tell whore Partridge was, as the
whole surrounding country is in ashes.
The special train sent out by citi-
zens of Minnear2lis bearing supplies
and medical rcIcf to the suffering pco-
pie OF Hinckley and vicinity had on
board eleven persons and surgeons with
q full supply OF drugs and instruments
and fifty canvas cots. Pine City was
the main objective point for it was
here that the relief supplies were to
be distributed and the temporary hos
pitfalls had been opened. The medical
committee were met at the depot by
the heroic little wife OF DR.. Barnum,
the local physician, who with her hus-
band had been working day and night
from the time the first victims were
brought in, until both were almost com
pletcly worn out. "Oh, we're so glad
you've come" almost sobbcd the little
woman to DR.. Mcdonald, as he stepped
from the train. Tho platform was
crowded with linguistic but glad-lOok-
ing people with blackcned and SCARED
faces and bandagcd hands and arms,
bearing pathetic witness of the terrible
experience. Near the edge of the plat
form rested Il coffin box in which were
the remains of what was once the gen
eral passenger agent of the Winnipeg
and Duluth Road. The poor fellow
was one Of the passengers on Engineer
jim Roots ill-fated train and the body
was found yesterday morning, short
distance from the burned train, but sc
charrcd and disngurcd that its identity
was only established by the name
printed on the inside of n burned frag
mcnt of q linen collar He had beer
in the habit of coming down from Dn
luth every Saturday to spend Sunday
with his family and was on his way
homo when he met his death.
Tho correspondent found that not
wthstanding the reports received
matters relating to the number ant
condition of the wounded and the ne
COSTLY for supplies had been greatly
exaggerated so far as Pine City wa
concerned. Instead Of 200 wounded t.
be cared for, there were bare twent,
and many Of these had not been ser
iously hurt. All the injured have beer
brought in too, ana it was learned tina
eypn those at Duluth scarcely Outnum