The herald., 1894-09-04
THE RUIN AT HINCKLEY.
A scono OF Dssoiation and Death After
tho Fire.

A scene of Dssoiatton and Death After
tho Fire.
HINcKLEY, Mimi, Sept. 3.-The busi-
est point at Hinckley was the Associated
Press telegraph Office. 1t wac not much
Of an Office, but it suficsd to serve the
public with the only press reports sent
out of Hinckley today. The wires were
brought down to burned stump OF a
pole. A dry goods box furnished the
operator with a desk, cracker box
making him comfortable seat. A
burned railroad spike held down the
copy from the brisk breeze. an ironing
board, one end resting on the OPERATORS
table. and the other on milk can, fur
nishing the Associated Prsas CORE.
spondent his desk, and his seat was
beer keg. Here, under these circum.
stances, was prepared and sent the story
OF the day in this stricken town. An
occasional shower blurred the copy, but
it was rapidly fed to the eager wire, deg
pite the diecomicrts OF the occasion.
The Associated Prose- correspondent
took q five-mile tramp through the
woods to the north OF town this morn
ing through scene Of desolntion which
rarely falls before the eye OF man. The
country is absolutely swept clean. There
is but ons Hettler'e house standing with
in an unknown radius of miles. It 10
that of Miller Bean, on the edge of the
river, three miles eaat of town. Ii was
a new house, and very substantial
Bean and other neighbors fought the
FIRE until they had to abandon il. They
put the women and children into the
water. covered their heads with cloths,
kept wet by darhing water over them,
and when the FIRE had passed they came
out unhurt and were much surprised to
find the building standing. This morn
ing when an Associated Press cores
pondent catered the clearing house
dog barked savagely and the roosters
crowed as loudly as if they had not come
within an ace of death.
The handcar party which went north
this morning has just returned. 1t met
the Duluth construction train eight
miles up the track. with word that the
city OF Duluth had furnished the neces.
sary relief at Sandstone and Miller,
They accordingly turned back, and on
the way in. located IL bodice, swelling
the total of those found along the Du-.
luth tracks between Hiackley and
Skunk Lake to about 80. One OF
them was recognized az Otto
Rowley. of Duluth, freight
agent Of the Duluth and
Winnipeg. He was passenger on the
limited south on Saturday, and had left
the main body Of refugees a-d psssen-
gers, running backward to the lake. His
body was identified by his name on the
collar. On another body, evidently that
of another passenger. was found letter
addressed to Israel Schrulstsin, Chicago,
and oharred business card bearing the
same name.
Three of the other bodies were proba.
bly, those of passengers on the ill-iated
train. Another was young man, q
splendid specimen of physical manhood.
and from his clothing and high-laced
boots apparently a prospector. The
other five were the family of q settler
named John Robinson. Above Skunk
lake the work train reported IL bodies
on the right Of way, presumably settlers.
In rstrospection. the most sorrowiul
eature OF the terrible fatality at Hinc K
ey ia the thought that had the situation
been realized in time not a single life
among the residents of the town need
have been lost. The Great Northern
gravel pit where only q hundred sought
eafety is about 10 scres in extent, broad
enough and long enough and deep
enough 20 have sheltered every soul in
Hlncklsy with their domestic animals.
There ic pool Of water OF considerable
depth. The banks are bare of grass or
shrubbsry. and there was no oinfiammable
material on the side from which the fire
came. Those who took refuge there
passed the hours of their enforced i'm.
prisonment in comparative comfort.
This morning a detail of 20 regulars
from Fort Smelling, under command of
Captain Hall and Lieutenant Mccoy
and an army surgeon, came in from st.
Paul. They brought some tents. but
finding that AdjCtant-General Mahl-
burg bad cent up 180 state tents, the
regulars turned in and put up 80 OF
them for the refugees. The local physi.
clan was played out and there was an
abundance OF work for the army surgeon.
A portion OF the tents will be put up at
Hlnckley.