The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-09-06
PRINCETON
sSHROUDED in GLOOM.

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Towns Of Hinckley, Pokegama,
Sandstone, Mission Creek
and Others Gone.
Great Loss of Life Terrific For
est Fires Spread Death and
Destruction Far and Wide.
"a Never in the history of Minnesota
nor, we may well say, in the history Of
the whole country, has there been such
an appalling calamity, such dreadful
catastrophe as the frightful fire fend'
visitation of Saturday and Sunday.
For miles it rolled in a seething tide of
fame high as the very tree tops
through the counties of Mile Lacs,.
Kanabec and Pine, reaching its most
heart rending and awful elimination
OF death and terror in sweeping Hinck-z
ley and several smaller places with
many of the inhabitants into a fiery
furnace of destruction. The terrible
holocaust at Hinckley with its most
heartrending details is already before
thu. civilized world, through the col
umns of the daily papers. No pen can
give an adequate idea of the terrible
and intense misery and woe that, almost
without warning, fell upon the UNI
fortunate people in the fated village of
Hinckley. The fire department had
battled with the flames in the woods
near the town, not being particularly
alarmed about the safety of the village.
A fearful wind, almost in an instant,
with the power of a cyclone caught the
roaring flames and carried them into
the very heart of the village Houses
were wrapped in the tapping flames, in
many instances, before the inmates
could escape, others fleeing for their
| lives were suffocated by the smoke or
were overcome by the blistering heat
and fell to die in the streets. It was
but a short time and the fierce con-
hagration had passed on, but it's dis
tressing effects remained as an awful
memorial of the saddest casualty that
ever threw the shades of death on a
l,strioken people. The loss Of Il Life
though not fully known, reaches up
into the hundreds. Re
ports Tuesday and Wednes-
day, place the death loss at 1854, with
about 200 at Hinckley and the others
at Sandstone, Pokegama, Mission
Creek, Skunk Lake and Miller.
In Mile Laos county the fire, during
Saturday and Sunday, swept over a
scope of country fully ten miles wide
and twenty miles long, reaching Milaca
/ Saturday, and but for heroic measures
on the part of the citizens, would have
swept the pretty village from. the face
of the earth Crossing the railroad it
swept on with the speed of the wind
| jumping the main river and completely
| devastating the country in the vicinity
of O'Neal. Brook. A colony of Scandi-
navian people, twenty-five families,
were rendered homeless, losing all OF
their houses, barns and live stock.
They with difficulty saved their own
lives, but are entirely destitute. Five
hundred dollars was appropriated by
the county and private donations were
sent to feed and clothe them. Several
of the families found their way tc
Milaca where they are being cared for.
The others are stopping with two or
three of the settlers who were not
] burned out. Sunday the fire swooped
down on Foreston almost encircling the
! little village. Men fought with the
! WV SJ VI uOoPCuAAs e6Au DOfOL Ol Ull1OL
were on the point Of giving up an6
yielding to the flames. Others would
come to aid them, and thus they kept
battling on until Sunday evening. The
wind lulled and gave the tired citizens
a respite. By digging trench and
otherwise barricading, on Monday they
felt safe if the wind did not freshen vi
again. Fortunately It was a quiet day
and things looked more favorable.
South of Foreston and Milaca in the
woods where the fire swept through
] hardly a vestige remains except q few
4 of the largest trees which are nov
8 dead. Patches of ground five and tel
acres in extent have not a stick of an,
kind remaining. The road from Fores
tor to Milaca has burned out in a dozel
places SO that team must drive to on
1 side to get along. South of Forester