The morning call., 1894-09-03
Hundreds of Persons
Perish.
MANY TOWNS BURNED
Fleeing Residents Pursued
to Death.
LITTLE LEFT IN HINCKLEY.
Panic of the Homeless as They
Flee From Flames.
LITTLE LEFT IN HINCKLEY.
CoRNERED EVEN IN THE SWAMP
Stories of Terrible Destruction in
the Great Timber Regions
of the North.

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Sept. 2.-Six towns
wiped out and mere than 500 dead is the
record made by the forest fires in this
State in the past twenty-fOur hours. In
Hinekey, Sandstone, Pokegama, Sand
stone Junction, Skunk Lake and Mission
Greek there are 355 known dead. in addi-
tion several hundred are missing. while
from 100 to 900 were scattered on farms
throughout the district burned over.
The destruction was complete in most
of the towns named, but some of the forest
land escaped. The loss, however, will be
in the millions, and the loss of life will
not be definitely known for several days,
If ever. The relief trains brought supplies
sent out from this city. Minneapolis, Du-
luth and other towns, and the sufferers are
being cared for at Pine City and other
points.
On the train to-day from Hinckley there
were one or two people who came through
The fires and who have graphic stories of
the scene. The train from Duluth reached
a point mile and a half north of Hinck-
ley sometime after midnight and was
forced to return to point Eve miles awav
~ on account of the threatening f1ames
= Half dozen of the passengers, however,
:secuEed a handcar and rode through the
flames to Hinekley, taking the northbound
train this side of there and returning on it
to this city.
During their ride on the handcar they
:: encountered twenty-seven dead along the
line of the railroad. Seventeen were dis
covered at Hinckley during the morning
and twenty-one others had been found up
to l.. o'clack. They say the people of
i'm haKT - sI,o
souses caught FIRE and as the tim ber after
ward burned it is more than probable that
great numbers perished.
Ths whole country around Hinckley
is on IRE and the fullest extent of
the disaster cannot be learned for day
or two. 1t Is feared several other towns
have suffered a like fate. Millica called
for help yesterday afternoon aud the relief
train from st. Cloud was unable to get
beyond Bridgeman. Nothing further has
yet been received from Millica, and how
much may have been the suffering cannot
at this time be known. Brldgeman 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.
The party that came through the fires
around Hlnckley on the handcar suffered
severely from burning. Their injuries,
however, will not prove fatal. They tell
many sad stories Of what they saw. Oae
woman lad evidently tried TO save her
i've children and was overtaken by the
fierce flames and the whole family perished
close TO the railroad track. Another case
was where mother, seeing her house in
flames, ran to save her child. her husband
following her. The walls of the house
caved in before they could get out.
The passenger train from Duluth on
which these men were is in ashes, and the |
rest Of the passengers have taken refuge !
iu marsh near Skunk Lake, where tbey
are surrounded by fire. The engineer was
badly burned by the flames, but stood to
his post and got all OF the passengers ont
of the fire safely. This engineer. James
Root, is one of the best known and the
pluckiest one in the employ Of the St. Paul
and Duluth. lie tried to take his train
through the fires to Hineklev. but when
the cars caught fire from the fying embers
he reversed his engine and backed at full
speed to Skunk Lake. II was 80 dark dur
ing the day yesterday that it was almost
impossible for any one to see 100 feet
away, and during the night the headlight
on the engine was useless. Engineer
Roots injuries are quite serious but IT
is hoped he will recover, although one re-
port gives no hope.
The little town of Mission Greek, some
little distance north of Hinckley, is also
reported in ashes.
e. Special trains were sent out from Du-
luth equipped with medical forces, and all
that is possible will be done.
8. A private dispatch received this evening
from the burned district states positively
that already $50 dead bodies have been re-
covered, SO the estimate made in the fore
going may be considered as decidedly con-
seLVatiye.
The losses in the neighborhood of st.
Cloud which is on the western edge of the
fires, arc estim ated at 100000, and from
that point cas-: and north nearly every
thing is burning. The fires are raging in
Becker and Atkin counties, where many
farmhouses and much grain has been lost
as we'll as timber.