Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-09-03

and unSaVOTy Smell WoIo HuuS iuVo eAo
meeting. Nobody was seriously injured
and no arrests have been made.
Forest Fires.
Forest fires are making terrible re-
cords in the West just now. In Mime
sofa, Wisconsin and Michigan they
have destroyed hundreds of lives and
millions worth of property.
The towns of Hinckley, Pokegama
and Mission Creek, MIMI, on the St.
Paul and Duluth road, about seventy.
FIVE miles north of st. Paul, were wiped
out of existence last night by raging
forest fire, which swept down upon the
doomed villages almost without warn
ing. Conservative reports last night
placed the total number ofkilled in the
fires at 300 at least, with the number of
wounded at as many more, a number
of whom will die. The death list in
creases every hour, and all is excite
ment among the survivors. Parents
are searching for their children and
children for their parents. 1t will be
several days before the full extent OF
the disaster vii be known.
The walls of the railroad roundhouse
and of the schoolhonse are the only
parts of buildings in Hinckley, a town
of l 900 inhabitants, which remain.
Other towns which fell prey to the
devouring flames were Cromwell, Shell
Lake, Miller, and Baronette. The
worst is embraced in the Minnesota
counties of Pine and Kennebec, and
Burnett county, Wisconsin.
The valley between the Kettle river
and Cross lake is laid waste, including
several villages and settlements. Be-
sides the towns that were reduced to
ashes, farms were swept clean by the
| flames. The forests are still burning
tiercely and rain is required to drown
the fires that are sweeping over that
vast region. Whole families have been
cremated. In some instances only one
or two men escaped from neighbor-
hood to tell of the destruction. They
saved their lives by running to small
lakes or hiding in potato fields and
reached Pine City more dead than
alive.
The dead are being picked up by the
score. Searching parties are penetrat
ing the burned district, but find none
but the charred remains of the inhabl-
tants.
On the train yesterday from the town
of Hinckley were one or two persons,
who came through the fires and have
graphic stories Of the scene. The train
from Duluth reached point mile and
a half north of Hinckley sometime al
ter midnight, and was forced to return
to point five miles away on account Of
the threatening flames. Half dozen
of the passengers rode through the
flames to Hinckley on handcar, tax
ing the north bound train this side OF
there and returning on it to Duluth.
Thew encountered twenty-seven dead
bodies along the line of the railway.
Seventeen were discovered at Hlnckley
in the morning and twelve others had
been found up to o'clock. They say
that the people of Hinckley ran to the
woods when their houses caught fire,
and as the timber afterwards burned, it
is more than probable that great num-
beers persisted. The whole country
around Hinckley is on fire.
The party that came through the fires
around Hinckley in the handcar suffer,
ed from burns. They tell many sad
stories of what they saw. One woman
had evidently tried to save her five
children and was overtaken by the
flames and the whole family persisted
close to the railroad track. In another
case, q mother seeing her house burn
ing ran in to save her child. Her hus-
band followed her, and the walls of the
house fell upon the family before they
could get out. The people from Hinck-
lev and Mission Creek, who escaped
with their lives, are destitute, having
neither homes nor food.
The passengertrain from Duluth on
which these travellers were is in ashes
and the rest of the passengers have
taken refuge in marsh near Skunk
lake, where they are surrounded by fire.
The engineer was badly burned by the
flames, but stuck to his post and got all
the passengers out of the fire safely.
A dispatch from Cadott, Wis, dated
last night, says: This city is surround
ed by forest fires with prospect that
it will be destroyed before morning.
The entire population has been fight
ing fire all day, and many are giving
up in despair and fleeing for their
lives. A fire engine has reached here
from Chippewa and is doing good work,
and with its help portion OF the town
may be saved.
A dispatch from Chippewa Falls,
Wis, Gays: Forest fires have complete
ly devastated the country between this
city and Superior, distance l4o miles.
From what meager reports that have
been received, however, it is believed
that the loss of life in this district can
not be less than 100.
Henry Loesch brewer Of st. Louis, fired
three shots at his wife yesterday. All took
effect and the woman is in precarious con-
dition. Loesch then fired bullet into his
own breast and cut his left wrist and throat
1 IN -.-.--:xb fatal affaof