The herald., 1894-09-03

OF them. The car caught fire and the
passengers rushed headlong into the
forward cars. The ahrieks Of the women
and children, as well as the terrified
shouts OF the men, increased the terrible
feelings aroused BY the uProar of the
flames on every hand. Several OF the
male passengers, too terrified for further
self control. leaped haadlong through
broken Windows and were swal-
lowed up in the flames outside. Others,
seeing this act quickly followed. and
altogether in the next ten minutes a
dozen men leaped to death in the flames
in like manner. The women, whose
terror had been pitiful few minutes
before, now came heroica.ly to the help
OF the trainmsn in eadeavoring to soothe
the frightened children.
Engineer Root saw there was no out
let, apparently, for his train ahead, and
concluded to turn back through the dis
lance already burned ovsr, rather than
encounter possibly greater perils before
them. He backed at fast speed to
Skunk lake, five miles from Hincklsy.
The passengers deserted the train there
and took refuge in O swamp, whore they
spent the night.
A RELIEF TRAIN.
This morning q relief train from the
north brought them to this city. The
relief train carried supply OF hand cars
which were used in picking up the
bodies OF the dead along tho track.
Engineer Root was at his home, too
badly injured to be interviewed. He
was badly cut by the broken glass, but
his worst injuries were from inhaling
the hot air and smoke.
AFTER THE FIRE.
AS night closed in the people began to
come out from their hiding places and
made their way over the hot embers of
their burned city. They were absolute
ly dazed by the catastrophe, and the
night was spent in an endeavor the find
relatives. The fire had spent itself and
the air was filed with smoke. Two
huge heaps of coal. which marked the
location OF the Duluth coal sheds, were
blazing, and by the fitiul light people
wandered about picking out the places
where but six hours before their happy
homes had stood. The fact that SO
many had escaped by train added to the
anxiety of theae whose friends and rel
ativss were not to be found, while it
furnished at the same time basis for
hope that they were in safety.
COLLECTING THE CoRPsEs.
When the morning broke few ener-
getic spirits began to orgsnizs the work
OF the recovery of the bodies. j. w.
Sargent, passenger conductor on the
Duluth road, organized 8 volunteer
crew, who manned two hsnocars, whose
capacity WAS increased by the use OF
plank. They went up the Duluth track
to the north and picked up 81 bodies be-
tween the river and Skunk lake. The
bodies were wrapped up in blankets and
such cloth as could DO obtained, aud
laid out by the side OF the track where
the depot had stood. Citizens vOlun-
teered and hsrnessed up the available
vehicles, saved in the gravel pit, and
went out to the swamp ecroas the
Grindstone. They brought in 96 bodies.
which were carried out to the burying
ground, mile eaat of town.
BURIAL SERVICES OMITTED.
There was neither time nor oppor-
tunity to observe the sacred iormslities
usually surrounding death. The excite.
ment of the occasion, the horrible ex-
perience through which the living had
passed ,ana,the more horrible form in
which death had come to the Lost, had
temporarily blunted the finer sepsibili-
ties, and the dead were heaped high en-
the wagons and laid in piles ct the ceme-
terry among the smoking embers and
stumps that surrounded Gods acre.
Coroner Gewan directed the digging OF
twolhuge pits, "a by II feet, in which
the interment will be inside tomorrow.
SAD FEATURES OF THE CALAMITY.
One of the saddest features OF the cal
amity is the impossibility of identifying
the remains in such large proportion
of cases. The SO bodies brought into
this point were examined by many of
the surviving residents of Hinckley, and
but four could be iientitisd-Chnrle
Anderson, Alexander Hanson, Dennis
Riley and Mra. William Ginder. The
remainder will have to be buried togeth-
er. In Che indefiniteness OF the arrange
ments, and 1t seemed impossible to do
otherwise under the circumstances, due
regard was not paid 10 proper separate
preservation of articles found on the
bodies, and the last chance OF identified
ton was lost. Those who brought in the
bodies from the swamp reported there
were at least So other bodies cut there
which cannot be brought in until morn
ing.
WHOLE FAMILIES CREMATED.
On the government road to the east
was found the Best family of six persons,
father, mother, and four children.
Best was prosperous farmer living just
out of town. Here also were recovered
the bodies of the three unfortunate crea-
lures who lived at the stockade. Near
Skunk lake were found the bsdies of q
family consisting of father, mother and
seven children. OF another family in
which there were five children, only
the father escaped. There was settle
ment OF about 800 people near this lake
and but two are known to be alive.
MARVELLOUS ESCAPES.
Marvellous escapes are numerous.
Twelve-ys ar-old Charles Anderson, after
his father, mother and sister had been
suffocated in swamp. himself fell in
ditch aad was too gexhausted to rise.
Helay there until this morning, whom
he was able to make his way to town.
Many such remarkable escapes are re-
corded.
This afternoon the work train from
st. Paul reached Hinokley with an un-
dertsksr and So caskets. By evening
the 81 corpses that lay beside the track
had been wrapped up, laid away in the