The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-09-06

uknIlHB the 1fe Tor nOUfS ana the
women and children were in a panic
stricken condition. Many of them were
Of the more ignorant of the population,
for avery large percentage of the peo
pie who got out on the Great Northern
railroad were of the more intelligent
class. Horses We're harnessed to bug
giles and wagons. Women and children
were hurrieGly loaded up. In some
cases attempts were made to carry
off some household goods, but in most
instances the people had no thought
for aught but their lives.
Probably two hundred of them left
town Oh foot or IN vehicles, plungng
into the woods to the north across the
GrindstCnC river which skirts the town
on the north. They were literally fee
ing before the pursuing dc.1on of the
fire. Over the hill that rises beyond
the Grindstone is swalnp and to this
most of the people with teams headed
but 1t proved no protection. The fire
gave them no opportunity to go fur
| ther. Some abandoned their teams and
ran into the lower portions of the
morass, but the fire sought them out,
| Not one was left TO tell the tale and
| there this morning In a space of lit
tie mere than four or five acres were
CT united over ore hundred and thirty
corpses. There were many families Of
five. six and seven and there they lay
the man gercrally little in advance,
the mother sure unded by her little
ones cut off by the most horrible Of
deaths.
Nearly all the bodies We're nude,
the fire having burned every vestige
of their clothing their blackened and
charred MANY of the corpses beyond
recognition and where Whole families
were wiped out as they We're and some
of the bodies completely incinerated,
Identification is absolutely out of the
| question.
Those who fled to the north on foot
| followed lIle Duluth track, and So
rapid was the progress of the flames
| that many of them were actually
burned as they fed, falling on the
right of way for a distance of three
miles or mere. Nearly thirty bodies
| We're recovered along here Some of
the foremost of the escaping citizens
| met the Duluth train coming in from
| the north. 1t was due Hinckley at
| 400. Engineer Jim Root was at the
tmottle. He stopped the train and
| took on board about one hundred and
tWtr ty-five of The refugees who crowd
cd into the train, completely filling it
Tor 1t had passenger list almost as
large. by this time the woods were
blazing Cn each of the track and as
| Root reversed bis engine and started
back the cars scarched and cracked
Ill the heat. Root ran the train back
ABOUT 'tbre- miles to Skunk Lake and
Tile people escaped from the burning
cars to the water, and no lives were
lost. either of passengers or refugees
The people Who remained in Hinck.
ley, Jared the best of all. The Eastern
| NIL neSOta tracks mark the eastern
tract Of land probably embracing at
least ten acres. 1t was purchased for
2 gravel Pit 10 furnish material for
thu fill which approach the company's
bridge across the Grindstone and at
| other points en- it's line. To the fact
that it had been used for this purpose
almost to its exhaustion, about a hum
dred Hinckleyites owe their lives.
The Whole area indicated had been ex-
L ~ SNIghA@ III td1C TOCutGE IA
thirty or forty feet. There was il
stagnant pool of rainwater in the cen
ter three feet in It's greatest depth.
The pit was vide and deep and to ii
he'd those of the citizens who were
willing to trust to it's friendly depths.
There vle probably hundred of
th<m, and in addition to The human
beings quite O. lumber of domestic
aEint.ls. horses, cows, oxen, pigs
chickens, etc, sought safety here.
1t vas really the safest place about
Hinckley. Three or four hundred
trunks w'>'cl. were rolled only half
way dow the sloping bank, passed
through th" tirc unscathed. The peo-
pie went in here as the eastern train
pulled cut few minutes after o'clock
and here they remained until after
eight, While the smoke and flames
from the burr ing city rolled over their
NEEDS They dashed water over each
ether and covered their heads with
wet cloths t" prevent suffocation One
Gnkr own man succumbed to the smoke
or the terrible strain and fell in the
Water and was drowned. So far nc
EGcWn tonight, tLis was the only
Tragedy OF the gravel pit. Others OF
IT, cltlzens sought refuge in the Grind.
stone river under the abutments of the
Two railroad bridges, and the foot
bridge. The exact number cannot be
known, as they were scattered along
q considerable stretch Of the little
stream. That many escaped and somf
were drowned is well known. Mrs
Martin MattiNScn and her four f1axnn
flreG little babes were taken from
ihe waters edge this morning as pitiful
sight as mans eye ever Witnessed
Ihey We're Dot touched by flame, but
sc1ered the more merciful death by
wtter,
In the nlea1 time Hincldey was burn.
lhg The fl. toes leaped from building
10 huhdlng With almost the rapidity
OF an electric 81 ark Everything was
Under dry. There was not even onc
brick wall to stay for moment tbc
WORK OF destruction, and all went uu
smoke About two hundred and
nI!y dwellings, with all their house.
n ld treasures, twenty stores, and all
their stocks of goods including the i'm.
maIiso ger eral establishment of the
Bfcrnar Lumber company, two hotels
the Central and the Morrison. tho
lallfoad depots and eating houses. the
| lew Di1ck school. the town hall. the
Duluth Tatnl,lhouse, the three BRIDGES
ana at last the plant of the Brennan
''unlDef col ntny, saw mill. plan;no
mill, stables, lumber yard and all
were burned. This institution was
the pride of IIincL1' and the
backbone of its prosperity
1t employed ith,lt three hun1red men
gLo, with iEeir families made, up {
h1ge rtrticu # the i 900 or 1,200 pop
uEltlor claimed for The town. - pay
roll was enormous and without il
Hinckley could not survive. Indeed
If it Is Iot rebuilt it is hard to see
what reason there should be for re