Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-03

most horrible of deaths. Nearly all bodies
were nude. the fire having burned every
vestige Of their clothing and blackened
ana charred many of the corpses beyond
recognition, and where whole families were
wiped out they were and some of the
bodies completely Moderated Identification
Is absolutely out of the question.
Those who fled to the north on foot fol-
lowed the Duluth track and so rapid was
the progress of the flames that many Of
them were actually burned as they fled.
FALLING On the right of way for a distance
OF three miles or more. Nearly thirty bod
les were recovered along here.
Some OF the foremost escaping citizens
met the Duluth train coming in from the
north. 1t was due at Hinckley at 40. En-
sineer Jim Root was at the throttle He
stopped the train and took on board about
l25 refugees, who crowded into the train,
completely filling 1t.
By this time the woods were blazing on
each side of the track and Root reversed
bis throttle and started back the cars
screeched and cracked In the heat. Boot
ran the train back about three miles to
Skunk Lake and the people escaped from
the burning cars to the water and no lives
were lost, either Of passengers or refugees.
the people who remained in Hinckley
Jared the best of all. The Eastern Min
nesota tracks marked the eastern edge of
the ctty proper. Just beyond the road laid
tract Of land. probably embracing at least
ten acres. 1t was purchased for a gravel
pit TO furnish material for the fill-up ap-
proach to the company's bridge across the
Grindstone and at other points on Its line.
To the fact that it has been used for this
purpose, almost to Its exhaustion. about
100 Hinckleyites owe their lives. The whole
area indicated has been excavated to a
depth in the center OF thirty or forty feet.
There was stagnant pool of rainwater
In the center. three feet In its greatest
depth. The pit was wide and deep and to
II fled those citizens who were willing to
trust to its friendly depths. There were
possibly hundred of them and In addition
human a n an0ff n
animals.
Refuge In the Pit.
1t was really the safest place about.
Three or four hundred trunks were rolled
down the slipping bank. passing the fire
unscathed. The people went In there as the
eastern train pulled out few minutes at
ter O'Clock and there they remained until
after 8. while the smoke and flames from
the burning city rolled over their heads.
They dashed water over each other and
covered their heads with wet cloths to pre-
vent sunocation. One unknown man sue
cumed to the smoke or to the terrible strain
and fell into the water and was drowned.
so fsr as known this was the only tragedy
near the pit Other citizens sought refuge
IN Grindstone river under the abutments
OF the two railroad bridges and the foot
bridge. The exact number cannot be known.
as they were scattered along a considerable
distance. That many escaped and some
were drowned Is well known. Mrs Mar
TIN Martinson and her four little children
were taken drowned from the water this
morning.
In the meantime Hinckley was burning
with frightful rapidity. and within a few
hours nothing was left but blackened ruins.
The loss will certainly exceed a million
dollars. with little insurance
Fifty Dead mt Sandstone.
The situation at Sandstone is even more
appalling than that at Hinckley, except in
point of numbers OF the 200 people in the
town one-fourth are dead
Otto Stafferfeldt reached Pine Ridge from
that place last night. He says the people
were Just preparing to leave, when the fire
closed in on three sides. and not single
person saved a thing except his clothes
About 100 went to the river. and fifty or
sixty were burned to death. At o'clock
yesterday morning he saw over forty bodies.
charred and burned, lying on the ground
Mr.. Gilroy, conductor of the Eastern Mime
sofa road. says all bridges have been burn
ed Ore gentleman found forty-seven bodies
at Sandstone. lying uncovered in the sun.
The people are destitute Of everything. In
addition to forty-seven bodies at Sandstone
there wers twenty at Kettle River junction.
Frrm the stories of passengers on the
limited train which burned near Hinckley
the entire train crew deserve to be placed
on the roll Of honor for personal heroism.
Engineer James Root of White Boar heads
tell IL he RECEIVERS from his injuries. He
was badly burned and almost blinded. and
fell from his seat unconscious Immediately
on getting through the fires.
Fireman John MCGOWAN was a good COM
panion for him In the cab. and the other
members of the crew-Conductor Jerry Sui
livan, Brakeman Monahan. Baggageman
Geo. Morris and Porter Balir-were fit as
sociates for the hero. who led them into
what was literally fiery furnace
A Race for Their Lives.
When about two miles north of Hinckley
Engineer Root first discovered that the
fires. which had been raging on both sides
Of the track, were racing him for his life
and the lives of his passengers. Cinders
were flying in every direction. and the
smoke was so dense Ii was well-nigh i'm
possible to see beyond the cab window, even
with the aid of the pow erful headlight
At first he thought to outrun the flames,
which were coming after and bearing down
upon him at sixty-mile gait. When about
a mile and a half from Hinckley he dis
covered that the fire was too fast for him,
having overtaken the train and overleapt
1t. so that the train was literally surround
ed with flames. The air was sitting, and
the clothes Of both engineer and fireman
caught fire. MCGOWAN leaped into the
water tank, extinguished the fire in his
own clothes, and then, seizing a bucket,
dashed the water several times over the
burning engineer.
Root steadily kept at his post, although
scarcely able to sit upright. In the mean
time. the passengers knew nothing, but
heard the roaring of the oncoming tornado
of fire. and soon the glare outside was too
much for the reason of a number of them.
The rear car caught fire, and as the flames
overlook 1t and the passengers rushed head
long into the forward car Conductor Sui
Ivan. with his plucky associates. walked
up and down the aisle. doing their best to
soothe the frightened passengers
Leapcd Into the Flames.
The shrieks of the women and children, as
well as the terrified shouts of the men, IN
creased the terrible feelings aroused by the
uproar of the flames on every hand The
windows broke from the heat, and several
of the men passengers, too terrified for fur
Their self-control, with a terrible cry leap
ed headlong through one of the open win
dows and were swallowed up in the flames
outside
Others seeing this action quickly followed,
and altogether in the next ten minutes a
dozen en- leaped to death in the flames in
a like manner. The women, whose terror
had been pitiful few minutes before, now
came heroically to the help of the trainmen
in endeavoring to soothe the frightened
children, number of whom We're the
train.
Backed Through the Flames.
Engineer ROOT saw that there was no out
let apparently for his train ahead and con-
cluded to turn back through the district al
ready burned over. father than encounter
possibly greater perils before them. He
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