Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-26
HERO ROOTS STORY.


The Engineer Who Raced With the
Forest Fires Describes HIS Experience
ST. Paul Correspondence Chicago Herald
Above and beyond every deed of bravery,
sacrifice anu charity in connection with the
eastern Minnesota holocaust stands the act
OF Engineer James Root, the hero who
drove his train six miles through a secthing
cyclone of flame. plotting 300 passengers to
safety who otherwise would have been
burned to death. No praise is too high for
the man who performed a deed Of such dar-
ing heroism III an hour Of such frightful
peril. The people of St. Paul are already
moving to present a lasting testimonial of
their gratitude to Mr.. Root.
The hero of Hinckley was found at his
pleasant Little home at White Bear recently.
He was still in great pain from his horrible
burns and cuts, one of the latter having al
most severed the jugular vein, but was
much better than yesterday and has a good
chance for recovery. When shown a dis
patch saying that London papers were pay
ing him high compliments for his courage,
tear glstened In his eye for a moment,
and he said: Il merely did my duty" Then
in a voice scarcely more than a whisper he
said: when we left Saturday afternoon the
air was heavy with smoke. At Carleton
the smoke was so thick that II became nec-
essary TO light the headlight, which was
done by the fireman, Jack MCGOWAN.
spoke to Jack about IL and said l guessed
we were going to have rain. We never
thought the fire WAS so near to us. On and
on through the night of smoke the engine
rushed on its way to Hinckley. We were
due there at O'Clock and arrived there
three minutes late. AS i pulled into the
station / saw an excited mob of people who
took my train by storm. That was the first
intimation 1 had that we Were so stricken.
1 could not have started the engine without
running persons dow; on the track i'm front
Of me.
Il received no ORDERS and as my train
was completely filled with passengers who
had boarded 1t while we were standing
there 1 was about to pull the throttle to
cross the lfinckley bridge, when a wall of
flame fully ten feet high burst through the
rolling smoke right in front Of my engine,
cutting off all hope of making the bridge
1 noticed that the wind was from the south
and knew then that the fire must have al
ready crossed the bridge and destroyed il.
SO L reversed the engine and We began to
race with the flames. 1 remembered a
shallow MAI sh known as Skunk lake. about
six miles back and north of Hnckley. and
/ made up my mind to reach the lake. come
what might. There was no other salvation.
The wind Nas blowing TIE fire in the same
direction We Were going and the flames
raced along In the tail grass on both sides
OF us. almost keeping pace with the speed
OF the train. L put on my heavy coat and
pulled IL ove- my head. and Jack MCGOWAN,
my fireman, got back in the manhole of
the tank. He would stand up and throw
water On me as long as he could stand the
heat and then he would retreat to the man.
hole again, and in that way We got 10
Skunk lake, not more than two minutes De-
fore the flames. We piled out Of the cab,
JACK and i, after cutting OFF the air and
kicking the cars down about two car
lengths and made for the lake getting there
just as the fire struck us
1T was awful" Engineer Root continued
after resting moment. land hope l may
never live to go through such an experience
again. The fire swept right over US and We
had to lie fiat in the water for a time At
ter the first sheet of fame passed over fl
was not so bad, but still the heat was ter
ritc. The woods were burning all around
us. and, to add to the horror the train
caught fire and the cars burned fiercely
radiating an awful heat, which affected us
almost as much as the forest fire. We were
so near the track
FOR -four hours we remained in the wa
Yer, and then the ground began to cool suf-
nciently at the edge of the lake so that we
were enabled to stand on the bank by
TO the engine and sank down on the Lot
seat of the cab. the engine having PASSED
through the fiery ordeal almost unscathed.
did not fall asleep. but into a kind of
stupor from which l was not fully aroused
until the rescuing party came for us with
handcars. So far as i know there were
only two lives lost OH our train. They were
couple of Cinnamon who could not be got
on the train. and they were burned 10 death
on the cars. 1t must have been a terrible
experience & those wcg.en and little chill
the lake" vi