The Portland daily press., 1894-09-07

when the excitement was at it's height,
some OF the women recovered their pres
ence of mind and cared for land sssoothed
the little children with coDsiderab BILE sue
cess. The frightful
DEATH OF TEN OR A DOZENssMEN
who lad leaped from Ethe windows had
unnerved the majority, and more would
nave followed had they not been pre-
vented by memb ers of the train crew.
The train by this time had reached
Skunk lake, and the order was hastily
passed through the coaches to abandon
the train and fly to the swamp close by.
the last coach. The engine was I'M
coupled hastily, while the passengers
rushed for the swamp. They had been
told where it lay, and it was well, for
Ghe darkness was SO intense that they
were obliged to grope and feel their way.
They fell half fainting into the muddy
water and lay there with their faces
close to the ground, for the smoke hung
low, and there was danger of suffocatlon.
Lying thus they could hear an occas-
lonal shrek of agony, and knew then
that another human being had gone to
his death. Some of those in the swamp
breathed their last through fright, and
one or two were SO weak that they were
drowned in the waters of the swamp,
low as the waters were. When the fire
had passed, the relief committees which
came from Pine City and Duluth found
the passengers in the swamp and led
them out, for the eyes of the passengers
were SO blinded by the smoke that they
were una BILE to see. The supply trains
brought physicians and supplies, and
everything the railroad authorities
could think of and do was done. The
wounded and burned people were cared
for tenderly and established in hastily
improvised shelters. The scenes around
these temporary hospitals beggared de-
scriptiOn.
1t took
STRONG MEN WITH STOUT HEARTS
to Withstand the series of awful sights.
Dead and dying were lying around the
ground on all sides, and it was estimat-
ed that fully 200 people had persisted
within a radius of half mile. The fire
came SO fast that there was no escaping
it. People fed on horses and were
overtaken and burned to death. No
matter where they went they were
caught ana destroyed, and save for the
swamp and lakes in the vicinity of
Hlnckley the list of dead would have
been frightfully long.
AT one time the limited train, while
backing up towards Skunk lake. nearly
became stalled. The heat in the cab of
the locomotive was SO intense that En-
gineer Roots hands were blistered by
taking hold of the throttle. His clothes
took fire and SO did the clothes of his
fireman. With rare presence of mind
the fireman extinguished the fire in his
own clothes with water from the tender
tank; then, with bucket, threw water
on Engineer Root, putting out the
flames in his clothes and enabling him
TO hang on until Skunk lake was
reached. Such deeds of heroism are read
of, but seldom happen SO near home.
Root was seen to be breathing hard, fol
there was little air in the cab, and when
the swamp was reached he sank down in
the rear. If he lives to tell the story Of
his sufferings he will have thrilling
tale to relate and there is not person
today who does not fervently hope that
the brave engineer and all of the heroic
crew will recover"