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


the whole family persisted close to the rail-
road track. Another case was where a
mother, seeing her house in flames ran in
to save her child Her husband also fol-
lowed her and the walls of the house caved
in before they could get out.
Special trains were sent out both from
Duluth and st. Paul yesterday, with full
medicine stock and staff of physicians
Range of the Flames.
The losses in the neighborhood of st.
Cloud, which Is on the western edge of the
fires, are estimated at 100000, and from
that point east and north nearly everything
Is burned. The fires are raging in Becker
and Aitken countless where many farm
houses and grain have been lost as we'll as
the timber
The rires are widespread and the smoke Is
very dense. At Duluth and West Superior
the smoke Is SO dense that people find work
difhcult while the heat Is scarcely endur-
able. Railroad men report inability to see
as far as hundred feet and business is at
a standstill.
creek. a short distance this side of Duluth
A dispatch from South Range, Wis. asking
for help OF West Superior. stated that the
town was threatened and like report
comes from Wrenshall. MINI.
Along the Great Northern the damage Is
enormous. special train carrying fire
nghters was sent out Of St. Cloud yesterday
In response to a call for help from Milaca.
y,
miles from st. Cloud. the fires were met,
the timber in that vicinity burning furious
ly. All the country to the south and east
OF Bridgeman station was on fire and a
high wind swept the fire before it, tall
pines crashing down In the burning under
brush as the flames ate into them. The
people are panfc-stricken and fear destruc-
ton. The deaf and dumb child of Mr. Eli
son. Of Brfdgeman. was burned to death by
wandering into the fire. August Jackson
was surrounded by fires on the Bloomburg
farm and almost burned to death. Kenneth
McLain. a farmer near Bridgeman. lost all
his possessions.
North of Pine City the fires are sweeping
everything before them. Settlers have taken
refuge In the marshes and the heat and
smoke Is suffocating. The st. Paul & Du-
luth north-bound limited Is laid up there
waiting to get through to Duluth. Several
crews are at work repairing burnt culverts
to get trains through. There is no danger
In Pine City at present, and relief crews
have been sent cut from there to aid dis
tressed set tiers.
st. Paul Responds to Appeals.
st. Paul was quick to respond to the needs
of the stricken people. In an Incredible
short space of time 1900 worth of provis-
ions and supplies were raised. Beginning at
noon. one bakery firm alone turned out
2,3O7 loaves. The supplies were speedily
hauled to the depot to be carried out in
special trains to stricken people.
Gen. Wesley Merritt, in command Of the
department of Dakota, u. s. A. issued or
ders for hospital supplies. tents etc. for
the use Of the survivors. The special relief
train left St. Paul at 30 in charge of d.
r. Moon and julie FL. Perwell. prominent
merchants
The roads leading through the burned dis
trict-the st. Paul & Duluth. the Omaha
and the Eastern Railway Of Minnesota-did
not attempt to send out their regular trains
last night. One Omaha conductor stated
near Barnottee he saw twenty-five huma n
bodies. victims Of the fire. 1t was also re-
ported at Omaha headquarters that seventy
houses at Shell Lake. Wis, had been swept
away by the flames.
The people Of Rush City and Pine City
have also responded nobly to the call for
relief. The citizens OF the latter place have
utilized the school house. court house,
churches and private residences for the pur-
pose of giving food and shelter. The relief
that Is needed Is clothing and food. also
money to rebuild. as the people have abso-
lutely nothing left.
Drummer's Story.
o. H. Ginger of Des Moines, a travelling
nan of Hartford. Conn, was a passenger
on the burned train. when the train was
about a mile from Hinckley coming to-
ward st. Paul." he said. 1T was stopped
by about 80 people from Hinckley. who
had congregated on the track and warned
the trainmen Of the fire.
I'VE had known that there was fire some
where around. because about O'Clock 1t
became so dark that the lamps in the car
had to be lighted. But this was the first
we knew that we were heading right into
II. The people were taken ON board and
the train was starting back as fast as the
engine could drive 1t; but 1t was not five
minutes before a gust of hot air struck the
train and shattered every window in 1t.
The cars were soon en- fire. and every
one on board resigned himself to his fate
We used what water was in the tanks, and
Just as we we're nearly all overcome the
train stopped at a swamp. about six miles
from Hinckley. We rushed into the filthy
water The men pulled their coats over
their heads. and the women and children
covered their heads with wearing apparel
and took positions in front of the men. who
Kept pouring water over them constantly
with their hats.
I'm this way we had to lie in that filthy
water. everybody buried In the mud. and
our heads just above the surface from Ais
until about IL O'Clock. But we were thank
full for even that All around us in the
woods We could hear the cries and groans
OF the poor unfortunateS who had no pos
Side means OF escape. After 1t became cool
enough We got out and huddled together,
keep warm, until a rescuing party arrived
with hand cars about 4 o'clock Sunday
morning. Two parties came to our assist
ance. one from this direction and the other
from the direction Of Duluth No less than
twenty eight dead bodies were picked nm
right along the track between where we
were and the Hinckley bridge. The Lord
only knows how many more persisted in the
woods.
Il imagine that not less than 500 persons
must have lost their lives When we took
on board the people who had stopped the
train near Hinckley we heard a lot more
out In the woods. but could not wait for
them. Two Chinese, who got under the
seats on one of the cars were burned TO
death. Great credit is also due to Engineer
root Tor the manner In which he stuck to
ms engine after the fire struck the train
Three times he was overcome by the heat
and dropped off his seat, but he scrambled
TO his post and stuck to it until he reached
the swamp. As he rolled out of the cab
he tainted and had to be carried into the
water by the passengers whose lives he
had saved"
Fires In Michigan.
forest fires ere raging throughout Tus-
culuca county, Michigan. At Guagetown
people have ploughed around buildings to
keep them from burning. Unless rain is
sent soon nothing but a miracle can save
the town.
Michigan Central engineers who have
been running on the Mackinaw division of
the road for years say that the present
forest fires are the worst the people of that
part OF the state have ever SEEN Miles of
swamp in tho vicinity Of Pinconning have
been on fire for days, and the marsh has
been burned deep down.
At GJadwyn crew Is kept busy fighting
to he