Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-09-07
Nearly Thousand Persons Per-
ish in the Forests Of Min
nesOta.
Town OF ,IIlnckley Destroyed and Two
Hundred of Its Citizens Are
Burned to Death.
Highways, Fields and Forests Strewed
with the Bodies of the
Dead.

Six towns wiped out and more than
So dead j. the record made by the forest
fires in Minnesota Saturday and Sun
day.
In IIinckley, Sandstone. Pokegama,
Sandstone Junction, Skunk Lake and
Mission Creek there are 35j known dead.
In addition. several hundred are missing,
while from 151 20 POO people are scattered
on farms throughout the district burned
over
The destruction was complete in most
OF the towns named. but some OF the for
est land escaped. The loss. however,
will be in the millions and the loss of life
will not be definitely known for several
days. If ever.
The relief trains carried supplies sent
out from ~. Paul, Minneapolis. Duluth,
and other Minnesota towns and the suf-
fererS are being handsomely cared for al
Pine City and other points.
The loss Of property. at a low esti-
mate, has already reached 81. 100000. not
including the standing timber that has
been destroyed.
But two buildings are standing in
Hinckley, a water-tank and round
house, and into the latter were crowded
so persons, all that were then known 10
be alive Of the 500 who have made this
place their home.
The dead are lying in field and forest
Tor miles north and south Of Hinckley,
and there are so few left 10 tell the tale
that ii is almost impossible to secure
names OF the dead. Dozens of heart
rending stories are told Of escapes and
attempts at escape which ended in death.
Passenger Train on Fire.
The 81. Paul IL Duluth train No. 4.
southbound with eighty passengers, ran
into Hinckley at > o'clock Saturday aft
ernoon and proceeded thence 10 Mission
Creek, two miles further south, only 10
find that village in ashes Conductor
Sullivan issued imme,sate orders TO his
crew TO back into IIinckley. but before
the train. running at twenty miles an
hour, could reach Hinckley the place was
in flames The train stopped at the
depot one fatal minute. during which the
wood work Of the engine and the bag
gage car caught fre. The train quickly
resumed its backward journey toward
Duluth and the very motion OF the cars
famed the flames TO a furry and they
soon enveloped the sleepers, passenger
coaches and the smoker
While the train was stopping at Hlnck-
ley nearly 200 panic stricken people OF
the place rushed upon the platforms and
into the cars. When they discovered the
train on fire rhey began 20 moan. shout
and pray, which, with the awful roar Of
the flames, made horrible picture.
A mile out OF Hinckley people on the
platforms, rendered frantic lunatics by
the heat and their terror. began 10 Jump
from the cars and plunge into streams,
into sand-heaps or into the smoke-en-
compassed forest. A little farther on
those in the cars, stifled with smoke. be-
gan TO smash the windows OF the coaches
In frantic attempt 20 get breath OF
fresh air. Driven back by the flames
eating their way up the sides of the
freshly vanished coaches, they stood in
baffled amazement for moment. when
dozens OF them in sheer desperation tum-
bled themselves out through the open
spaces to the ground below, some being
instantly killed by the fall, and others
lingering in the horrible heat and smoke
until suffocated
Took Refuge In the Lake.
In spite Of the fact that the train was
on fire from engine 20 rear end the crew
bravely stood at their posts and ran the
train back six miles 10 Skunk lake, where
the passengers rushed out and into the
water. Some Of them were i'm such
state Of exhaustion that they were una