The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-09-06
Town Of HinckIey, Mimi, Wiped
Out by Forest Fires.
LIST OF DEAD MAY REACH 1000
A Raging Forest Fire Unters villages
Sweeping Everything Before 1t
In Its Awful Fury.

record nade by forest fires IN this state
In the past "a hours. In Hinckley,
Sandstone, Pokagama, Sandstone
Junction, Skunk lake and Mission
Creek there are 1855 known dead. In
addition, several hundred are missing,
while from $50 to 200 are scattered Cd
farms throughout the district burned
over. The destruction WIGS complete
In most of the towns named. The loss
Will be In millions, and the loss of If
will not be definitely known for sew
eral days. If ever. Relief trains were
sent out from this city, MINI eapolls,
Duluth and other towns, and sufferers
are being cared for at Pine City and
other points.
HINCKLEY ENTIRELY DESTROYED.
Tho Fire Demon Consumes Everything
in Its Awful Flight.
ST.. PAUL, Sept. 2.-The town OF
Hinckley, Mimi. about half way be-
tween this city and Duluth, has been
wiped out by forest fires, and the list
of dead may reach 1000. II Will GER
tainly exceed 200, and reports now be-
ing received indicate the larger figure
may not be too large. Ga train to-
day from there there were one or two
persons who came through the fires
and who gave graphic stories of the
scene. The train from Duluth reached
q point a mile and half north OF
Hinckley some time after midnight
and was forced 10 return to point
five miles away On account of the
threatening flames.
Dead Bodies Along The EaIIrond.
Half dozen passeng gers however,
secured handcar and rode through
the flames to Hinckley, taking north
bound train this side of there and re-
turning ON it to this city. On their
ride on the hardcar they encountered
% dead bodies along the line of rail-
road. Seventeen were discovered al
Hipckley during the morning and q
others have been found up to o'clock.
They say tie people of Hinckley ran
to the woods when their houses caught
fire, and as the timber afterwards
burned it is more than probable that
great numbers persisted. The most
conservative estimate of the dead is 200.
Whole Country Fire.
The whole country around Hinckley
is on fire, and the full extent OF the
disaster can not be learned Tor o day OF
two. 1t is feared that several Other
towns have suffered like fate. Mil
laca called for help yesterday afternoon
and relief train from st. Cloud wal
unable 10 get hey ond Bridgman. Moth
ing further has yet been received from
Millace, and how much il may he suf-
fering can not at this time be known
Bridgman was apparently safe after
hard fight. The flames, however. wer'
very threaten ing around that town
and as it Is very dry all over that par
of the state, the worst Is learec.
Entire Families Perished.
A party that came through the fire
around Hinckley on hand-car SUI
fered severely from burning. Thei
injuries, however, will not prove fatal
They tell many cad stories of wha
they saw. One woman had evidentl.
trie d to save her five children and wa
overlaken by the fierce flames, and til
whole family perished close to the ran
road tracks.
Another case was where q mother
seeing her house in flames, ran to saw
her child, her husband following hel
and the walls of the house caved in be
fore they could get out.
Passengers Surrounded by Fire.
The passenger train from Duluth, o
To In, ohaI N
the rest of the passengers have take
refuge In q marsh near Skunk lax
where they are surrounded by fire.
The engineer was badly burned L
the flames, but stood to his post an
got all of the passengers out OF the ii
safely. This Ell gineer, Jalncs Root,
one of the best known and pluckie
men in the employ of the s.. Paul
Duluth railroad. He tried TO take b
train through The fires TO Hinckle
but when the cars caught fire fro
flying embers he reversed his engil
and backed at fun speed 10 Skunk lax
1t was SO dark during the day yestt
day that 1t was almost impossible
anyone to see 100 feet away, and duri
the D1RnL TIE III on tile euRl
was useless. Engineer Roots iDjur
are quite serious, but it lie hoped til
he will recover, although one reps
gives no hope.
Mission Creek Reported In Ashes.
The little town of Mission Cree
north of Hinckley, was also report
in ashes. Special trains were sent oil
both from Duluth and st. Pa
equipped with medical forces, and
that is possible Will be done.
Two Hundred and Fifty Dead Four
A private dispatch received Il
morning from the burned disIr
states positively that already $50 de
bodies have been recovered, so the es
mate made above may be consider
decidedly conservative. The losses
the neighborhood of St. Cloud, VIII
Is on the western edge of the fires,
estimated at 100000, and from Il
point east and north nearly everyth
is burned. Fires are raging In Becl
and j.itken counties, where na