New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-03

,onight One Omaha conductor stated that
uear Raronerte Wis. he saw twenty-five bodies.
victims OF the fire.
Pine CITY Mimi Sept. 2-Three towns-fiinck-
lev Mission Creek and POkcgama-are In ashes
tonight and more than 200 corpses lie in the re-
gion around Hnckley. The vast valley between
tho Kettle River and Cross Lake including sew
eral villages and settlements, Is laid waste py
forest fires Besides the towns that were reduced
II ashes. farms were swept clean by the names
The forests are .iill burning hercey. and rain
Is reuulred To drown the fires that are sweeping
over a vast region.
Whole families have been cremated In some
instances only one or two men escaped from a
neighborhood TO tell Of the destruction They
saved their lives by running TO small lakes or
hiding in potatoe fields. and reached Pine city
more dead than alive. The dead are being picked
m bv the score and brought here. Searching
parties are penetrating the burned district. but
find only tho charrcd remains OF the Inhabitants
The people from Hinckley and Mission Creek
who ESCAPED with their lives destitute hav-
ing neither homes nor food The relief sent out
from st Paul was timely. The supply OF pro-
visions was more welcome than even the blankets
sent out later, because the majority were still
anxious 10 continue the search for the dead ana
sufferers The tents and hospital supplies were
very necessary for the injured and badly burned
people. Harris Richardson. Of ST ram. 'eIe-
graphcd Governor Nelson 70 send out more sup
plies and provisions and bedding II. II. Hart,
OF the State Board Of Charities. Ia AT Pine cry.
| collecting data preparatory To providing state
relief Joe Manix. Of Minneapolis. is here also TO
report the situation to Mayor Eusts. 50 that
supplies may be sen; later from that city. COM
mlttee Of five from Saltwater is getting informa-
| ton as TO what lumber supplies are needed. and
will contribute building material Assistant Cen
! eral Manager Miller. of the ST. Pau! and Duiuth
road. has been here. and returned to st. Paul to
send out Scepcrs. hospital and camp supp'eS Io'
the wounded and homeless.
The relief train from st Paul arrived here at
D. m with 2.4O0 !oaves Of bread. clothing, hos
pltal material and a large delegation Of ST Paul
citizens Al White Bear Lake 500 was sub
scribad and three carloads Of supplies were pro-
cured by the time the 'raii arrived there. The
following committee has been selected To take
charge Of the relief work: James Hurry. Pine
City. chairman: ]. F. Stone. j. Y breckenridge.
General Charles Bunker F.. A. fough. II. Borch-
ars. and H. Hart ST. Paul; J. T. Mannix. Mime
apolis A. f. Quinn. j. c. Hethaway. j. H. Bur
WELL D. r. Moon. J. D. Markham. j. II. Kelly,
G. r. Finch. II. Y. KinE. L. +. stone.
Nr'MBER OF DEAD UNKNOWN.
Anything IKE an estimate OF the loss Is I'M
possible. Unckley has been compltely destroyed
as has Mission Creek. Sandstone and several
other small places AID large numbers " people
are missing The fire extends from Pine city
far west as Carlton and Rutedge. sweeping
everything in its path
The Rev. =. Knudson a Presbyterian minister
Of Hinckley. tells graphic story II tho Arc,
which swept down the town Ike an ava
lanche. He says over 200 Of those who perished
in the flames might have been saved had they
kept away from the river The people lost their
heads and stampede trying 10 escape by teams
and saddle horses Knudson took 10 u hill top and
when thu fire passed over found himself In
charrcd desert. surrounded by hundreds Of dead.
while those who survived were far from help.
and with nothing 20 eat or drink. He thinks
the horrors Of the Chicago fire nothing compared
10 It,
At HinckIev the bodies are being piled In The
graveyard and will be- buried "a soon as pos
sib. Every effort Is made to Identity the
dead bodies. There are 600 homeless people III
Pine City.
Information received By the Relief COMMITTEES
shows abou: 25o dead at IIinckley and 800 70
40 homeless survivors most II whom ut
Pine CITY with nothing 10 eat or wear. Sand
stone has - dead and 225 homeless In the very
worst possible condition and needing Immediate
aid There are q dead at Sandstone Junction.
Judge Ncthaway. one of a party who went to
Uinckley tonight sad that there were ltl bodies
I'm the caskct and that with those found tonight
there are 204 altogether picked up IN sani
banks streets. etc. family named Robinson
father mother and seven children were burned.
Five little children were found locked IN each
others arms just south Of IincNey About
sixty people werc IN sandpit filed with water
ON the Eastern Minnesota Railroad. and man
and a baby were crowned here. one woman
was found literally boiled, with little child
buried In the sand near her man. his wife
and two sons started to get away from the IRE
by teams bur gave II up Just east 81 town. ana
all but one Elite boy found with their heads
buried in the sand. But one freight car was
left in Hinckley.
Not a vestige OF Mission Creek IL len. Quite
a fire is burning there yet. 4 man named
Hogan, who is paralyzed and travels on a
bicycle. was we'd by wheeling himself to An
Eastern Minnesota train.
stcnographer Matteson, Of the Bremen Lumber
COMPANY and a girl named Emily Anderson were
out In the woods when the fire began They
were found in the woods to-day locked In each
| other,s arms John McNamaras child was
| burned 10 a crisp in the street with little dog
| hanging abOf ts neck.
| Cattle are walking around with hoofs burned
| off and eyes burned out
c. H. Van Hoven. Of Hnckley tells the follow
| ing story Of the fire. About o'clock smoke was
| noticed coming from the southwest. No par
ticular attention was paid until 10 o'clock when
| the Fire Department was called out. perfect
| hurricane Of wind rendered It almost impossible
to do anything. At $3.50 o'clock the heat was 50
| intense that they were compelled 10 abandon the
| engines and nee for their lives At o'clock the
| house Of John Anderson was on fire. and In less
| than ten minutes the whole town was a veritablc
| hell about 700 buildings being afiame People
| had no time TO &c, out f the buildings; others
| were caught on the outskirts of the town. Mr..