The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-09-08
PERISH IN FLAMES.
HUNDREDS LOSE THEIR LIVES
IN FOREST FIRES.
List OF the Dead May Reach as High as
Five Hundred-Property Loss at Safe
Estimate WIN Exceed sIs.OOO,OOO-.-
HeartrendIng Scenes witnessed.


portions of Minnesota, Michigan, ard
Wisconsin in which the forest fires
are now raging show that the con-
dition of affairs there is more than
terrible. The loss of property at
low estimate, has already reached
$l2. 900. 600, not including the standing
timber that has been destroyed. Bat
even worse Is the loss of life which, it
is feared. will reach as high as 1000.
Nearly 400 cases Of persons ha-ing
persisted have already been received.
while the reports as they continue 60
come in are increasing the list The
best information is that about twenty
towns have already been destroyed,
driving thousands of families from
their homes in the face of the flames.
The worst suffering is report ed
from Hinckley, Mimi, and vicinity.
The estimate of the loss of life there
and in the surrounding towns is being
increased by every report 1t is said
that strewn along on one street of
Hinckley the bodies of twenty-nine
victims were found, while in another
spot the charred 'and unacceptable
remains Of 1913 citizens were counted.
A low estimate of the fatalities in
that town alone is now placed at
300 persons Scores of others were
discovered severely injured, while the
list of missing was in the hundreds.
1t is believed that at least loo victims
are on the farms and clearings
throughout the burnt district The
loss of life in and about Hinclsley,
Sandstone, Pokegama Skunk Lake
and Mission Creek will not be known
for weeks, if ever The survivors
have teen taken to Pine City, where
physicians cared for the injured,
while relief trains from Duluth. Min
neapolis and st, Paul carried in tents,
clothing, food and everything neces-
sary TO cover the wants of the suffer
ing survivors. Very few persons are
left in. Hinckley.
mot the ghost of thing left in the
town." was the report mace by a rail 4.
road official who left there yesterday,
ulation Of the town has been lost in
the general destruc ton. Good news
came last night that the town of
Washburn, Wis, across the bay from
Ashland had been saved. But other
reports are that the flames elsewhere
are increasing their fury, and are now
advancing into the vast forests east of
Ashland and toward the cities in the
iron belt leading to Marquett'.
Many other towns were reported in
danger late last night Cadott, near
al in
danger The town is surrounded by
flames, and the people of Chippewa
Falls had gone to the rescue with
steamers
The extent of the suffering ca1
hardly be described. but already the
hand of charity is ut work, and the
cities of the three states are sending
aid 10 the sufferers. But railroads
have been injured by the fires, and in
many cases traffic has been entirely
suspended, thus preventing the start
ing out of relief expeditions.
The fire struck Hinckley on the east
side of the Duluth track. The stern
Minnesota train from the south had
just come in and the people of the
panic-stricken city flocked to it for
safety. A number of box cars were
coupled on and filled and covered
with men, women and children. In
all there was motley crowd of about
four hundred and fifty or more peo-
pie. The train pulled out just ahead
of the fire and succeeded in ultimately
reaching Duluth. This circumstance,
while fortunate in degree that can
not estimated, has made the confusion
greater, for il is not known who
escaped in this way, and many people
are reported dead who may be in
safety. Had not this mum Der Of peo-
pie, largely women and children, left
the doomed city when they did the
loss of life would have vastly in
creased.
Probably 200 of them left town on
foot or in vehicles, plunqing into the
woods to the north. across the Grind
stone river, which skirts the town on
the north. They were literally fleeing
before the pursuing demon OF fire.
Over the hill that rises beyond the
Grindstone is a swamp, and to this
most of the people with teams headed
but it proved no protection. The fire
gave them no opportunity to go
farther Some abandoned their teams
and ran into the lower portions of the
morass, but the fire sought them out
Not one was left to tell the tale, and
there in space OF little more than four
or five acres, were counted over 1870
corpscs. There were many families of
five. six and seven and there they lay,
the men generally little in advance,
the mother surrounded by her little
ones. cut off by the most horrible OF
deaths
Nearly all the bodies were nude. the
fire having burned every vesiige of
their clothing. and blackened ami
charred many of the corpses beyond
recognition, and whole families were
wiped out as they were and some OF
the bodies completely incinerated.
Identification Is absolutely out of tire
question. Those who fed to the north
on foot followed the Duluth track,
and so rapid was the progress
of the flames that many of them
were actually burned as they 6ed.