The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-04
The Work Of Relieving Fire
Sufferers Comes Now.
Blind and BlisteredPeOpIe Seek
ing Their Loved Ones
RELIEF POURS IN.
Every Effort Being Made to Pro-
vide for the Victims
Stories of the awful Fury of
the Fire.

PINE CITY, Mimi, Sept 4-Every
other person that one meets on the
streets Of Pine City today gives visible
evidence Of bloodshos eyes and burned
noses and cheeks Of their conflict with
the fire. Two men who are numbered
among the refugees are thinly clad and
many are without covering for their
heads. Many of them sat ouside the eat
ing house last evening comparing notes
with each other over their mistortunes
until called to occupy the cots In tents
in the park. There are fifty tents and
each housed four or five people last
night.
Grindstone Lake, ten miles north of
Hiuckley, has been the camping ground
for several summer parties from Hinck-
ley. This year larger number OF peo-
pie were camped there than usual and
consequently when fire was seen to be
encrOaching on Meals place about a mile
from one Of the camps, several men
started for the scene. John Patrick aud
Messrs Ellsworth and Collins being
among the number.
Four other men were fighting the fire
when they got there and it was supposed
that they could control it. The relief
party had hardly reached the scene,
however. when they discovered flames
shooting over the TOPS of timber back of
their own camp. Patrick started back
along the shore while the others got into
a small skif and padded faster than
they had ever before, hoping to reach
the camp before il was overwhelmed
While they were sill some distance
away they saw the women rushing into
the lake and the camp outfit going sky
ward i'm smoke. Patrick hardly compre-
hended these things, however, az he had
not gone far before ball of fire darted
across the lake over a mile wide where
he stood aud knocked him down it
sped onward in its work of destruction
through the forest
His clothes we're ignited and for time
he WAS completely dazed. When he had
recovered his senses the fire was all about
him and only a very narrow pathway
through the water at the edge of the
lake, the bank shelved of very steep all
along offered an avenue Of escape. As
Ne was aplashing through the water
stray dog fell ia behind him and marched
along in his company.
The two had an encounter a little later
with big black bear that barred their
passage and would under ordinary cir
cumstances, have annihilated both man
aud dog. Bruin, who was squatted in the
water did not even deign to notice them,
but simply moved aside about six inches
SO that they could pass, and Patrick
doubts that the dog realized that the bear
was there. They finally reached Il space
where the road led out from the lake and
here met twenty-one people, homestead
binding smoke ahead of the flames
All the members Of the party threw
themselves into the lake and remained
there until the flames had passed over
them. None we're seriously injured but
all were so exhausted as to preclude the
possibility Of going further that night
They lay on the banks Of the lake IN
I'll morning, then started back over the
road they had come in the direction of
Sandstone Junction. Patrick has neith-
er seen or heard Of them since. Eleven
Of the settlers, one woman with baby
five weeks old, got into an old canoe and
padded out into the lake, only to be de-
stroyed by water after escaping the
flames.
DThe waves nearly filed the boat sew
eral times and. the baby was frequently
held aloft to keep it from drowning. The
fran craft drifted ashore in the early
morning over a mile from the camp.
Patrick after passing an awful night
full Of anxious forebodinga, was able to
reach his family overjoyed at finding
them unharmed
just inside the doorway of the hos
pital last evening sat a fearful and woe
begOne woman, while at her side with
bandage around his forehead stood a be-
whiskered man to whom the woman was
listening with rapt attention. The man
was d. A. Greenfield and the woman
Mrs. Thomas Henderson. The tale he
told was the 7addeet she had ever heard.
Those WI. fhtood by groaned in sym
pathy with hes. for she was hearing the
sad fate Of her boys, IA and 16 years of
age, who had perished in the Hames at
Greenfield's farm, FIVE miles from Hinck-
ley. The boys with their father were
cutting a road through from the Duluth
railroad toward Greenfield's when the
fire forced them out They reached his
place. and with his family took refuge
In the cellar.
One Of them when the flames envelop-
ed the house never got out and the other
perishsd i'm a culvert where he had taken
shelter. Mr.. Green1eld's five children
found a fiery grave in the cellar aud his
wife though stia alive is in the hospital
30 badly burned as 10 be beyond hope
Miss Harris of Hinckley is in "a SINH
ar condition. bIE Albright. the book
keeper Of the Bra1nan Lumber Co.. sat
with Secretary Hart while the registry
Of those needing relief progressed and
rendered valuable assistance 10 Identify
ing those who applied for relief
The people of this little village have
responded nobly to the cry for help that
came from their suffering neigh bors. and
all that could be done has been done for
their relief Medical supplies, provis-
ions, clothing, bedding and other sup
plias. were poured in from all parts Of
the stats. and sent from here to the place
where most needed.
e..