The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-09-25

Day and night the flames burned. The
roar and heat was terrific Many peo
pie were made crazy by the heat and
smoke and rushed into the flames, or
tried to escape and were hemmed in
and consumed. The smoke was 60
dense that the fire could not be located.
Trains were utilized and carried many
to places of safety. We gave some
account of the disaster last week, but
the particulars are appalling. a United
Press reporter went to the town of
Hinckley, or where it was before the
fire, and we make the following extract
from his account cf it:
At Hinckley the gaunt skeleton of
the public school alone remained stand
ing in the centre of the village. Along
SIDE the railroad track were tWoscore
of boxes filled with the bloated and dis
figured remains of victims of the fire.
Some of the inscriptions on the coffins
read as follows:
Supposed remains of Mrs Blanch
ard, horribly distorted"
Girl, ten years old, no clothing"
4n1S0 Ol MIS- NdEbkIlSOQ,
In the next box lay Mrs. Martinson
herself. Then came John Wendlund
and child and number m )re uniden
titled
IF you want to see pitifuI sight, u"
said a resident Of the village, go cut
to the cemetery"
The reporter picked his way through
the deserted avenues of the village,
encountering the remains of horses,
COWS, cats, chickens and dogs. He
overlook Hans Paulson, an employe in
the Brennan mill.
Il am going out to the cemetery to
see if can find my wife and four chill
dren," he said. II lost them ALL
The rain was coming down in sheets
At the cemetery, mile and a half from
town, a half dozen men were digging
a trench. A heap of bodies lay on a
knoll in the middle of the cemetery.
There were ninety six naked bodies
men, women and children-scorched, d,
blackened, distorted, bowels and brains
protruding, hands clutched in their
final agonies, hair singed from heads,
old, young, middle aged, male aud fe
male, all in prOmiscuous heap.
In another corner of the cemetery
we're forty five more bodies, covered
with quilts. Ali were inferred late this
afternoon. Hans Paulson, the man
who had accompanied the reporter,
delved in the pile of bodies, five feet
high, and finally pulled out the re
mains of little female child, with only
slight shreds of white clothing remain
ing on her body. He scanned the
face, examined the clo5hing, and then
broke out in lamentations. He kept
up the quest for the others in the driv,
ing storm, asilhouette of human agony
lined against the horizon.
Among the ruins of Hiuckley beau
tul girl was making vain search for
her trunk. She was dressed In a light
colOred calico dress which some good
Samaritan in Pine City had given her.
Her experience was a dramatic one.
My name is Mollie Mcneil, she said,
land lived with my mother and sis
ter in Htnckley the past sixteen years.
day afternoon, and rushed out of the
house and started up the railroad
track. On both sides and in front of
me was a wall of fire and smoke. How
I ever got through do not know, for
people were falling on every side of me.
Twice my dress caught fire. A mile
north of Hinckley / saw an engine.
The engineer helped me on, and
news agent carried. me back to the bag
gage car All the cars got on fire, and
saw men, crazy with fear, jump right
through the windows into the flames.
The train backed up to Skunk creek,
where l remained in the swamp all
night put my face in the mud to
cool it, and some one plastered mud
all over my hair. Of course thought
my mother and sister were lost, and
you may imagine my joy when found
them safe and sound in Pine City yes
terday afternoon"
That is but one chapter of the horrible
story.
In addition to the great loss of life is
the horrors of the thousands left home
less and without food. They escaped
to places Of safety to return and find
their homes in ashes and crops ruined
by the heat. We are glad to learn that
money and food ere being contributed
freely and there is no immediate dan
ger of starvation.
Hogs that are permitted to range at
will over the commons, gathering a