The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-09-07
THE BURNED TOWNS
An Awful Desolation Strikes the
Observer.
THE REPORTS NOT EXAGGERATED.
a Relief Committee Resolves Itself Into
One of Search for Bodies of Victims
Many Bodies Impossible
to Identify.

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Sept. "A Pine
City special to the Pioneer Press says:
Words cannot tell the story of death
and destruction that is revealed to the
travellers on the st. Paul &c Duluth
from Mission Creek to miles above
the little town of Miller or Sandstone
Junction. The awfulness of the DESC
lation which strikes upon the eye of
the observer as he reaches the camp
which was once the town of Hinckley
is still more strongly impressed in his
vision as he journeys northward.
Members of a relief party started on
hand car loaded with provisions to
relieve the people of Sandstone, who
were reported in great distress. Two
miles above Hinckley they found, lying
by the trunk of tree, the body of
man, which was evidently that of
lumberman. The relief party proceeded
as far as Skunk lake, where the Duluth
limited train was burned. Here they
found Engineer Williams in charge of
a gang of men rebuilding the burned
bridge. From them it was learned that
the people living at Sandstone had
been taken to Duluth by special trains
on Sunday night and their pressing
necessities relieved, so the help from
Pine City was not needed. The party
therefore resolved itself into one of
search for bodies of victims of the dis
aster.
The house of John Robinson was
near Skunk lake in the edge of the
woods, and the family sought refuge
in the cellar. There was no escape
from the fire and the party found the
bodies of John Robinson, his wife,
Mary. their eldest daughter, and two
small children. All their clothing was
burned from the bodies, but the victims
had evidently been suffocated before
the flames reached them. The hands
of the oldest daughter were appraised
with palms together in an attitude of
prayer.
Within COO yards of the spot where
Engineer Root stopped his train was
long trench. running from the little
body of water. which proved place of
safety for the passengers ca the limit
ed, to a swamp on the lake Following
along this trench the party rame upon
the partially clothed body of a man,
who. in personal appearance. CORE
sponded to the description of General
Passenger and Freight Agent Rowley,
OF the Duluth &5 Winnipeg railroad. An
examination OF the dead mans shirt
collar showed the name, g. Rowley,
and it is supposed he wasa passenger on
the limited, and in taking to the ditch
expected to reach the lake.
Other bodies found by the patty were
those of man and woman, who had
evidently fed from farm house near
by, and the bodies of two men, who are
supposed to have been passengers on
the burned train.
The latest verified report of the num-
Der of dead do not materially alter
former estimates. The number of dead
at Hinckley is placed at 200. and the
Pioneer Press correspondent has actu-
ally counted 194 of these. and the mar
gin allowed is about all that is neces-
sary. The figures are as follows:
Hinckley. 200: Sandstone, GO: Miller,
10: between Skunk lake and Miller. IL;
Pokegame, IS: in lumber camps and
scattering. estimate, 80: total, 36i.
Yardmaster Dave Williams, of Dr-
luth, is something of hero. He is
the man who grasped the situation,
acted on his knowledge promptly and
relieved the people of Sandstone. He
received a message from Miller last |
night which said: There are $50 peo-
pie at Sandstone without food or
shelter. For Gods sake get them out |
of there" Within an incredibly short |
time an engine in charge of Yardmaster
Williams was on the way to Sand |
stone. The entire road after the burned |
district was reached was patroled. and /
the engine kept up continual whist
ling, SO that any persons who might be
near the railway would come at once
to the track.
When the train arrived at Sandstone
junction, or Miller as it is generally
called, it was met by nearly the entire
population of Sandstone and Miller.
The depot platform at Miller had been
burned and there was not a house left
standing anywhere in view. About 170
people were taken aboard and a mes
senger was sen: to Sandstone, who in
formed the people of the arrival of re-
lief
Very few remained and they were
those with loved ones lying dead. No
one was burned seriously who was not
fatally injured. There was no attempt
to care for the dead who lay scattered
with irregularity through the streets
of the town. Everything inflammable
at Sandstone was destroyed, and yes
terday's Investigations brought the
number or the dead at that place to
sixty-two, nth twenty-one people
Mr. Webster. the father of
Mayor Lee Webster of this town. was
the dead, and this after
noon Mr. Webster went TO Sandstone
to bury III. father and mother