The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-04
Death and Awful Destruction Follow 10
The Make Of Forest Fires.
OYER TWO HUNDRED LIYES LOST
And Many Msssing-siN Towns Completely
Devastated - Millions OF Property
Iost-Fearful scenes.


adjacent 10 the city Is aglow with flames.
4 dense cloud Of smoke envelopes the
country for many miles obstructing busi-
ness ana Offering constant menace 70
travel Dust and ashes are falling IN
showers. The volunteer fire brigade
is tiviIed into convenient squads, which
are doing effective work. The district
living between the Bradford farm and
the Dead river to the north IS a vast
fen. filled with undcrbrush, and is now
"a lake of FIRE The same is true OF the
course Of the Caro- river.
CONFIRMATION PREVAILS.
CONSERVATION prevails at the Sails
bury location TO the south. The force
on special duty there is Offering "A stub
born resistance, and may yet save part
Of the suburb from total destruction. as
Is also Sagota and Floodwood on the
Milwaukee and Northern railroad; also
Even and neichboring towns on the
Duluth extension OF the Duluth. South
Shore and Atlantic railway. Much credit
is due 10 the railroad for its service TO
the suffering Box cars are furnished
and into them the household goods of
the homeless are being taken. No one
Is yet reported missing from Ishpoming
but the rapid approach Of the destruc-
tive elements and the iuhammable con-
dition of vegetation covering the imme-
diate surrounding, together with n viii
0ted atmosphere and temperature
registering at blood-heat cause the most
profound soliciude.
FLIED FROM THE FLAMES.
FINE CITY, MICH, Sept. S.-When the
forest Ere reached Hinckley an Eastern
Minnesota train from the south had Just
come ln. and the people panic-stricken,
Hooked TO IL for safety. A number Of box
cars were coupled on and filled and cover
ca with men. women, and children. In all
there was motley crowd of about $50
or more people. The train pulled out
Just ahead OF the fire. and succeeded in
ultimately reaching Duluth. This crcum-
stance. while fortunate I'm q degree that
cannot be estimated has made the con-
fusion greater, for 10 is not known who
escaped in this way, and many people
are reported dead who may be in safe
". had not this number of people
laiseIy women ana children-left the
doomed city when they did. the loss OF
ne would nave vastly Increased. I'roba-
bly 20 people left town on foot or in
vehicles. plunging into the woods TO the
north across TIE Grindstone river which
ShmlS the town on the north. They we're
nteIaliy heelng before the pursuing de-
mon Of fire. over the hin that rises be
nina the G11ndStOne Is a swamp. ana 20
thls most OF the people with teams head
ca, out IL proved no protection. The fire
s"'e uem no opportunity 20 go farther.
NOT ONE ESCAPED DE1rHg
some abandoned their teams and ran
into the lower portion OF the mOrass. but
tia fire sought them out. Not one was
leit 10 tell the tale and there yesterday
morning, IN space of little more than
Iouf or i've acres. We're counted over
one hundred and thirty COrpses. There
We're families OF five six and seven, the
mother surrounded by her little ones. cut
or by the most horrible Of deaths. Nearly
all the bodies were nude, the fire having
burned every vesttge of their clothing and
blackened ana charred many Of the
corpses beyond recognition, and whole
families We're wiped out as they We're and
"a o. % f441
Identification Is absolutely out Of the
question.
The most sorrowful feature Of the hor-
rlble fatality at Hlnckley IS the thought
that had the situation been realized in
time not single lie among the resi-
dents Of the town need have been lost.
The Great Northern gravel pit, whore
only "a hundred sought safety. is about
ten acres in extent, and broad and long
enough and deep enough TO have shell
tered every soul IN Hinckley with al their
The banks are bare Of grass or shrub
berry, and there was 30 inhammahle mate
rial near the brink on the side from
which the fire came Those who d1 seek
this have passed the hours OF their en-
torced imprisonment in comparative COM
RFGr LARS t. TUT RESCUE.
This morning a detail of regulars from
fo.t SIC iiii 81. tnuer CONN and Of Captaia
Hale and Lieutenant NicCOv and an army
SURGEON. came in from ST. Paul. They
brought some tents. but hnding that Ad-
1utant-General Muehlbery had sent u9
one hundred states tents the Regulars
turned in and put up fifty Of them for
the refugees with regular army eXp"di-
uon. The local physicians were about
Played out ana there Wds an abundance
OF work for the crmy surgeons. There is
Httle probability Of fWckey ever being
rebullt INTO It's former prosperous pro-
portions. The fireman Lumber Company
Is not expected 10 rebuild its plant W ork
has been crowded this season in the hope
Of clearing mp all the timber, and another
season would have been the last The
company has bu' 100000 feet OF timber
remaining. which is SO located that II
can De- sawed TO better advantage at
other points than by rebuilding here at a
Probable cost of from $1,000 TO S15 0Ol
Dr. timber in the vicinity is we'll cut and
burned off. and ihere is 10 chance 1f any
other company coming in. Without an
enterprise of this kind there IS no future
tor IlncAey, except as junction point.
4HE nf.p .Nu ,ussl,o.
ST PAUL, MINI. Sept. "a clrre-
Spondent oI the Pioneer Press, at Hincik-
ley. says. The latest verified reports Of
the number OF dead 90 not mater a Is
alter the former estimates. In ,act that
estimate Us proving p, ,marNatly exact
considering the confusion Of the rst DAY
one element that makes close figuring
very difficult. is the fact that bodies seen
in the woods and along the track are
not infrequently reported t two pO.nts
and sent out from each as among its
Dead. Then too, me tendency O
the occasion, bad as 10 is. Is no eXag-
geration. However. eliminating these
doubtful elements as far as possible. from
its approximation, the CORE poudent &
convinced that the toral IS aS ne riy
exact as possible. The number Of dead al
Hinckiey is placed at 20i. The Pioneer
Press correspondent has actually counte
lsf Of these and the margin allowed about
all that Is necessary The ngures are as
follows: Hinckley. 200. Sandstone g.
Miller. l2; between Skunk Lake ana MI
Ter, Y; Pokcgama. % IN lumher camps
and scattering estimate, 20. Tota., oGi.
mLr fos TaE sUvtsRsRs.
.Yardmaster David Wilamsop. OF Du-
luth, Mimi, received message From
Miller last night which said There are
1900 people al Sands one without foo
or shelter. For Gods SAX get them out
Of there" Within au incredibly shor
time an engine In cha ge OF Yaroma Ger
williamson was on the way 10 nd
stone. The entire roaI after the burned
district WIS reached was patro led and
the engine kept up continual whstling
50 mat any persons who We nert b.
would como al once 10 the track.
When the train arrived at Sandstone
Junction, or Miller as it,is generally call
ci, II was met by nearly the entire popu-
lation Of Sandstone and Miller. The depot
platform at Miller had been burned, ana
there was not house left standing any
where In view. About 40 people were
taken aboard, and q messenger wes sent
10 Sandstone, who informed the people
og the arrival OF the relief Very few re-
nained but those with loved ones lying
dead. There was no attempt 10 care for
the dead, who lay scattered with irresu-
lsrity through the streets OF the town.
Everything infammable at Sandstone was
destroyed, and to-day's Investigations
brought the number OF dead at that place