The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-09-06

were saved.
Mother and Four Babes Drowned.
Others sought refuge in the Grind
stone river, under the abutments of
two railway bridges and at the foot OF
a bridge. The exact number is not
known, but many escaped, and sonle
we're drowned. Mrs. Martin Martin
son and her four little babes
were taken from the water, drowned,
this morning. In the meantime
Hinckley was burning with the ut
most rapidity, and in q few hours MOTH
ing was left but ruins.
The total loss to the city will exceed
81, 900. 900, With comparatively light in
surance.
The Dead Arc Everywhere.
The situation at Sandstone was even
more appalling than al Hinckley, ex-
cept in point of numbers. OF 200 resi-
dents, oIe-fourth are dead. Otto Stat
ferfeldt of Sandstone, talking of the
dsester, said that last night, about
$3.50, the flames neared the town and
the people proceeded 10 leave. The
wind blew hurricane, and as the peo
pie were getting ready 10 leave tho fire
closed In on three sides. Not q single
person saved u thing except his clothes.
About 100 went TO the river and 80 Or
so were burned to death. AT O'clock
this morning he saw over As bod
les, charred aid burned, lying
on every side. The people
are destitute of everything. In
addition TO The As bodies at Sandstone,
there are 20 at Kettle River function.
All the settlers in the vicinity are
pre- baby burned 10 death. There are
abuut II homeless families still at
Mission Creek, but they have provi-
sions for "a hours. At Brokaw Park,
two miles east e Hinckley, all the
hous are burned and there are about
l25 pc ople there, many OF whom are in
immediate need OF relief
Searching for Missing Relatives
AS night closed in the people began
to come out from their hiding place 8
and made their way over the hot en-
uers to their burned city. They were
absolutely dazed by the catastrophe,
and night was spent In an end eavor 10
find relatives. The fire had spent
Itself and the air was filled with
smoke. Two hugo HEAPS of Goa,
which marked the location of the Du
luih coal sheds, were blazing and
by their fitful light the people wau.
dered about picking out pieces where,
six hours before, T. cir happy homes
stood. The fact that so many had es.
ciped by traiu added 10 the anxiety Of
those whose friends and relatives were
not to he found, while it furnished al
he same time basis for the hope thai
they were In safety.
Recovering Bodies.
When morning broke u few energetic
pirits began to organic, 10 work FOL
the recovery of bodies. j. w. Sargent
passenger conductor Oh the Dulutl
road, organized volunteer crew, whS
man cd Two handcars " Ii ose capacity
was increased by the use of plank
They went up the Duluth track nortl
and picked up 81 bodies between the
river and Skunk lake.
The items volunteered and har.
messed up tue available vehicles s,ved
in the gravel pits aud went out to The
swamp across the Grndstone river
They brought In SO bodies. They hac
neither time nor opportunity to Oh
serve the sacred lormalities usually
surrounding death. The exci.emen
of the occasion, the horrible experience
through which the living had passed
and more, the horrible form in which
death had come to the lost, temperate.
hunted finer sensibliiies, and the deaf
'ere heaped high in wagons and lai'
In piles at the cemetery, among til
smoking embers and stulnps that sur
rounded Gods Acre. Coroner Cowai
directed the digging OF Two huge pits
"a by Il feet, into which the iutermen
will be made tomorrow.
Identification Impossible.
One of the saddest features of tn
calamity is The impossibility of ident
llcation in large proportion of cases
Ninety-six bodies were brought her
and examined by many suivivin
residents of Hinckley, and but fou
could he identified. The renainde
wi have TO be hurled together. Thos
: WHO brought in the bodies from I'll
swamp reported that there were q
,, least So other bodies out there wliic
can not he brought in until NOR Ing.