The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-09-06
NERVE OF TRAIN MEN
Engineer Root, Surrounded by
Fire, Stands at the Throttle.
GRAPHIC STORIES OF THE FIRE
Aid for the Stricken People Called for
st. Paul and other cities Respond
Promptly and Literally.

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Sept. 2.-From
the stories of passengers Oh the lin
tied train, which was burned near
Hinckley, the entire train crew de-
serves to be placed on the roll of honor
for personal heroism. Engineer James
Root of White Bear heads the list. He
was badly burned and almost bliuded
and fell from his seat unconscious
Immediately OH getting out OF the fire
When about two miles north Of Hinck-
ley, II OF first discovered that the fires,
which had been raging on both sides
of the track, were racing him for his
life and the lives of his nassen gers.
Cinders were flying in every direction
md the smoke was so dense ii at 1t was
we'll nigh impossible to see beyond the
car windows, even with the aid of t
pow erful headlight.
Flames outrun the Train.
He thought to outrun the fumes,
which were coming after and bearing
down upon him at a 60nile gait.
When about mile md half from
Hluokley, lie discovered that the nre
was too fast for him. 1t overlook the
train and overiear ed it 50 that II was
literally surrounded with fiames. The
air was sitting, and the clothes Of
10th the engineer and the fireman
caught fire. Fireman MCGOWAN
leaped into the wnter-tank, mud, SELF
ing u bucket, dashed water several
times over the burning en- giueer. Root
steadily kept at his post. although
scarcely able to SIT upright.
Leaped Into He'll OF Flame.
In the meantime the passengers
could see nothing, lut heard The roar
of the incoming tornado of flame,
and soon the glare outside
was toe much for the reason
of number OF them. The rear car
caught fire, aud rs the hlmes overlook
it the passengers rushed leadlong into
the forward cars. The shrieks OF
women and children, as well as the
terrified shouts of the men, increased,
aud terrible feelings were aroused by
the urroar of the flames on every
hand. Several of the male pas
seng,rs, too terrified for further
sell control. leaped headlong through.
the broken windows and were swal-
lowed up in the Il lmes outside. OH
ers, seeing this act, quickly foil ,wed,
aud altogether in the next 10 minutes
u dozen men leaped to their death in
the flames in like manner. The
women, whose terror had teen pitilu
for few minutes before, Low came
heroically 10 the help of The trainmen
in endeavoring 10 soothe the aflrlghte
children.
Escaped TO Skunk Lake.
Engineer Root saw that there was NJ
outlet, apparently, for his train al.ead
and concluded to turn back through
the distance already burned owe
rather than cncou inter- possibly create
peris for them. He backed at tol
speed to Skunk lake. five miles from
Hlnckloy. The passengers desertct
the train there an took refuge in th'
swamp, where they spent the night
This morning relief train from th'
north brought them 10 this city. TIT
relief train carried supply Of hand
cars, which were used In picking VI
the bodies of the dead along the truck
Engineer Root lies at his home u
White Bear too badly injured to lie in
terviewed. He was badly cut by brok
Ell glass, but his worst injuries wer
from iuhaling hot DIR and smoke.