The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-09-08

Strong Men Grow Faint at the Sick
ening Sights Everywhere Present.
ed--Town of Sandstone Marked
Only by Heaps of Ashes--Contribu
tions Solicited by Relief Com
mittees.
PINE CRY, MINI, Sept 4.-Words
cannot tell the story of death and
destruction that is revealed to the
traveller on the St. Paul d Duluth
from Mission creek to two miles
above the little town of Miller or
Sandstone junction. The awtulness
of the desolation which strikes upon
the eye of the observer as be reaches
the camp which was once the town
of Hinckley, is still more strongly
impressed on his vision as he Jour
news northward. This morning the
smoke had lifted, revealing a land
scape bare and black, the few stand
ing trees being charred to a height
of 40 feet, while the ground was of
that peculiar tint of brown sand
mixed with gunpowder, for the grass
had been burned even to the roots.
Here and there in the bleak and
dreary stretches of country in what
is now great lone land, was seen
the body of deer, whose feet feet
bad not been able to outrun the
flames, or of human being who had
been absolutely powerless against
the grim destroyer.
Judge Nethaway of Saltwater and
the members of relief party start
ed on handcar loaded with provis-
ions, to relieve the people of Sand
stone, 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 limi.
ted train was burned They found
Engineer Williams in charge of
gang of men, rebuilding the burned
bridge. From them it was learned
that the living at Sandstone had
been taken to Duluth by special
trains on Sunday night, and their
pressing necessities relieved. so that
the help from Pine City was not
needed. The party therefore resolv-
ed itself into one of search for bodies
of victims of the disaster.
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 and
his wife, Mary Robinson, their eldest
daughter and two smaller children.
All the clothing was burned from
the bodies, but the victims had evi
IDENTIFY been suf'ocated before the
flames reached them. The hands of
the eldest daughter were appraised
with palms together in an attitude
of prayer
Within 600 yards of the spot where
Engineer Root stopped his train was
a long trench, running from the lit.
tie body of water which proved
place Of safety for the passengers on
the limited to a swamp near the
lake. Following along this trench
the party came upon the partially
clothed body of man, who, in per
sonal appearance, corresponded to
the description of General Passenger
and Freight Agent Otto Rowley, of
the Duluth d Winnipeg railroad.
An examination of the dead mans
shirt collar showed the name of o.
Rowley and it is supposed that he
was passenger on the limited, and
in taking to the ditch expected to
reach the lake
Other bodies found by the party
were those of man and woman
who had evidently fled from farm
house near by and the bodies of two
men who are supposed to have been
passengers on the burned train.