The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-05
How Engineer Best and His Train Crew
Saved Half the Population of the
Doomed Tcwn of Hinckley.
WILD RIDE THROUGH FLAMES
John Patrick's Experience on and
About Lake GrindstOne.
Struck by a Fiery Tongue Mile Long
That Darted Across the Waterman
row Escape of Farmer Dubois

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Sept 4.-Stories of
deeds of heroism and remarkable escapes
in the fre-swept district OF Minnesota are
numerous. Readers who have followed the
incidents of the fire will treasure the name
of engineer Root, who took his trainload
Of passengers through a mass Of flames
to safety. There is another hero, however.
who deserves 70 be remembered. Engi-
neer William Best now appears in differ
ent role from that he played during the
Great Northern strike. Best abandoned
his engine and train in st. Paul, when the
Eastern Minnesota road was tied UP, in
such a way as to block the yards At
least this was The charge of the Great
Northern, and when the strike was set
tied the road refused TO re-employ Best.
The A. r. L. officials threatened another
strike, but the difficulty was referred TO
the arbitrators, and they decided in favor
of Best's restoration. He seems, by his
heroism during the forest fires, to have
demonstrated his fitness for permanent
of the engine that hauled the passenger
train which succored nearly half the pop
ulation Of Hincllley last Saturday. To a
reporter he modestly told the story of the
rescue.
1--WE were brought face to face with
DEATH" he said, land that is all there was
of it If man could keep his head under
the trying circumstances OF that holocaust,
he need not fear for his self-cOntrol or
courage. Soon after leaving Superior. at
lis D. m, / had to light the headlight.
owing to the dense smoke which tur1ed
day into night The heat, we approached
Hinckley increased. j expected that when
we reached that point that We would get
into the open and escape the smoke. My
surprise was great, therefore, when We
found the fire right upon the town II
took but a glance to see that the town was
doomed. The wind blew with great veloc-
ity and the flames fairly leaped through
the air. The people, taken by surprise
were helpless. The coming fire seemed
more like a stroke OF lightning. Almost
in an instant the town was swept by bill
lows of flames. We could not pass Hinck-
ley, and there was 10 use 10 look for or
ders for communication WAS cut of. II
was one OF those cases where men nave
TO make up their raindF in an instant what
is to be done and to do il without hesita-
ton. Here were hundreds Of panic
stricken people who were doomed III tney
were not instantly rescued. On the other
hand the safety Of the train ana its pas
sengers lay in prompt retreat; To stay
and rescue as many as we could was our
duty. of course, but the great Question
as upon il hung the lives o. many hum
dreds, was, how long dare we waltz I'D
Barry was there with No. -, IN cnarge OF
the engine. and w. ID. Campbell, the con-
ductor as plucky and brave fellows as
ever passed a mile post We knew we
return on No. 81 time, and as the train
had the right of way, We knew that no
main line without orders, IL moving south
We hastily coupled a portion OF CampbelIs
tregnt train az o'S w'f tran ahe Tbe famepupsue9 %
people rushed toward our train and pied
into the cars. Some of them were aged,
and then there was the helpless women
and children, who had 10 be helped aboard.
We had to shift the position or the tram
to prevent il from taking fire. We were
az I'VE saw many sights that would have
filled US with horror if seen under other
circumstances. but there was horror every
where We saw people fall down overcome
by the heat and smoke. i saw mothers
With their babes make a last despairing
sffort to shelter their helpless charges 1t
was a sight 10 make men weep, let alone
angels. We saw people surrounded py
fire. but there is no use in my trying 70
describe il 10 you. An eyewitness knows
what ne saw: it. was positively indescrlb-
nsnic- 81 ricten and wanted me to pull on.
regardless of sufferers at Hinckley, but, or
course, none Of us thought OF dong such
fo,,r hundred Hinckley people aboard. may
be more. and slipped off to take run up
At last we realized that the critical mo-
ment had come. We could not rescue all
of the people, for they could not get 10
the train. AS many as came TO US were
taken A very large percentage OF those
who remained must have perished. Away
We went through the blazing woods. and
may be we didn't fly. II was race with
death There was death behind, and so
far as xe knew may be ahead OF US. too.
The telegraph poles and the ties were on
fire and a stream of flame passed under the
train The people were packed so closely
on the train that it was impossible 10
move We passed over several bridges
that were on fire. At Partridge we stopped
and procured water for the passengers.
| The fire was roaring behind US then. The
people at Partridge supposed they were
safe, but Ii appears that within half an
| hour the fire had reached them; This fact
| gives an idea of how fast these flames trav-
eled At Hinckley and all along the line
| the wind blew a tempest. We drew sigh
of relief when we reached the limits OF
| Superior and knew that our precious freight