The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-04
SCENE OF DEsOLATION.
Death and Destruction Visible in All
Directions.

SCENE OF DESOLATION.
Death and Destruction visible i'm All
Directions.
ST. PAUL, Sept. 3.-One of the corre-
spondents of the Pioneer Press at Pine
City says: Words cannot tell the story of
death and destruction that is revealed to
the traveller on the ST Paul & Duluth rail-
road from Mission Creek to two miles
above the little town of Miller, Sand
stone Junction. The scene off desolation
which strikes the eye of the observer as
he reaches the camp which was once the
town of Hinckley is still more strongly i'm
pressed on his vision as he journeys north
ward. This morning the smoke had lifted,
revealing a landscape bare and black, the
few standing trees being charred to a
height of forty 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 coun-
try in what is now a great lone land was
seen the body of deer, whose fleet feet
had not been able to outrun the flames, or
of a human being who had been absolutely
powerless against the grim destroyer.
The correspondent accompanied Judge
Nethaway, of Saltwater, and the members
of a relief party which started on a hand
car loaded with provisions to relieve the
people of Sandstone, who were reported in
great distress. Two miles above Hinckey
they found lying by the trunk OF a tree
the body of a man which was evidently
that of a lumberman. The relief party pro-
ceeded as far as Skunk lake, where the
Duluth limited train was burned. Here
was found engineer Williams, in charge of
a gang of men, rebuilding the burned
bridge. From them it was learned that the
living at Sandstone had been taken. TO Du-
luth by special trains on Sunday night, and
their pressing necessities relieved, so that
the help from Pine City was not needed
The party therefore resolved 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 Rob-
inson and his wife, Mary Robinson, their
eldest daughter and two smaller children
All the clothing was burned from the
bodies but the victims had evidently been
suffocated before the flames reached them
The hands of the oldest daughter were up
raised with palms together in an attitude
of prayer.
Within six hundred yards of the spot
where engineer Root stopped his train a
long trench, running from the little body
of water which proved a place of safety
for the passengers on the limited, to a
swamp on the lake Following along this
trench, the party came upon the partially
clothed body of man, who in personal
appearance corresponded to the description
of General Passenger and Freight Agent
Otto Rowley, of the Duluth e Winnipeg
railroad. An examination of the dead
mans shirt collar showed the name, 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 Sose
of man and woman who had evidently
fled from farmhouse near by, and the
bodies of two men who are supposed to
have been passengers the burned train.
SUCCORED BY A YARDMASTER.
Yardmaster David Williams, of Duluth,
is something of hero himself. He is the
man who grasped the situation, acted on
his knowledge promptly and relieved the
people of Sandstone. He received mes
sage from Miller last night which said:
There are $50 people at Sandstone with
out food or shelter For Gods sake get
them out of there" Within an incredibly
short time an engine, in charge of yard
master Williams, was on the way to Sand
stone. The entire road after the burned
district was reached was patrolled and the
engine kept up continual whistling so
that any persons who might be near the
railroad would come at once to the track.
When the train arrived at Sandstone juno
ton. or Miller. 1t is generally called,
it was met by nearly the entire popua-
ton of Sandstone and Miller. The depot
platform at Miller had been burned and
there was not a house left standing any
where i'm view. About 10 people were
taken aboard and a messenger was sent
to Sandstone, who informed the people of
the arrival of relief. Very few remained.
and they were those with loved ones lying
dead No one was burned seriously who
was not fatally injured. There no
attempt TO care for the dead, who lay
scattered with irregularty through the
streets of the town. Everything infiam-
mable at Sandstone was destroyed, and to-
days Investigations brought the number
of dead at that place up to sixty-two, with
twenty-one people missing.
Mr.. Webster. the father of Mayor Lee
Webster In this town, was among the dead,
and this afternoon Mr. Webster went TO
Sandstone to bury his father and mother.
The scene at Sandstone as described by
Mr.. Webster. was heartrending- The
streets of the town were only lines Of
sand between heaps of ashes. Within
these lines lay forty bodies scattered
random. and twenty-five more were found
afterward in the outskirts of the town and
along the hollows and marshes toward the
river bank The bodies were lying ex-
posed to the sun and rain alike and were
rapidly becoming decomposed. They were
identified as far possible and will be
buried tomorrow. The Duluth people are
looking after the care and relief of the
people on the line north of Hirckley.
They are doing their work well and Will
see that no one of the living Is allowed to
suffer for food or clothing.
One of the marvellous circumstances Of
the occasion Is the escape OF so many cat
tie and horses. Many were absolutely un-