The herald., 1894-09-03

ton train on the dl1Ckt0y ana ST.
Cloud branch left for the latter place
with about 20 passengers. It's path lay
directly across the path OF the nre and
their situation speedily became desper-
ate. The ties we're burning, the rails
were warping and the trestles were sagg-
ing under the train. The smoke had in
creased so the engineer was helpless.
He could not ses the train beyond him.
Burning trees lay across the track aud
we're being tossed aside by. the engine.
Suddenly the track gave way and the
train toppled of to enc side. No one
was injured and they pressed on to
Pokegam, a station few rods ahead.
But few feet in trent OF the engine was
discovered gorge 90 feet wide and 40
feet deep, where the trestle had been
burned away. They succeeded in reach
ing the clearing about the station and
escaped with few burns and bruises.
There were burned along the track, how
ever, four or five people.
FLEEING INHABITANTs.
The people who were left in the city
were in what seemed to be an atmosphere.
less condition. Egress ny the only
means of Transportation that could hope
was out,of the question. The men had
been fighting the fire for hours, and the
women and children were in panic
stricken condition. Horses were har-
messed to buggies and wagons. Women
and children were hurriedly ~losded.
Probahlys200 OF them left town on foot
or in vehicles, plunging into the wcods
to the north, across the Grirdstone
- oh oh ho
north. They were literally fleeing before
the pursuing demon.
oyERTAKEN BY THE FLAMES.
Over the hill that rises beyond tbs
Grindstone is aswamp, and to this most
of the people with teams headed. but it
proved no protection. Some abandoned
their teams and ran into the lower por-
tions OF the swamp, but the ere sought
them cut. Not ono was left to tell the
tale, and this morning in space OF
little moro than five acres were counted
over $50 ccrpses. There were many
families OF Eve, six and seven and there
they lay, the men generally little in
advance, the mother surrounded by her
littls ones. cut Off by the most horrible
OF deaths. Nearly all the bodies were
unacceptable, the fire having burned
every bit Of their clothing and charred
many OF the eorpses, rendering many OF
them unacceptable.
Those wholfsd to the north on foot
followed the Duluth track and SO rapid
was the progress OF the flames that
many of them were actually burned as
they fed, falling onlthe right of way for
distance OF three miles or more.
Nearly 80 bodies were recovered along
here.
Scme Of the foremost Of. the escaping
citizens met the Duluth train coming in
from the north. It WAS due st Hinckley
at 4:05. Engineer Root was at the
throttle. He stopped the train and took
on board about 125 of the refugees.
BY this time the woods we're blazing
on each side of the track, and as Root
reversed his engine and started back,
the cars scerched and cracked in this
heat Root ran the train back about
80 miles, to Skunk lake, and the people
escaped from the burning cars to the
water. and NO lives were lost.
REFUGE IN A POOL.
The people who remained in Hinck-
ley Jared the best of all. The eastern
Minnesota tracks mark the eastern end
of the city proper. Juet beyond the
end was g tract OF land, probably en-
bracing at least 10 acres. The whole
area had been svcavated to depth OF
80 or 40 feet, and in its center was q
stagnsnt pool of rainweter, three feet
deep. To it fed hundred citizens who
were willing to trust to its friendly
depths. They remained four hours,
while the smoke and flames rolled over
their heads. They dashed water over
each other and covered their heads with
wet cloths to prevent euffocation. and
all were saved.
Others of the citizens sought refuge in
the Grindstone river, under the abut-
ments of the railway bridges and at the
foot bridges. The exact number can
not be known, but many escaped and
some were drowned. Mrs. Martin and
her four babies were taken drowned
from the water thia morning.
In the meantime Hinekley was burn.
ing with the utmost rapidity, and In q
few hours nothing was left bnt ruins.
The total losa to the city will exceed
$l,000.O00, with O comparatively light
insurance.
THE SITUATION AT SANDSTONE.
AAo eieCdSlOH az OauunbuHo ID 0Nou
more sppslling than at Hinckley. except
in point OF numbers. OF the 200 resi-
dents one-iourth are dead.
Otto Stafferfsldt OF Sandstone, talking
of the disaster, said that last night
about 5 80 the flames neared the town
and the people prepared to leave. The
wind blew like hurricane, and az the
people were getting ready to leave, the
fire closed in on three sides. Net ain
gle person saved thing except hia
clothes. About 160 went to the river,
and SO or 80 were burned to death. At
4 O'Clock this morning he saw over As
bodies eharred and burned, lying on
every side. The people are destituts of
everything.
In addition to IS bodies at Sandstone,
there arc 20 at Kettle River junction.
All the settlers in the vicinity are prob
ably burned to death. There are about
II homeless families still st Mission
creek, but they have provisions still for
about "a hours. Brook PARK, two miles
west of Hineklev. is burned, and there
are about 125 people there, many of
whom are in need Of immediate relief.
HEROIC TRAINMEN.
From the stories OF the passengers on
the limited train which was burned near
Hinckley. the entire train crew deserve
to be placed on the roll of honor for per-
sonRl heroism. Engineer James Root,
OF White Bear, heads the list. He was
badly burned and almost blinded, and