The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-03

Skunk lake. 1t was so dark during the
day yesterday that it was almost i'm
possible for anyone to see 100 feet away
and during the night the headlight on
the engine was useless.
Engineer Roots injuries are quite
serious, but it is hoped he will recover.
although one report gives no hope.
The little town of Mission Creek,
some little distance north of Hinckley,
is reported in ashes
Special trains were sent out, both
from Duluth and ST. Paul, equipped
with medical forces, and all that is
possible will be done.
Great Loss of Life.
A private dispatch received this even
ing from the burned district states pos
ltively already $50 dead bodies have
been recovered, so the estimate made
above may be considered as decidedly
conservative.
The losses in the neighborhood of ST.
Cloud. which is on the western edge of
the fires, are estimated at 100000, and
from that point east and north nearly
everything is burning. The fires are
raging in Becker and Aitkin counties,
where many farm houses and much
grain has been lost as we'll as timber
The Saddest Feature.
One of the saddest features of the
Calamity is. the impossibility of Identified
I ISo IN such a large proportion of cases.
point We're examined by many of the sur
viving residents of Hinckley. and but four
could he Identified Charles Anderson
W,ap aaGn inda Dennis miley and nd Mrs
to be buried together. In the Indefinite,
ness of the arrangements. and is seemed
impossible otherwise under the circun-
stances. due regard was not paid to a
proper separate preservation of articles
found on the bodies and the last chance
OF Identification was lost.
Those who brought in the bodies from
the swamp reported there were at least
thirty-Tlvp bodies out there, which cam
not be brought in until morning. On the
government road to the east was found
the. Best family of six persons. father,
mother and four children. Best was
prosperous farmer living Just out of town,
the three unfortunate creatures who lived
at the StccEade
Near Skunk lake was found the bodies
of family consisting Of father, mother
in which there were five children only the
father escaped. There was a settlement
of about thirty people near. this lake and
but two are known to he alive
Marvellous Escapes.
Marvellous escapes are numerous.
Twelve-year-old Charles Anderson, after
his father, mother and sisters had been
suffocated in the swamp. himself fell in
ditch and was too exhausted to rise.
He lay there until this morning when
he was able to make his way to the
town. Many such remarkable escapes are
recorded.
This afternoon the work train from St
Paul reached H1nckley with an under
taker and thirty-two caskets. BY even
ing the thirty-one corpses that lay be-
side the track had been wrapped up, laid
away in the caskets and returned to Pine
City. No attempt was made to bury the
dead a the cemetery.
General Glimpses.
In the woods north of Hinckley was
found team of gray horses harnessed
to the remains of burned wagon. I'm
der the N were the bodies of a
woman anu three children, but the
horses were not harmed in the least,
and were brought back into town.
The body of Jim Bean was found in
the swamp under a wagon. The wagon
had struck stump and the team had
broken away. There were only a few
fragments of Beams body unburned,
but he was identified. Bean was one of
the best lumber men of western Wis
consin.
Pokegama lake, six miles west of
Hinckley, on the st. Cloud branch, was
wiped out as clean as the other towns
1t is said about twenty lives were lost
DIT lldl point.
The name of Engineer Jim Root, the
hero of the Duluth limited, is blessed
on all sides, and Hinckley people cay
that he shall wear diamonds as lsKg
as they live. Poor Sullivan. the conduc-
tor of the train, has temporarily lost
his reason and was taken back to Du-
luth, He rendered noble service in dis
embarking the passengers, throwing
one little girl through the car window.
He rouses at intervals to say: 81 threw
the little girl through the window. Did
1 do right? Does any one blame me?'
and then relapses into merciful uncon-
seriousness. There is little probability
of Hinckley ever being rebuilt to it's
former prosperous proportions. The
Brennan Lumber company is not ex-
pected to rebuild its plant, and without
an enterprise of this kind there is no
future for Hinckley except as a juno
ton point.
The total loss of life viii never be
definitely, known. There were scatter
ed through the woods settlers, clear
ings and lumber camps with their
watchmen and many people were I'M
doubtedly burned whose bodies were
completely destroyed and will never be