The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-09-06


Pine City, Mimi, Sept. obstinate
Of the dead: Hinckleys 200. sand
STONE, 46. Sandstone junction, 70;
Pokegama, 20. Skunk Lake, 20; Mis-
cellareo eous 80. total 900.
This is a summary of the deaths from
forest fires that are raging in North
eastern Minnesota and Northwestern
Wisconsin. 1t is thought, however,
that at least five hundred lives were
lost, as n any farmers throughout the
country undoubtedly perished.
The walls OF The school house, the
iron fence about the town hall prop
erty, the bank vault and one absolutely
uniniured out house is all that is left
to mark the site of HiLckley, where
yesterday stood IL score OF store build
ings, and a dozen times as many dwell
ing houses. The story Of castrophe
which wiped out the material posses
sions that lad made Hinc<ley busy
prosperous little city is short one.
The town was built of wood. The
school house erected last year at cost
of $4,000 and one-half the Duluth
round house were the only brick Struc-
lures in the city. BY one of those
peculiar freaks for which there is no
accounting the Eastern Minnesota
round house and water tank on the
southwestern. edge of the town almost
in the woods, escaped the flames,
circumstance the more remarkable
from the fact that it stood directly in
the path Of the flames, which seem to
have jumped it cleanly, as If playing
leap frog. All yesterday forenoon the
town people were apprehensive. The
smoke rolling from the south told
story, Enthusiastically plain to Tnose ac-
custcmed to Il wooded country. The
fire kept advancing iarned by the
WIND which was blowing gale. About
II o'clock the, fire company got out
their engine and laid an eighteen hun
dred foot line of hose, to the southern
outskirts of the town. The hose was
all to short for the measure of protec-
ton desired and Il telegram was sent
to Rush City for more. Five hundred
feet was sent, but it never reached
IIincSley. The main part of the village
lies il, the north fork made by the
crossing of the Duluth and eastern
tracks, the latter to the east and the
forner on the west On the
west side of the Duluth tracks
were ~ few small houses
belonging to the railway employees.
The tiremen's attention was mainly di-
rected' 10 keeping the fire away from
them as the main business part of the
city was built in solidly just across
the track. About 3 o'clock in after
noon the fire lietally jumped into the
town. Its approach was not gradual
1t did not eat it's way along, devouring
everything in its path, but came in
huge leaps, as if to overtake everyone
| fleeing before it and then burned back
at its leasure. 1t is described by those
who witnessed its onward progress at
Hinckley and elsewhere as if it were
| forced along by cyclones OF its own
generation. The intense heat would
develope avcritable whirlwind of fame
that actually twisted off poplar trees
| several inches in thickness and carried
huge blazing fire brands high in air,
and carrying them forward for from
| forty to eighty rods there to fall and
| begin the v Hork Of devasation anew,
The fire first struck Hinckley on the
east side of Duluth track and the brave
| fire fighters for the first time gave up
| the unequal battle and already too
| late i'll many instances, turned their
atteptlon to their personal safety. The
Eastern Minnesota train from the south
mad just come III and the people of the
! panic stricken city flocked to it for
SAFETY. A lumber of box cars were
coupled on and filed and covered with
! men, women and children. Some were
barefcaded. sc me were coatIess. some
few clutchd a pitiful bundle of the
more precious of their portable DOS.
sessions. Families were separated.
Chiidrer Joined the throng and left
their parents. III all there was n
motley CT, wd of about four hundred
ana 1lfty or more people. The train
pulled out just ahead of the fire and
succeeded In ultimately reaching Du.
Iutn. IhlS circumstances, while for
tunate In a degree that cannot be es.
tlmated has IL ade the confusion great.
or, for 1T is not known who escaned
In this city, and many people are re.
ported dead who may be In safety
Had not this number of people, largely
| womel. and children, left the doomed
city when they did, flle loss of life
would have IL creased in geometrica]
ratio, Tor their presence would have
added imneasurahly to the subsequent
confusion About the same hour the
accommodation train or the Hinckley
and st. Cloud branch left for the latter
place. with about twenty-five passen.
gers it's path lay directly across the
paIh OF the fire and their situation
speedily became desperate Tho tins
msiV burning the rails were warpine
nhu u!e tfestles were sagging under
.nc 'ra,h' Inc smoke bad increased 81
Ina. the eLslLeer was helpless. HI
Soui,t hot see the train behind him
burning trees la! across the track and
were belnr tossed aside by the engine
euddt My the track gave way and tbn
train toppled eff 10 one side. No ono
was injured and they Pressed ON r.
Pokegama station, few rods ahead.
But few feet In front of the engine
was discovered Il gorge sixty feet wide
and forty feet deep, where the trestle
had been burned away. They sue
ceeded III reaching the clearing about
the station End escaped with few
burns and bruises. There were burned
along the track, however, four or five
people, including DR.. Kelcey, of New
Brighton who had come up to look
after his brother. The people who
were left il tho city were in what
seemed to be an almost hopeless con
dition. Egress by one only means OF
transpC rtation that could hope to dis.
tance the swiftly advancing flames was
out Of the question. The men had been