The morning call., 1894-09-03

at the throttle. He stopped the train and
took on board about 125 of the refugees.
By this time the woods were burning on
each side OF the track. and, as Root re-
versed his engine and started back, the
cars scorched and cracked 10 the heat.
Root ran the train back about three miles,
to Skunk Lake. and the people escap ped
from the burning cars to the water and no
lives were lost.
The people who remained in Hinckley
Jared the best of all. The Eastern Mime
sofa tracks mark the eastern edge of the
city proper. Just beyond the edge was
tract of land probably embracing at least
ten acres. The whole area had been ex-
cavated 10 depth OF thirty or forty feet,
and In its center was a stagnant pool of
rainwater 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 wa
ter over each other and covered their
heads with wet cloths to prevent suffoca-
tion and all were saved.
Others OF the citizens sought refuge in
the GrindstOne River under the abutments
OF the two railway bridges, and at the
to0tbridge. The exact number cannot be
known, but many escaped and some were
drowned. Mrs. Martin Martinson and
her four little babes were taken drowned
from the water this morning. In the
meantime Hinckley was burning with the
utmost rapidity, and in few hours moth
Ing was left but ruins. The total loss to
the city will exceed $1,000, 900, with CON-
parative light insurance.
As night closed in the people began to
come out from their hiding places and
made their way over the hot embers to
their burned city. They were absolutely
daZed by the catastrophe, and the night
was spent in an endeavor to find rela-
tives. The fire had spent itself and the
air was filled with smoke. Two huge
heaps Of coal, which marked the location
of the Duluth coal sheds, were blazing
and by the ftful light people wandered
about picking out the places where but
six hours before their happy homes had
stood. The fact that so many had escaped
by train added TO the anxiety Of those
whose friends and relatives were not 10
be found, while 1t furnished at the same
time a basis for hope that they were in
safety.
When the morning broke a few ener-
| getic spirits began TO organize the work
of the recovery of the bodies. j. w. Sar-
| gent, passenger conductor on the Duluth
! road, organized a volunteer crew, who
manned two handcars, whose capacity
was increased by the use of a plank.
! They went up the Duluth track to the
north and picked up thirty-one bodies be-
tween the river and Skunk Lake. The
/ bodies were wrapped up in blankets and
such cloth as could be obtained, and were
| laid out by the side Of the track where the
depot had stood. Citizens volunteered
and harnessed up the available vehicles
saved In the gravel pit and went out TO
the swamp across the Grindstone. They
brought in ninety-six bodies, which were
carried out to the burying ground a mile
east OF town.
There was neither time nor opportunity
to observe the sacred formalities usually
surrounding death. The excitement of
the occasion, the horrible experience
through which the living had passed and
the more horrible form in which death
had come to the lost had temporarily
blunted the finer sensibilites, and the
dead were heaped high on the wagons and
laid in piles at the cemetery among the
smoking em6ers and stumps that sur
rounded Gods acre. Coroner Cowan
directed the digging of two huge pits.
a by II feet, 10 which the interment will
be made tomorrow.
One of the saddest features Of the
calamity is the impossibillty of identitica-
tion in such a large proportion of cases.
The ninety-siX bodies brought into this
point we're examined by many OF the sur-
viving residents of Hinckley, and but four
could be Observation-Disclosures Anderson.
Alex Hanson, Dennis Riley ana Mrs. Will
liam Gnder. The remainder will have to
be buried together. In the indefinieness
of the arrangements, and il seemed impos-
sble otherwise under the circumstances.
due regard was not paid to proper sepa-
rate 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-fYe other bodies out there which
cannot be brought in until this morning.
On the government road to the east was
found the Best family of six persons.
father, mother and four children. Best
was a prosperous farmer living Just out of
town. Eere also were recovered the bodies
of the three unfortunate creatures who
lived al the stockade. Near Skunk Lake
were found the bodies of family, consist
ing of father, mother and seven children.
Or another family, in which there were
five children, only the father escaped.
There was a settlement of about thirty
people near this lake ard but two ara
known 10 be alive.
Marvellous escapes are numerous.
Twelve-year-old Charles Anderson, after
his father. mother and sister had been
suffocated 10 the swamp, himself fell in
ditch and was too exhausted TO rise. He |
lay there until this morning, when he was
able 10 make his way to the town. Many |
such remarkable escapes are recorded
This afternoon the work train from ST.
Paul reached HiDckiey with an under
taker and thirty-two caskets. BY evening
the thirty-one corpses that lay beside the
track had been wrapped Up. laid away in
the caskets and returned to Pine City. No
attempt was made to bury the dead at the |
cemetery.
In the woods north of to wn was found a |
team of gray horses harnessed to the re-
mains of burned wagon. Under the |
wagon were the bodies of a woman and |
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 |