Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-09-06

counted over $50 corpsus.
There were many families of five, six
and seven, and there they lay, the men
generally little in advance, the mother
surrounded by her little ones cut off by
the most horrible of deaths.
cHARRED AND BLAcKESED.
Nearly all the bodies were nude, the
five having burned every vestige OF
their clothing and blackened and
charred many of the corpses beyond
recognition, and where whole families
were wiped out as they were and some
Of the bodies completely incinerated,
Identification Is absolutely out Of the
question.
Those who fed to the north on foot
followed the Duluth track, and 80 rapid
was the progress OF the flames that many
Of them were actually burned as they
lied, falling on the way Tor distance
OF three miles or more. Nearly 80
bodies were recovered along here. Some
OF the foremost escaping citizens met
the Duluth train coming in from the
north. II was due at Hinckley at 400.
Engineer Jim Root was at the throttle.
He stopped the train and took on board
RN'ub ANO Vi VIC iCAhbCCoy nuO
into the train, completely filling II, for
it had passenger list almost as long.
BY this time the woods were blazing
on each side of the track, and as Root
reversed his throttle and started back
the cars screeched and cracked in the
heat. Root ran tho train back about
three miles to Skunk Lake, and the
people escaped from the burning cars
TO the water, and no lives were lost.
REFUGE IN A PIT.
The people who remained in Hiuck-
ley Jared tho best Of all.
The Eastern Minnesota tracks marked
the eastern edge Of the city proper. Just
beyond the road laid tract of land
probably embracing at least 10 acres. 1t
was purchased for gravel pit to fur
nlsh material for the till-up approach 10
the cumpany's bridge across the Grind.
stone and at other points on the line. To
the fact that it has been used for this
purpose almost to its exhaustion about
100 Hinckleyites owe their lives. The
] whole area indicated has been excavated
TO depth in the centre of 80 or 40 feet.
There was a stagnant pool of rain
water in the centre, feet in its greatest
depth. The pit was wide and deep, and
to 1t He'd those citizens who were will
ing to trust to Its friendly depths. There
| We're possibly u hundred of them and,
! in addition to the human beings, a mum
Der OF domestic animals, COWS, horses,
oxen, pigs, chickens, &c., sought safety
here.
II was really the safest place about.
Three or four hundred trunks were
rolled down the sloping bank. passing
the fire unscathed. The people went in
here, as the Eastern train pulled out a
few minutes after 4 o'clock, and here
they remained until after 8, while the
smoke and flames from the burning city
rolled over their heads.
MORE THAN 500 DEAD.
| CHICAGO, ILL.,, Sept. 3.-Reports ia
the Tribune from the portions of Mime.
sofa, Michigan and Wisconsin in which
the forest fires are now raging show
that the condition Of affairs there is
more than terrible. The loss of prop
erty, at a low estimate, has already
reached $l2,O00,00O, not including the
standing timber that has been destroyed
but even worse is the loss of life, which
il is feared, will reach AS high as 1000.
Nearly 400 cases Of persons having per
ished have already been received, while
the reports us they continue to come in
are increasing the list. The best infor.
nation is that about 20 towns have
already been destroyed, driving thous.
ands Of families from their homes in
the face OF the flames.
The Herald summarizes as follows
Six towns wiped out, and more than SOC
dead is the record made by the forest
fire in Minnesota in the last "a hours.
In addition several hundred are miss
ing, while from 100 TO 200 people art
scattered on farms Throughout the dis
trict burned over. The loss of money
will be in the millions and the loss Of
life will not be definitely known FOL
some days, if ever. The relief train,
carried supplies sent out from st. Paul
Minneapolis, Duluth and the Minnesota
towns and the sufferers are being hand
somely cared for at Pine City and othel
points.
EqUALLED ONLY BY JoHNs1owN.
The Record summarizes as follows
Western Minnesota has suffered in thu
last "a hours from horror neve
cqualled in this country except at Johns
town, Pa, May 31st, 1880. Nearly 40l
persons arc known to be dead, owe,
Sl2,OO0,OO0 worth of property is de
stroycd, and hundreds OF families ar,
helpless in Pine City and adjoininG
counties.
Reports received late last night indi
cate that the death list will exceed til,
nnmber given above and may not fal
short Of 1000.
q FIVE HUNDRED TO A THOUSAND.
The Times estimates at least 500 dea,
as follows: Hincklcy, 200; Sandstone
~; sandstone junction, 2j; Pokegama
70; Sksuk Lake, 20; Pinct0wn, Il; Mis-
sion Creek, 3; Partridge, s; Kettle Rive
junction, i; Cicarton, $; Rutlege, 9
miscellaneous, 50.
iAc inter- OceaH says that 500 ar
dead and the total may reach thou
sand
THE THRILLING RIDE THROUGH FIRE
. ST, PAUL, MINI, sept. 3.-Sevcra
travelling men, among them James Lob
dell Of this city, who abandoned the i'll
1ated train which was burned at Hinck
ley, have just arrived here
HE thrilling story Of their trip iron
the ;rain back to IIlnckley is thus tol,
by Mr.. LubIell:
We got along pretty well for tn
first Ealf hour, but we then ran int
. smoke 20 dense that we could not So
thee feet in front II US. We were ii
f lmmincnt danger Of being suifocated
J We could not see tic track and the tie
were burned beneath our feet. Each q
, lis took an cyercoat and wrapped i
+. about His head, leaving only a small
opening from which to breathe
j 80 add to the horrors OF the situa
5 ton, every little way we would com
across dead body. We were onl
:. #g,rt. H. ,,rC1eiarall.r