Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-09-21
BRAVE AS THE BRAVEST.
THE HERO OF THE NORTH
WESTERN FOREST FIRES.
Engineer Roots Story of His Trains
Backward Race With the De-
vourfng FIames-It Reads Like
Chapter of Horrors-Herded
Like sheen I'm n Swamp.

Like SneeD In a swamp.
The experience of Engineer James Root Cd
the doomed train which saved so many lives
during the devastating forest fires in the
Northwest Is one that will not be met
with more than once in a lifetime and reads
like chapter of horrors. He was taken to
his home In White Bear Lake. Mimi, or the
first relief train. accompanied by Mrs. Foot,
who met him at Pine City. His injuries DO
not consist of severe burns. He IS suffer
ing from the severe mental Strain ami the
awful physical ordeal through which he
went He suffered heat 50 intense that
weaker men would have died from It's effects,
and all the way during that fearful run he
was compelled to breathe the suIocltin%
fumes of smoke that made night OF the day,
80 black was it. The cuts on his taco and
neck from the falling glass of his cab WndnY
are not serious, and the doctors say thai all
he needs to pull through is rest and abso-
lutte quiet.
About 6 O'Clock in the evening, after he
had become somewhat rested, reporter was
admitted to the darkened room in Wllch he
was lying at his home on the corner OF Ban
ming avenue and Fifth street. He was I'M
able to say more than a half doz N woris at
time without stopping to rest, AMI some
times his words were cut short by sharp
spasm of pain. But the story in his own
words is thrilling almost beyond COMPARE
son. After Mrs. Root hal moistened his lips
with cold water the engineer sank back
among the cushions on his couch, and for p
moment closed his eyes as he recalled to MS
memory the scenes of the night before. Then
in a voice scarcely louder than a whisper he
began
"When we left Duluth Saturday Afternoon
the air was heavy with smoke At Carleton
the smoke was so thick that it became neces-
sary to light the headlight. which was done
by Fireman Jack MCGOWAN. [ spoke to
Jack about it, and said l guessed we were
going to have rain. We never thought the
fire was SO near US. On AMI on through the
night of smoke the engine rushed on its way
to Hlnckley. We We're due there at O. lock
and arrived three minutes lGte. AS pulled
into the station saw an excite mob Of peO-
pie who took my train by storm. That was
the first intimation | had that we were so
near the fire. The people were terror
stricken. l could not have started the en-
CINE without running persons down on the
tracks in front Of me. [ received no orders,
and as my train was completely filled with
passenger who had boarded it while we
were standing there, l was about to pull the
throttle to cross the Hinckley bridge when a
wall of flame fully ten feet high burst
through the rolling smoke right III front OF
my engine, cutting off all hope Ct making
the bridge. | noticed that the win was
from the south, and knew then that tIte fire
must have already crossed the bridge and
destroyed it, so I reversed the engine and wa
began q race with the flames back from
Hinckley.
''There was not much time for thinking,
but I remembered a shallow marsh, known
as Skunk Lake, about six miles back and
north of Hinckley, and made up Hy mind
to reach that lake, come what might. There
was no other salvation. The wind was blow
ing the fire in the same direction we were
going, and the flames raced along in the tall
grass on both sides Of US, almost keeping
pace with the speed of the train. 1 put on
my heavy coat and pulled it over my head,
and Jack got back in the manhOle OF the
tank. He would stand up and throw water
over me as long as he could stand the heat,
and then he would retreat to the manhole
again, and in that way we got to Skunk
Lake, not more than two minutes before the
flames. We piled out Of the cab, Jack and L,
cutting off the air and kicking the cars down
about two car lengths, and made for the
lake, getting there just as the fire struck US.
1t was awful"
Engineer Root continued, after resting a
moment, "And hope may never live to
go through such an experience again. The
fire swept right over uT, ana we hal TO lie
fiat in the water for Il time. After the first
sheet of flame passed over us It was not so
bad, but still the heat was terrible. The
woods were burning all around US, and to
add to the horror of the time the train
caught on fire and the cars burned flercely,
radiating an awful heat, which affected US
almost rs much as the first fire, we were so
near the track. For four hours we remained
in the water, and then the ground began to
cool sufficiently at the eIge OF the lake so
that we were enabled to stanl on the bank
by wrapping our heads in coats. Later
went to the engine and sank down or the hot
seat of the cab, the engine having passed
through the fiery ordeal almost unscathei.
1 did not fall asleep, but into a kind OF
stupor, from which l was not fully aroused
until the rescuing parry came Tor us with
hand ears. So far as [ know there were only
two persons on our train who lost their
lives. They were a couple of Chtnam9n VINO
could not be gotten eff the train, and they
were burned to death on the cars. 1t must
have been terrible experience to those Wo-
men and little children hopasset the night
in the water Of the lake"
chow did you get away from Skunk
Lake," the reporter asked, as Engineer
Root stopped to rest a few moments and
called for some more water.
''We stayed there until about o'clock in
the morning, when relief party came
through from Mission Creek, about four
miles south of Hinckley. on hand cars. It
was impossible to run an engine through,
and they took US away, n few ut a time, I'M
til the entire number was safely landed at
Mission Creek, where we were taken on q
wor. train to Pine City. At that point we
were taken on board the Duluth special and
brought home"
Engineer Root is a man of the rugged,
fearless type so commonly met with in his
walk of life. He is flfty-one years old and
has run an engine on the Duluth road seven
years, and during most Of that time he has
pulled the Duluth limited passenger trains.