Evening journal., 1894-09-03
DEATH IN FLAMES
Continued from First Page.


Millonermhn Ilrel.4...-..4 ....4-el eOm pany,
b. Blanchard, wife and two children;
Louis Nelson, employee Eastern railway;
Peter Robertson, Nols Robertson, Mary
Robertson. Robertson child, - Hoff-
man and wife; Emma Dolan Belle
o 'Brien and Anna Wallace, demimonde.
The walls Of the sohoolhouse, the iron
fence about the town hall property, the
bank vault and one absolutely uniniured
outhouso are all that is loft to mark the
site of Hinckley, where stood a score OF
store buildings and a dozen times as
many dwelling houses.
The Turning of HinokIey.
Tho story Of the catastrophe which
wiped out the material possessions that
had mado Hinckley busy, prosperous
little city Is short one. Tho town was
built of wood. The schoolhouse erected
last year at n cost Of $40, 600 and ono-half
of the Duluth roundhouse were the only
brick structures In the city. BY one Of
those peculiar freaks for which there Is no
accounting the Eastern Minnesota round
house ana water tank on the southwest
ern edge Of the town, almost in the woods,
escaped tho flames--a circumstance the
moro remarkable from the fact that II
stood directly in the path Of the flames,
~
as If playing leapfrog.
The townspeople had been approhensive
for days The smoke rolling up from the
south told q story Enthusiastically plain to
those accustomed to q wooded country
The fire kept advancing, famed by the
wind, which was blowing a gale
About II o'clock at night the fire com
pany got out thoir engine and laid an
/, 500 foot line Of hose to the southern out
skirts OF tho town. The hose was all too
short for tho measure Of protection desir
cd, and telegram was sent TO Rush City
.or more. Five hundred feet were sent,
but it never reached Hinckley
The main part of the village lies in the
north fork made by the crossing of the
Duluth and Eastern traoks-the latter
to the east and the former on tho west.
On tho west side Of the Duluth tracks
were a fow small houses belonging TO the
railway employees. The flremens atten-
tion was mainly In the direction of keep
Ing the fire away from them, as the main
business part Of tho city was built in solid
| ly just across the track
About o clock In tho afternoon the
fro literally jumped into the town. Its
approach was not gradual. 1t did not cat
its way along, dcvouring everything in
! its pnth, but came in huge leaps, as if to
oyertake everything fleeing before it and
then burned back at ITS leisure.
1t is described by those who witnessed
| its onward progress at Hinckley and else
whore as If 1t were forced along by cy-
clones Of its own generation. Tho intense
heat would develop veritable whrlwind
| Of ilamo that actually twisted off poplar
trees several inches in diameter and car
ried thcm forward for somo 40 Co so rods,
| thore lct them fall and begin tho work Of
devastation anew.
The aro first struck Hinokley on tho
east side Of tho Duluth track, and brave
| fighters for the first tlmo gave up the un-
equal battle, and, already too late in many
| instances, turned their attention to their
| personal safety. Tho Eastern Minnesota
| train from the south had Just come in,
and tho people of tho panic stricken city
fled to it for safety A number Of box cars
were coupled on and filed and covered
with mon, women and children.
Fleeing From the Flames.
Somo were baroheaded, some were coat
less, somo few olutched a pitiful bundle OF
| the moro precious Of their portable pos.
sessions Families were separatcd chill
dren joined the throng and left parents.
L
45O or more people.
Tho train pulled out just ahead Of the
fire and succeeded In ultimately reaching
Duluth. This circumstance, while fortu
nate in degree that cannot be estimated
had made the confusion greater, for IL Il
not known who escaped in this way ano
many people are reported dead who may
be in safety.
Had not this number of people, largely
women and children left the doomed city
when they did the loss Of life would hav,
been increased, for their presence woull
have added immeasurably to the subse
quent confusion
About the same hour the aocommoda
tion train on the Hinckley and St Clout
branch left for the latter place with about
25 passengers. Its path lay directly across
tho path Of the fire, and their situation
speedily became desperate The ties werl
burning, the rails were warming, and tn,
trostles where sagging under the train
The smoke had Increased so that the en-
| gineer was helpless. He could not SEQ thl
train behind him. Burning trees lay OF
the track and were tossed aside by tho en-
gine.
Suddenly tho track gave way. and tht
train toppled or to the side No one wa
| injured, and they pressed on to Pokegam;
station, fow rods ahead But few fee
in front Of the engine was discovered
gorge go feet wide and 40 feet deep
whore the trostle had been burned away.
They succeeded in reaching the clearing
about the station and escaped with a few
burns and bruises. There were burnel
along the track, however, four or fv
people, including DIR. Kelcey Of New
Brighton, who had come to look after hi
brother
Tho people who were left in the city wer
in what seemed 20 be an almost hopeless
condition. Egress by tho only means 0
transportation that could hope TO distanc
the swiftly advancing flames was out o
the question. The men had been fightin
fire for hours, and the women and chill
J dren were In panic stricken condition
Many Of them were of the moro ignoran
, population, for very largo percentage q
the people who got out on the Great North
ern railroad was Of the more intelligen
, class.
A Race For Life.
Horses were harnessed to buggies an
wagons. Women and children were hun
; riedly loaded In some cases attempt
; We're made to carry off some househul
I. goods, but in most instances the peopl
I had M thouohf for aurrlt h,.f -, ~. 1t.-.,.