Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-03
DEATH IN FLAMES
Forest Fires Wipe Out Six Min
neSOta Towns.
ONE THOUSAND MAY BE DEAD
Hundreds of Unrecognizable Corpscs
Have Been Recovered.

Have Been Recovered.
The Greatest Loss of Life Was at HinckIey.
Where the Hurricane Driven Flames
Rushed MadIy Upon the People and
Drove Them Out on the PrairIes, where
They Were Burned to n Crisp-wiId Ride
of n TrainIoad of Refugees-Many Saved
by n Friendly Pool In Gravel PIt-Re-
lief Trains Sent to the Stricken Towns.
ST. PAUL, Sept. Six towns wiped
out and more than 500 dead is the record
made by the forest fires in this state in
the last SO hours.
Il Hinckley, Sandstone, Pokcgama,
Sandstone Junction, Skunk Lake and
Mission Creek there are 355 known dead.
In addition several hundred are missing,
while from $50 to 200 people were scatter
ed on farms throughout the district burn
cd over.
The destruction was complete in most
of the towns named, but some of the for
est lands escaped. The loss, however, will
be in the millions, and the loss of life
will not be definitely known for several
days, IL ever.
The relief trains carried supplies sent
out from this city. Minneapolis, Duluth
and other Minnesota towns, and tho suffer
ers are being handsomely cared for at
Pine City and other points.
Hinckley, Mimi, half way between
this city and Duluth, has been wiped out
by forest fires, and the list of the dead
may reach 1000. 1t will certainly exceed
500. and the reports now being received
would indicate that n larger figure may
not DO too great.
On a train from there were one or two
people who came through the fires and re-
late graphic stories of the scene.
The train from Duluth reached a point
a mile and a half above Hinckley some
time after midnight and was forced to re-
turn to point five miles away on account
of the threatening flames. Half n dozen
of the passengers, however, secured a
hand car and rode through the flames to
Hinckley, taking the north bound train
this side of there and returning on it to
this city.
On their return on the hand car they
encountered % dead bodies along the line
of the railway. Seventeen were discovered
at Hinckley during the morning, and -
others had boon found.
They say that the people of Hincklcy
ran to the woods when their houses caught
fire, and as tho timber aftcrward burned
it is moro than possible that great mum
bers persisted. The most conservative cs.
innate of tho dead is 200. Tho whole
country around Hinckley is on fire, and
the full extent of the disaster cannot bC
learned for a day.or two.
Other Towns Burned.
1t is feared that several other towns
have suffered like fate as Hincklcy.
Milaca called for help, and the RELIEF
train from st. Cloud was unable to get
beyond Bridgeman. Nothing further ha:
yet been received from Milaca, and how
much may have been the suffering can.
not at this time be told.
Bridgeman was apparently safe after d
hard fight. The flames have. however
been very threatening around that town
and Us it is very dry all over that part oi
tho state the worst Is feared.
The party that came through the fire,
around Hinckley in the hand car suffered
severely from burns Their injuries, how
ever, will not prove fatal. They tell many
sad stories of what they saw. One WON
an had evidently tried to save her flvi
children AM was Overtaken by the flames
and the whole family persisted close to tn,
railroad track. Another case was where
mother, seeing her house in flames, raI
in to save her child. Her husband ais,
followed her, and the walls of the hous
caved in before they could get out
nS passenger lECIl lJuIuln Ol
which these men were is in ashes, anC
the rest of the passengers have taken ref
ugc in n marsh near skunk Lake whcr
they are surrounded by fire.
Tho engineer was badly burned by tn
flames, but stuck to his post and got al
the passengers out of the fire safely.
This engineer, James Root, Is ono O
the best known and pluckiost Of those il
the employ of the st. Paul and Duluth
| He tried to take his train through tn
| fires to Hincklcy. but when the cars Caugh
fire from the flying cmbcrs he reverse
| his engine and backed at full speed t
| Skunk Lake.
1t was so dark during the day that j
was almost impossible for any one to SO
| 100 feet away, and during tho night tn
| headlis Of the engine was useless. I'm
gineer - injuries are quite serious
but it Is n Il he will recover al
though repoTb opc.
Mission Creek In Ashes.
| The little town of Mission Creek, som
| little distance north of HincEley, is r,
| ported in ashes. Special trains were sen
out both from st Paul and Duluth wit
| full medicine stock and stan OF ply