Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-04
FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH.
Experience of Those Who Went Out
to Rescue.

to Rescue.
WEST SUPERIOR, Wis, September A.
Engineer William Best Of the original res
cuins passenger train on the Eastern Min
nesota says that he felt In as serious a
fraEie of mind last Saturday afternoon as
IL would be possible to be under any circum-
stances.
I'VE were brought face to face with
DEATH he said. land that Is all there was
OF IT, IL man could keep his head under
the trying circumstances Of that dreadful
holocaust he need not fear for his seif-con-
troll or courage. Soon after leaving Superior
at lis pm / had to light the headlight
owing to the dense smoke, which turned
day into night The heat as we approached
Hinckley Increased / expected that when
we reached that point that we would get
INTO the open and escape the smoke NV
surprise was great. when we found
tne nre right upon the town. 1t took but a
glance 10 see that the town was doomed
me wind blew with great velocity and the
namss rairly leaped through the air. The
people. taken by SURPRISE were helpless.
The coming fire seemed more like a stroke
OF lightning
Almost in an instant the train was
swept by pillows Of flames. We could not
pass Hinckley and there was no use to
look for orders. for communication was
cut on IL was one of those cases where
men nave to make up their mind In an
instant what Is to be done and do 1t without
hesitation. Here were hundreds of manic
stricken people who were doomed if they
were not instantly rescued. On the other
nand, safety of the train and its passengers
laS IN prompt retreat: To stay and rescue
as many as We could was our duty of
course. but the great question, and upon
IL hung the lives of many hundreds was
now long dare We wait? Ed. Barry was
there with No. %. In charge of the engine
and w. ID. Campbell. the Conductor az
piucky and brave fellows as ever passed a
mile post We knew We were safe in MAX
ing time. for We could return on No. % 5
TIME. and as this train had the right of
way we knew that no other train would
dare TO stay on the main line without or
uers, III moving south. We hastily coupled
a portion of Campbelrs freight train with
train oNi
THE ffame-pursued people rushed toward
our train AMI piled into the cars Some of
them were aged. and then there were the
aeipless women and children who had to be
neiped aboard. We had to shift the position
OF the train several times to prevent IL from
taxing hre We were all breathing fire. as
~ ~ was. we saw many sights that would
nave niied US with horror. II seen under
'other circumstances. but there was horror
everywhere. We saw people fall down over
come by the heat and smoke; saw mothers
with their babies make a last despairine ef
fort to shelter their helpless charged n
was sight to make men weep let alone
angels We saw people surrounded by fire.
out there is no use In my trying to describe
II to you
An eye witness knows what he saw lint
IL was positively Undesirable A few of our
passengers became panic stricken and
wanted me TO pull out regardless of suf-
ferers at Hinckley. but of course none of
US thought of doing such a cowardly act
We got about 100 Hinckley people aboard
maybe more. and slipped of to take Others
VINO had run up the track. At last we real
lzed that the critical moment had come
We could not rescue all of the people for
they could not get 10 the train. As many
as came 10 US were taken. very large
percentage OF those who remained must
nave persisted. Away We went through the
oiaZlns woods. and maybe we didn't fly
II was a race with death. There was
ueatn behind. aid, so far as we knew. NAV
De aEead OF us. too. The telegraph posts
anu the Ties were on fire, and a stream of
name passed under the train The neonle
were packed SO closely in the train that II
Was impossible to move. We passed several
puiininss tnat were on fire. the fire having
already reached them At Partridge We
stopper and procured water for the pas
sengers- The fire was roaring behind ma
tnen- The people at Partridge supposed
.hey were safa, but Ii appears that within
Ian an hour the fire had reached them.
ms fact gives an idea OF how fast the
names travelled At Hinckley and all along
the nae the wind blew a tempest We drew
a sigh of relief when We reached the limits
OF Superior. and knew that our precious
freight was safe