The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-09-08
CompIeter Details Of Saturdays
Forest Fires.
NUMBER OF DEAD INCREASES.
Fothing but Ruins Mark tho Site OF the
Once Prosperous Town Of Hinck-
ley-Relief Coming In.

can not tell lu0 otOIy VI NS"s"
struction that IL revealed to the traveller
on the s.. Paul & Duluth relief train
from Mission Creek, two miles above
the little town of Miller. or Sandstone
junction. The nwfulness Of the scene
which strikes upon the eyes Of the OBJ
server az he reaches the camp which
was once the town of Hinckley, is SIN
more strongly Impressed upon MS
mind as lie journeys northward. = rms
morning the smoke had lifted. reveal
ing a landscape bare and black, the
few standing trees being charred 10 q
height of 40 feet, while the grsund was
of that peculi II. that Of brown sano
mixed with Cznpowder, for the grass
had been burned even 10 the roots.
Judge Nethaway ef saltwater and
members of the relief party started or
q handcar loaded with provisions to
relieve the people Of ardstoLe. Two
miles above Hinckley they found lying
by the trunk of u tree the body OF
man which was evidently that of q
lumberniar. The relief party proceeded
as far as Skunk lake. where the Duluth
limited train was burned. Here they
found Engineer Williams 10 charge 81
q gang of men rebuilding burned
bridges. From them 1t was learned
that the people living at Sandstone had
been taken 10 Duluth by the specials
on Sunday night and their pressing
necessities relieved, 50 help from Pine
CITY was not needed. The party there
fore resolved itself into one to search
for bodies of the Victims.
Rescuing Bodies.
The house of John Robinson WIS
near Skunk lake, at the edge of the
woods, and the family finally sought
refuge in the CELLAR. There was no es-
cape from the fire, and the party found
the bodies of Robinson and wife and
Mary, their eldest daughter, and two
email children. All clothing was
burned from the bodies, but the VIC
Uims had evidently been suffocated
before the flames had reached them.
The hands of the eldest daughter were
uplifted, with the palms together IN
attitude Of prayer.
Within 600 yards of the spot where
Engineer Root stopped his train was a
long trench running from little body
of water, which proved q place of safe
ty for the passengers OIL the limited.
Following along this trench. the party
came upon the partially clothed body
of q man who, In personal appearance.
corresponded to the description OF
General Passenger and Freight Agent
Rowley of the Duluth & Winnipeg
railroad. An examination of the dead
mans shirt showed the name of Row.
ley. and 1t is supposed he was passen.
ger on the limited and In taking to the
ditch expected to reach the lake. Other
bodies found by the party were those
OF man aud woman, who had evil
IDENTIFY lied from farm house near by,
and the bodies of two men. who are
supposed t. have been passengers In
the burned train.
Number OF tho Dead. I
The latest verified reports of the
number Of dead do not materially alter
the former estimate. In fact, that es-
Innate is proving remarkably exact,
considering the confusion of the frat
day. One element that makes close
figuring very difficult is the fact that
bodies seen In the woods and along the
tract are not infrequently reported at
two points and sent out from each as
among its dead. Then, too. the ten
dency of the occasion, bad as 1t is, Is
toward exaggeration. However. elm
mating those doubtful elements as far
as possible, the total is nearly as exact
as is possible. The number Of dead at
Hinckley is placed at 200. The Pio-
neer- Press correspondent has actually
counted 1874 of these. and the margin
allowed IL about all that Is necessary.
The figures are as follows: Hinckley,
200; Sandstone, 81; Miller, ~; between
Skunk Like aud Miller. IL; Pokegama,
%; In lumber camps and scattering, SO.
Total. 1854. :
Yardmaster Williams Hero. !
i, Yardmaster Dave Williams of Du.
luth has proved himself q hero. He Is a
man who grasped the situation, acted
on his knowledge and promptly re.
lieved the people of Sandstone. He
received message from Miller last
night which said: "There are $50 pee
pie at Sandstone without food or
shelter. For Gods sake, get them out
Of there quick" Within q short time
an engine in charge of the yardmaster
was cent to to Sandstone. The entire
road, after the burned district was
reached, was patrolled and the engine
kept up continual whistline, 30 that
any person " no might te near the track
would come to the track. When the
train arrived at Sandstone Junction il
was met by nearly the entire popuIa-
ton Of Sandstone and Miller The
depot platform at Miller had been
burned and there was not house left
standing. About $50 people were taken
aboard and q messenger sent TO Sand
stone, who Informed the people Of the
arrival of the relief Very few 70
manned, and they all had loved one.
lying dead.
Bodies Scattered About.
There was no attempt to care for tn,
dead, who were scattered throue b thu
streets Of the town. Everything In
flammable at Sandstone was destroyed
and today,s investigation brought thu
number Of the dead Mt that place up t.
81, with 81 people missing. Mr.. Web
ster, father Of Mayor Webster Of thi'
town, was among the dead. and thi
afternoon Mr.. Webster went 70 Sand
atone 70 bury his father and mother
The scene ct Sandstone, AZ described
by Webster, was hsartrending. Thu
streets Of the town were only lines o
heaps Of ashss. Within the lines LAY
10 bodies, scattered at random. and p