Connecticut western news., 1894-09-06


 people, including Dr. Kelcey of New Brighton, who had come to look after his brother.
 The people who were left in the city wore in what seemed to be an almost hopeless condition. Egress by the only means of transportation that could hope to distance the swiftly advancing flames was out of the question. The men hnd been fighting fire for hours, and the women and chill dren were in panic stricken condition. Many of them were of the more ignorant population, for very large percentage of the people who got out on the Great North ern railroad was of the moro intelligent class.
 Race For Life.
 Horses were harnessed to buggies and wagons. Women and children were hur- riedly loaded. In some cases attempts wore made to carry off some household goods, but In most instances the people had no thought for aught but tn cir lives. Probably goo of them left town on foot or in vehicles, plunging into the woods to the north across the Grindstone river, which skirts the town to the north.
 They were literally fleeing before the pursuing demon of firc Over the hill that rises behind Grindstone Is a camp, and to this most of the people with teams headed, but it proved no protection. The fire gave them no opportunity to go fur thcr.
 Some abandoned their teams and ran into the lower portions of the morass, but the fire sought them out Not one was left to tell the tale, and there Sunday morn ing, in a space of little more than four or five acres, were counted 130 oorpses.
 There were many families of five, six and seven, and there they lay, the men generally a little in advance, the mother surrounded by her little ones, cut off by the most horrible of deaths Nearly all the bodies were nude, the fire having burn- ed every yestige of their clothing and biackened and oharred many of the corpses beyond recognition. Where whole fami- lies were wiped out as they were, and some of the bodies completely incinerated, Identification Is absolutely out of the question.
 Those who fled to the north on foot fol lowed the Duluth track, and so rapid was the progress of the flames that many of them were actually burned as the fled, falling on the right of way for distance of three miles or more Nearly 30 bodies were recovered along here.
 Some of the foremost escaping citizens met the Duluth train coming in from the north. Engineer Jim Root was at the throttle. He stopped the train and took on board about 125 of the refugees, who crowded into the train, completely filling 1t, for it had passenger list almost as large.
 By this time the weeds were blazing on each side of the track, and as Root re- versed his engine and started back the cars scorched and crackled in the heat Root ran the train back about three miles to Skunk Lake, and the people escaped from the burning cars to the water, and no lives were lost, either of passengers or refugees.
 The people who remained in Hinckley fared the best of all. The Eastern Mime sota tracks marked the eastern edge of the city proper. Just beyond the road lay a tract of land, probably embracing 10 acres It was purchased for gravel pit to furnish material for the filling up of the approach to the company's bridge across the Grindstone and at other points along its line.
 Saved by a Gravel Pit.
 To tho fact that 1t had been used for this purpose almost to its exhaustion about loo Hinckleyites owe their lives. The whole area indicated had been exca- vated to a depth in the center of 30 or 40 feet There was a stagnant pool of rain water in the center three feet in its great est depth. The pit was wide and deep, and to it fled the citizens who were will ing to trust to its friendly depths. There wero possibly 100 of them and in addition to the human beings number of domes- tic animals.
 Cows, horses, oxen, pigs, chickens, etc. sough safety here.
 It was roally the safest place about Three or four hundred trunks were rolled down the sioping bank, passing the fire unscathed. The people went in there as the eastern train pulled out few minutes after 4 o'clock, and thure they remained until after s, while the smoke and flames from the burning city rolled over their heads. They dashed water over each other and covered their heads with wet cloths to prevent suffocation.
 One unknown man succumbed to the smoke or the terrible strain and fell into the water and was drowned. So far as known this was the only tragedy near the pit.
 Other citizens sought refuge in the Grindstone under the abutments of the two railway bridges and the foot bridge. The exact number cannot be known, as they were scattered along a considerable distance. That many escaped and some were drowned is we'll known
 Mrs. Martin Martinson and her four little children were taken drowned from the water the next morning
 In the meantime Hinckley was burning with frightful rapidity, and in few hours nothing was left but blackened ruins.
 The loss will certainly exceed more than $1, 900, GOO, with light insurance.
 Fifty Burned at Sandstone.
 The situation at Sandstone is even more appalling than at Hinckley except in point of numbers. Of the 200 people in the town one-fourth are dead.
 Otto Stafferfeldt reached here from that place. He says the people were just pre- pairing to leave when the fire closed in on three sides and not single person saved thing except his clothes. About 160 went to the river, and 50 or 50 were burn ed to death. At f o'clock in the morning he saw over 40 bodies charred and burned lying on every side. The people who were saved are living on potatoes and carrots left in the ground.
 Mr. Gilroy, conductor on the Eastern Minnesota road, says all the bridges have been burned. One gentleman found 47 dead bodies at Sandstone lying uncovered in the sun. The people are destitute of everything.
 In addition to 47 bodies at Sandstone there were 20 at Kettle River Junction.
 All the settlers in the vicinity are prob ably burned to death. O'Neil brothers nao I2 camps m the wooas Jnere, and all these are burned. Most of the inmates, however are believed to have escaped with their lives. There are II homeless families at Mission Greek, and the same story Is true of several other places in that vicinity.
 Suffering In Pine City. Pine City has turned the skating rink and courthouse, as well as many private houses, into hospitals, where 90 sufferers , are receiving medical aid and careful nursing.
 The town hall Is used as an eating h0uaa whara all homaloSS paOple are sub-