The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-07

BRLTE ENGINEER ROOT.
His Own Story OF the Trains Backward
Race with the DeyourinK Flames.

WHITE BEAR LAKE MINI. Sept. O.
The experience Of Engineer James Root
on the doomed train Is one that will not
be met with more than once in a lifetime.
and reads like q chapter Of horrors. He
was brought I'm TO his home this morning
at II 80 clock on the first relief train.
accompanied by Mrs. Root. who met him
at Pine city. Ills injuries DO not consist
OF severe burns. He IS suffering from the
severe mental strain and the awful physI-
cal ordeal through which he went He
suffered heat 81 intense that weaker men
would have died from its effects and all
the way during tEat fearful run he was
compelled 10 breathe the suffOcating
fumes OF smoke that made night OF the
day, so black was IL. The cuts on his
face and neck from the falling glass Oi
his cab windows are not serious, and the
doctors say that all h. needs 10 pull MIN
through is rest and absolute quiet
About o'clock this evening. after Doe
had become somewhat rested. reporter
was admitted 10 the darkened room In
which ne was lying at his home ON the
corner Of Banning avenue and Firth
street. He was unable 10 say more than
a half dozen words AZ a time without
stopping 10 rest, and sometimes his words
were cut short by sharp splsm OF pain
But the story i'm his own words is thrill
ing almost beyond comparison. After
Mrs. Root had mOistencd his lips with cold
water the engineer sank back among the
cushions ON his couch. and for moment
closed his eyes as he recalled 10 his
memory the scenes Of the night before
Then. TN a voice scarcely louder than
whisper. he began.
when we left Duluth Saturday after
noon the air was heavy with smoke. At
Carleton the smoke was SO thick that II
became necessary 10 light the headlight
which was done by Fireman Jack Me
Gowan. I spoke 10 Jack about it, and
said / guessed we were going 10 have
rain. We never thought tho fire was so
near us. on and on through the night
frLIn
To Hiuckley. We We're due there at
o'clock and arrived three minutes late.
As / pulled into the station ! saw an OK
cited mob of people. who took my train
by storm. That was the first intimatiou
had that We were SO near the fire. The
people were tcrrOr-stricken. ! could not
have started the engine without running
persons down on the track in front OF me.
| received no orders and a. my train was
completely filled with passengers VINO had
boarded IL while We were standing there,
WAS about to pull the throttle 10 cross
the Hnckley bridge when wall OF flame
fully ten feet high burst through the roll
ing smoke right IN front of my engine,
cutting off All hope of making the bridge.
1 noticed that the wind was from the
south and knew then thar the IRE must
have already crossed the brllBe anu u',
stroved II. so / reversed the engine ana
we began a race with the flames back
from Hinckley. -,
There vas not much time for think
ing but | remembered a shallow marsh.
known as skunk Lake. about six miles
hack and NORTH Of Hincklcy. and I mad.
ND my mind 10 reach that lake, com"
what might There was no other saliva
ton. The wind was blowing me fire IN
the same direction We were going, ana
on both sides Of us. almost keeping pace
with the speed Of the train. ! put on my
heavy coat and pulled It over my head.
and Jack got back In the mauhole ~ the
L. 81
water over me as long as ne could stand
the heat. and then he would retreat 20
the manhole again. ana I'm that way We
got 10 skunk Lake, not more than tWO
minutes before the flames. We piled ont
Of the cab. Jack and l cutting Of the
air and kicking the ears down about two
e-gths and made for the Lake. get
unS there Just as the fire struck us Dr.
Engineer Root continued. after rest.ng
a moment. And | hope / may neve,
i've TO 90 through suc0 an experience
again. The fire swept right over MS and
we had to lie fat in the water for "a
time. After the first sheet OF flame pass
ed over us II was not 50 bad but stu
the heat was terrific. The woods wera
burning all around us. and 20 add IN the |
horror Of the time the train caught an
fire and the cars burned nercelv r4dla-
ting an awful heat. which affected ms |
almost as much as the first fire We wera |
so near the track. For four hours we !
ground began 10 cool sufficiently at the |
edge II the lake so that We were enabled |
TO stand on the bank by wrapping our |
heads in coats. Later / went 10 tho on
CINE and sank down on the hot seat |
or the cab. the engine having passed |
through the fiery ordeal almost unscath- |
"a. | did not fall asleep but into \ |
kind Of stupor. from which | was not |
fully aroused until the rcscuing party |
came for us with hand cars SO far as
know there were only two persons on |
our train who lost their~~fives. Thev
were a couple OF Cinnamon who could not
be gotten of the train. ami they were
burned 10 death on the cars. II must /
have been a terrible experience 10 those
women and little children who passed the
night in the water Of the lake"
How id you get away from Skunk
.akeT the reporter asked. as Engineer
Root stopped 10 rest a few moments
md called for some more water.
I'VE stayed there until about q o'clock |
n the morning. when relief party came
through from Mission Greek, about four
niles south OF Hnckley. on hand cars.
I was impossible 10 run an engine
through. and they took MS away. few
L time. until the entire number was
W were taken on a work train 10 Pine
'ity. At that point We We're taken on
oari the Duluth special and brought
ONE"
Engineer Root is a man Of the rugged.
earless type so commonly met with in |
is walk OF life. He is ffty-One years
ID and has run an engine on the Duluth
hat time he has pulled the Duluth
mited passenger. trains.-Mnneapolis
'ribune.