Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-03
LAY ROASTED BY FAMILIES,
One Hundred and Thirty CorPses i'm Five
Acres of Swamp-Dead in Winrows.

One Hundred and Thirty CorPses in Five
Acres of Swamp-Dead in Winrows.
Probably 300 of them left on foot or in
vehicles, plunging into the woods to the
north. across the Grindstone river, which
skirts the town on that side. Over the
hill that rises beyond the Grindstone Is a
swamp, and to this most of the people
with teams headed, but it proved no pro-
lection. The fire gave them no opportun-
ity to 20 further. 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,
in n space of little more than four or five
acres, were counted over 1870 corpses
There were many families of five, six and
seven, and there they lay. the man gener-
ally little in advance, the mother sur
sounded by her little ones, cut of by the
most horrible Of deaths.
Nearly all the bodies were nude, the fire
having burned of every vestige of cloth
ing and blackened and charred many of
the corpses beyond recognition, and where
whole families were wiped oU and some
OF the bodies completely incinerated
Identification Is absolutely out of the
question. Those who fled to the north on
foot followed tie Duluth track and so
rapid was the progress of the flames that
many of them were actually burned as
they fed. falling on the right of way for a
distance Of three miles or more. Nearly
thirty bodies were recovered along here
Some Of the foremost of the escaping citi-
zens 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 rs OF the refugees, who crowded
into the train, completely filing it. for it
had passenger list almost as large BY
this time the woods were blazing on each
side of the track, and as Root reversed his
engine and started back the cars scorched
ana cracked 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.
The people who remained in Hinckley
Jared the best of all. just beyond the
Eastern Minnesota tracks the road owned
= tract Of land embracing at least ten
acres 1t was purchased for a gravel pit,
and to the fact that it had been used for
| this purpose almost to its exhaustion
about 100 Hinckleyites owe their lives.
The whole area indicated had been ex.
| cavated to q depth in the center of thirt "
| or forty feet. There was q stagnant pool
of rainwater in the center three feet in
greatest depth. The pit was wide and
deep, and to II fled those of the citizens
who were willing to trust to its friendly
| depths.
1t was really the safest place abou,
Hinckley. The people went in tere as the
| eastern train pulled out, a few minutes
after o'clock, and here 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 wa.
drowned. So far as known this was the
| only tragedy of the gravel pit.
Others of the citizens sought refuge in
the Grindstone river, under the abut
ments of the two railway bridges and tn,
foot bridge. The exact number cannot b,
known, as they were scattered along
considerable stretch of the little stream
Some were drowned. Mrs. Martin Martin
son and her four fexen-haired little babe
were taken from the waters edge, as pitt
full sight as mans eye ever witnessed
They were not touched by flames, bu,
suffered the more merciful death by
| water.