The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-04
HINCKLEY'S HOLOCAUST.
Relief Rapidly Extended the Homeless
UnfOTtunateS.

and Returning With Vast Numbers
of the Homeless-Burialo of the Dead
Careful Work in Estimating the
Bodies.
Duluth, Mimi, Sept "a special cor
respondent, investigating the result of the
fire in the towns burned on the ST. Paul
and Duluth road, counted 3l2 dead bodies.
There are 217 dead at Hinckley, II at
Sandstone, % at Pine City and sc between
Sandstone and Miller, with the interior
yet to hear from.
So far as heard from the forest fires
which have shut Duluth out of communi.
cation with the outside world for over
twenty-four hours both by wire and rail
have almost completely wiped out six
towns. Hinckley, MINI, at the junction
Of the st. Paul and Duluth and Eastern
Minnesota railways, population 400 or
l,5OO; Sandstone, fifteen miles north on the
Eastern road, a quarry town, population
LOCO; Partridge and Mansfield, small
stations farther north near the Wiscon-
sin border. population 300 EACH Shell
Lake and Baronette, Wis, on the Omaha
road south of Spooner, population 1000
each, both lumb Der towns. Besides these
Bayfield, and Washburn, Wis. on Lake
Superior, from which nothing can be
heard, have probably suffered consider
ably, and numerous little settlements all
through the northern parts of Wisconsin
and Minnesota. No names can be obtained
on account of interrupted transportation
and telegraphic facilities.
THE SEARCH FOR THE DEAD.
A relief train returned at 10 30 O'Clock
this morning from run down the ST.
Paul and Duluth road, bringing about $50
destitute and blistered people from points
along the line. At Sandstone fifty bodies,
most of which have been identified, were
found. The work of searching for the
dead still continues. Another train is
being made up here to carry supplies,
clothing and doctors, and will leave for
the burned districts early this afternoon.
PLACE OF MOURNING.
Hinckley, Mimi, Septemb Der "a gen
tie rain is falling to-day and quenchlng
the burning embers of the immense for
est fires, that did so much damage in this
city Saturday afternoon and night. The
blackened ruins OF two or three brick
buildings is all that remains standing of
the once prosperous town of Hinckl ey
with it's l 200 people and its busy railroad
and numbering interests. This is to-day
place of mourning, and the burial of the
charred and unrecognizable bodies of the
hundreds of victims has saddened the sur
vivors even more than the disaster itself.
Inc hre was so overwhelming in its i'm
mensity that none could, in the first terror
of the moment realize how great was their
loss Each was so intent on saving
his own life that little thought
was given tc the disaster in general bv
most people, although many cases of hero
ism have been reported. The bodies
thus far recovered have been placed in
rough pine boxes for burial and the ma
1ority of them have been buried without
there being any knowledge of their linden
tity.
The company has but 10000. 900 feet of
timber remaining, which is so located
that IL can be sawed to better advantage
at other points than by rebuilding here
at a probable cost of $4,000 to S75. .OOO
The timber hereabouts and in the immedi-
ate vicinity is well cut and burned off
and there is no chance of any other com
pany coming in. Without an enterprise
of this kind there is no future for Hinck-
ley except as a junction point.
The total loss of life will never be
definitely known. There were scattered
through the woods settlers, clearings and
lumber camps, with their watchmen. and
many people undoubtedly burned whose
bodies were completely destroyed and
will never be found.
SITUATION DIFFICULT TO PORTRAY.
AT l o'clock p. N. a baggage car came
from Pine City loaded with provisions
was guarded by soldiers of the First regi-
ment. Many who had been working
since yesterday in the cemetery without
food were first attended 10. Then the
crowd of homeless refugees who surged
around the car were fed. The
caboose which came up on tie
train was started back to Pine City and
it was crowded with refugees. 1t was a
pitiable scene. These people had loaves
OF dry bread which they had got from the
supply car and they ate it with ravenous
appetite. Many of them had not eaten since
noon Saturday. 1t is difficult to portray
the situation at Hinckley. A few refu-
gees, half score searchers, a team or
TWO transporting boxes containing dead
bodies, the place whore town had been
THAT is the picture.
THE ONLY BUSINESS.
The only business in progress is bury
ing the dead. Identification is an exceed
mgly difficult matter, and most of the So
called identihcations of dead bodies are
mere guesses. 1t will be fully ten days,
perhaps longer, before all the missing are
positively located. The registration com
mittee, of which H. H. Hart is chairman,
Is Dusily engaged trying to locate people,
ascertaining their condition and necessi-
Ties OF all applicants for relief, and this
means nearly every survivor from the
burned district. Rain has fallen through
~ Nu0 SltlTe region tO-udSs so budV bu6
Danger of further loss by the fire is over
NUMBER OF THE DEAD.
ST. Paul, MINI, Sept. "a correspon-
oe1t of the Pioneer Press at Hinckley
says: THE latest verified reports Of the
number of dead do not materially alter
the former estimates In fact, that esti-
mate is proving remarkably exact, con-
Slderlng the confusion of the first day.
one element that makes close figuring
very dificut, is the fact that bodies seen
IN the woods and along the track are
not infrequently reported to two
FONTS and sent out from each as
among its dead. Then, too, the tendency
oI the occasion, bad as it is, lis to exagzer-
aIion. However, eliminating these doubt
lul elements as far as possible, from its
approximation, the Pioneer Press is con-
Nlhced that the total is as nearly exact as
possible. The Pioneer Press correspond
ehJ has actually counted 1874 of these, and
the margin allowed about all that
necessary. The figures are as
,,9,iows: Hinckley, 200; Sandstone, 81
Siuier, II; between Skunk Lake and
nliller, y; Pokegama, 2S; in lumber
lamps and scattering (estimate) 80, Total
Iardmaster David Williamson Of Du.