The Bessemer indicator., 1894-09-08
A RACE WITH DEATH.
story of the Engineer on the Re.cuing
Train nj Hinckley.

West Superior Wis. sept 5.-Engi-
| nccr William Rest of the original res.
cuins passenger train on the eastern
Minnesota says that he felt IN n ser-
Gus frame OF mind last Saturday after
noon. as II would be possible under
any circumstances
I'VE We're brought face to face with
DEATH he said ''and that is all there
was TO It, II Il man could keep his
head under the trying circumstances Of
that dreadful holocaust he need not
fear for his self-control or courage
Soon after leaving Superior nt :lJ p
uil J had to light the headlight. owing
to the dense smoke. which turned day
into night The heat, rs We approach
ed Ilinckley. Increased. expected
that when We reached that point we
would get In the opening and escape
the smoke. My surprise was great
therefore, when we found the fire right
upon the town. II took but IA glance
TO see that the town was doomed. The
wind blew with great velocity. and the
flames fairly lcapcd through the mir
The people Were taken by surprise and
were helpless. The comm. lire seemed
more like Il stroke OF lightning Al
most in an instant the town was sweep
by billows OF flames We could no,
pass HIucllley, ana there was no use
to look for orders. for communication
was cut OH. II was one of those cases
where men have 10 make up their
minds In an instant what Is Ia he done.
and do IT without hesitation Here
Were hundreds of panic stricken pco-
pie who We're doomed II they were not
Instantly rescued ON the other hand,
the safety of the train and its passcn-
gers lay in prompt retreat. To stay
and rescue us many rs we could WAS
our duty, of course. hut the great utics-
tion, and upon II hung the lives OF
many hundreds. was; How long dare
we waltz
Ed Barry was there with engine
No %, and W. ID. Campbell. the con
ductor were as plucky and brave fcl-
lows AS ever passed Il mile post We
knew we were safe in making time.
and as this train hal the right 6f way
We know that M other train would
dare to stay ON the main line without
orders, II moving south. We hastily
coupled a portion of tanpbell's freight
train with engine ahead on To the rear
OF our train The people rushed to
our train and piled into the cars. Some
of them We're aged. and then there
were the helpless womrn and children
who had To be helped aboard. We had
10 shift the position of the train sew
cral times TO prevent II from catching
fire, We We're all brcnt thing fire rs II
was. W" saw many sights that would
have iillcd MS with horror IL seen under
other circumstances. hut there was
horror everywhere We saw people
fail down. overcome by the heat and
smoke. | saw others with their babes
81 II fu lei In tn. 1,.I
their helpless charges. 1t was sight
10 make men weep, let alone angels.
w" saw peopl" surrounded by fire
but there is no use in my trying TO de
scribe II 10 you. An eye witness
knows wha, he saw but II Is positively
indescribablc. If Victor Hugo could
have seen that sccthing hell of flames
he might be able to describe II, but 1t
would require n gifted tongue to tell
It, few of our passengers became
panic stricken and wanted me to pull
ont regardless of others at HinckIcy,
but OF course none of us thought of do
ing such cowardly and selfish acts. We
got about 100 people from Hinckley
aboard, maybe more, aud slipped away
to take others who had run up the
track.
At last we realized that the critical
ulpIu'ul nuu ifTlNtur we cpllu MOI
rescue any more of the people. for they
could not get TO the train. As many
as came 10 us were taken. 4 very
large percentage Of those WHO remain
ed persisted. Away we went through
the blazing woods. and maybe we did
not NY II was II race with death.
There was dcatll behind. and SO far
as we knew, maybe ahead of us, loo.
The telegraph posts and the ties were
on fire and n stream of flame passed
upon the train. The people were pack
ed SO closely in the train that 1t was
impossible to move We passed sew
eral bridges that Were on fire the fire
having already reached them. At
Partridge we stopped and procured
water for the passengers. The people
at Partridge supposed they We're safe.
but 1t appears that within half an hour
the fire had reached them. thus giving
an idea OF how fast the flames ,rav.
elcd,
At IIinckley and all along the line
the wind blew tcmpcsts. We all drew
u sigh of relief when we reached the
limits Of superior and knew that our
precious freight was safe"