The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1894-09-06
OTHER S'rOCKHOLDERs.

tuo cdSt olue VI Nulutu CIdCh, huu
the brave fire fighters for the first
time gave up the unequal battle, e,and
already too late in many istances,
turned their attention to their per-
sonal safety. The Eastern Mime
sofa train from the south had just
come III and people of the panic
stricken city Aocksd to it for safety
A numb.r of box cars were coupled
on and filed and covered with men
women and children. Some were
costless, some few clutchsd pitiful
bundle of the more precious Of their
portable possessions Families were
separated. Children joined the
throng and left parents. In all there
was a motley crowd of about 45O or
more people. The train pulled out
just ahead of the fire and succeeded
in ultimately reaching Duluth. This
circumstance, while fortunate in a
degree that can not be estimated,
has made the confusion greater, for
it is not known who escaped in this
way, and many people are reported
dead who may be in safety. Had
not this number of people, largely
women and children, left the doom
ed city when they did, the loss oi
life would have increased in geom
etrical ratio, for the presence would
have added immeasurably to the
subsequent confusion.
About the same hour the accomo
dation train on the Hinckley and
ST. Cloud branch left for the latter
place with about twenty-five passen
gers. It's path lay directly across
the path of the fire and their situa
ton speedily became desperate. The
ties were burning, the rails were
warping and the trestles were sag
ging under the train. The smoked
had increased so that the engineer
was helpless. He could not see the
train behind him. Burning trees
lay across the track and were being
tossed aside by the engine. Sud
denly the track gave way and the
train toppled off to one side. Nc
one was injured, and they pressed
on to Pokegama station, a few rods
| ahead But few feet in front o.
the engine was discovered gorge
sixty feet wide and forty feet deef
where the trestle had been burned
away. They succeeded in reaching
the clearing about the station and
escaped with few burns and bruis
es. There were burned along the
track, however, four or five people
including Dr. Kelcev of New Brigh
ton, who had come up to look aftel
his brother.
The people who were left in the
city were in what seemed to be al
most hopeless condition. Egress by
the only means Of transportation
that could hope to distance the
swiftly advancing flames was out oi
the question. The men had beer
fighting the fire for hours, and the
women and children were in a panic
stricken condition. Many of then
were of the more ignorant of th'
population,for very large per cent
age of the people who got out o,
the Great Northern railway were o
the more intelligent class. Horse
we're harnessed to buogies an,
wagons. Women and children wer
hurriedly loaded. la some case
attempts were made to carry oi
some household goods, but i'll mos
instances the people had no though
for aught but their lives. Probabl
200 of them left town on foot or il
vehicles, plungins into the wood
north across the Griudstone rivel
which skirts the town on the nortt
They were literally fleeing befor
the pursuing demon OF the fire
| Over the hill that rises bsyon'
the Grindstone is swamp and t
this most of the people with team