Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-03

gave ND the unequal battle, already toe
late In many instances, and turned thelE
attention 10 their personal safety.
The Eastern Minnesota train from the
south bad just come in, and the people
OF the panic-stricken city hed to IL fol
safety. A number Of box cars were
coupled on, aud filled and covered with
men, women and children. Some were
bareheadsd, some were coatless, some
few clutched pitiful bundle Of the
more precious of their portable posses
si0nS.
FAMILIES WE'RE SEPARATED,
children Joined the throng and left par
ents. In all there was motley crowd
Of $50 or more people. The train pulled
out lust ahead OF the FIRE aud succeeded
Ia ultimately reaching Duluth. TheiI
circumstances, while fortunate In q
degree that cannot be esti
mated, had made the confusion greater,
TOR it is rot known who escaped
in this way, and many people are re
ported dead who may be In safety. Had
not this number OF people, largely
women and children, left she doomed
city when they did, the loss of life
would have increased Ia a geometrical
ratio, for their presence would have
added immeasureably TO the subsequent
confusion.
About the same hour the accommoda
ton train on the HinckleY and 81.
Cloud branch left for the latter place
with about twenty five passengers on
board. Ii path lay directly across the
path OF the fire and their situation
speedily became desperate. The ties
were burning, therails were warping and
the trestles were sagging under the
train. The smoke had increased so thai
the engineer was helpless. He could moi
soc the train behind him. Burning tree:
lay on the track and tossed aside by the
engine. Suddenly
THE TRACK GAVE WAY,
and the train tOpplsd of TO one side.
No one was Injured, and they pressed on
70 Pekegama Station, few rods ahead
But q few feet in front Of one OF the
engines was discovered a gorge sixty
feet wide and forty feet deep, where the
trestle had burned away. They
succeeded in reaching the clearing
about the station and escaped with q
few burns and bruises. There were
burned along the track, however, four
or five people, Including Dr. Kelley, oil
New Brighton, who had come up Ia
look after his brother.
The people who we're left in the city
were In what seemed 10 be an almost
hopeless condition. Egress by the only
means Of transportation that could hope
10 distance the swiftly advancing
flames was out Of the question. The
men had been fighting fire for hour:
aud the women aud children were In a
panie-stricken condition. Many
Of them were of the more
ignorant Of the population,
for a very large percentage OF the peo'
pie who got out on the Great Northern
railroad were of the more intelligent
class. Horses were harneSsed to bug.
gies and wagons. Women and children
were hurriedly loaded. 10 some cases
attempts were made 10 carry of some
household goods, but in most instances
the people had no thought for aHght but
their lives.
Probably 200 Of them left town OF
foot or In vehicles, plunRing into the
woods to the north across the Grind
stone river, which skirts the town on
the north. They we're literally fleeing
before the pursuing demon Of ire.
Over the hill that rises beyond the
GrindStone is a swamp and 10 this most
of the people with teams headed, but il
proved no protection. The fire CAV Z
them no opportunity 10 go further
Some abandoned their teams aud ran
iutO the lower portions OF the morass,
but the fire sought them out.
NOT ONE WAS LEFT
TO tell the tale and there this morning
in a space OF little more than four OF
five acres were counted over 13C
cOrpses.
There were many families OF five six
aud seven and there they lay, the men
generally little in advance, the mother
surrounded by her little ones, cut Oh
by the most horrible of deaths.
Nearly all the bodies were nude, the
fire having burned every vestige OF
their clothing aud backened and
charred many Of the corpses beyond
recognition, and whole families were
wiped out as they were and some OF the
bodies completely incinersted. ldentid-
cation is absolutely out of the question.
Those who fed 90 the north on foot,
followed the Duluth track and so rapid
was the progress OF tho flames, that
many Of them were actually burned as
they fed, falling on the right Of way
for q distance OF three miles or more.
Nearly thirty bodies were recovered
along here.
Some OF the foremost Of the escspln &
citizens met the Duluth train coming iu
from the north. IL was due az HiDck-
lev at 4:O5. Engineer Jim Root was at
the throttle. He stopped the train aud
took on board ABOUT one hundred and
twenty-five of the refugees who
crowded into the train, completely fill
ing il, for IL 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 scorehed and cracked in the
heat. Root ran the train back about
three miles 10 Skunk Lake and the peo'
ole escaped from the burning ears 10 toe
water, and no lives were lost, either oil
passengers or refugees.
The people who remained in Hinck
lev Jared the best OF all. The Eastern
Minnesota tracks mark the eastern
edge Of the city proper. just beyond,
tue road owned tract Of land, probs
bly embracing at least ten acres. Ii
was purchased for gravel pit TO fur
niSh material TO I'LL up the approach OI
the cOmpany's bridge across the
Grindstone and at other points on it:
line. To the fact that il had been uSec
for this purpose almost TO its exhaustion