The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-05
The Dead in Pine County, Minn.,
Now Number 332.
RELIEF WORK WELL IN HAND.
Thrilling Stories Of Their Experience
Told by Survivors.
Engineer Beet Brave in strike. Brave
IN FIre-Rsia stops the FLAMES IN
MIehigan search Parties Securing
the Country for Bodies

PIxr Cfrr, MINI. Sept. s-Two hun
dred and twenty-five bodies are barred az
Hinekley and vicinity: at Sandstone, s.;
Pokegarns. q Miller. L; estimated dead
not accounted. for So total, 3s3 The Hinck-
lev horror is gaining hourly. r. ]. Weber.
of Pine City. who has had entire charge Of
the in.erment. has had his work well IN
hand. and has kept most accurate account
Of the bodies These figures are accurate
and include those bodies buried by
friends. Four trenches in al have been
opened. separated by about four feet.
Commencing in the south. in the north
trench are forty-fFe unboxed eorpses. In
trench No. are twenty boxes. many
containing from two to i've bodies. In
the third are twenty-seven boxes like the
Others. The fourth trench is not yet in
use, but there are piled up nineteen boxes,
which will be put in tomorrow morning.
The foreman of the Duluth construction
train reported 10 Coroner Crown that in
the hill at the north end of the bridge
across the Grindstone were nine bodies so
completely iacinerated that the sex could
no, be distinguished. Within few rods
of where the Duluth depot stood was
found the body Of a woman. To this
two buried by Jim Hunts party of cruis-
ers and four inferred by another explorer,
making the total about 225 accounted
for in Hinekley and vicinity. Larger
estimates are being made, but there IS no
foundation for them. There we're un-
doubtedly settlers and men In the lumber
camps who are burned and who have not
vet been discovered. Search for them will
be prosecuted with yigor, and they Will be
buried where they are. There is an un-
known number of dead in the mill
pond. II is not yet approachable.
The bank was covered with sawdust,
and not far away was the Brennan mill
and lumber yard. A number of persons
were seen to get to tie pond. No one
came out alive and, so hot is the fire stu
burning there. that il may be day or two
before this pools death roll can be ascer-
tnined. Pokegama's dead are all accounted
for.
A searching party of five experienced
timber cruisers and seven assistants was
started out today along the government
road 10 the east similar party was
sent up the Eastern Minnesota railroad
toward Sandstone. These parties will
bring IN the bodies il any are found. The
parties were sent into a tract OF country
from which no reports have been re-
ceived, and the possible results OF their
labors can only be conjectured.
During the day other parties
were started in other directions.
The work at the cemetery today proceeded
rapidly. There is a prospect now that the
dead which have been or will be brought
into Hinckley. and which have hitherto
been conservstively estimated at about
200, will pass that and may reach
80 There is one point upon which
anything definite might be fixed.
West OF the Duluth bridge across the Sand
stone. at the northwest end of town.
was a mill pond OF considerable depth and
probably 900 feet wide. A considerable
number Of persons were seen making their
way to the spot, how many, however, it is
impossible TO approximate. One thing Is
certain, no one who went into il came
back TO give an account of himself.
The intense heat, burning timber and suf-
locating volume of smoke coming from the
danes which were destroying a sawmiu
and 5000 feet of sawed lumber standing
on the banks of the pond was added to that
which went into the sawdust and through
which the ire reached the very waters
edge. The water is deep and those who
reached there preferred death by drowning
TO suffocation. The sawdust bank is still
full of fire and as treacherous as quick
sand. The smoke Is so dense that not
even a sight of the pond can bs had from
a point not far from the place where the
bodies are supposed TO be.
From Brook Park, near Pokegama lake,
on the Eastern Minnesota railroad, comes
the report that the deaths are more than
supposed. Today runlor has increased
the death rate TO between fifty and sixty.
AT this city every branch of the relief
has moved along smoothly. There is an
abundance of provisions and shelter. Gov.
Nelson. with representatives of the relief
committee. is st 81. Paul and Duluth.
They arrived today and will assist in the
work Of aid.
The hero Of the burning Of Pokegama Ia
John B. Rama lie got over thirty of the
villagers into a shallow pool OF water be-
low the dam. ON one side was the rail-
road trestge aud on the other pit Of more
than 100 cords of wood. Rama kept the
women and children in the shallow pool
dashing water over them and saved their
lives. Rama lost bis son. who insisted in
attempting 10 save his horses. Twenty
one bodies have, been Identified here.