The Washington times., 1894-09-03

rounded with flames. The air was sitting,
and the clothes of both engineer and fireman
caught fire. MCGOWAN leaped into the water
tank, extinguishing the fire in his own
clothing. and then seizing bucket, dashed
the water several times over the burning en-
gineer.
HERO AT THE THROTTLE.
Root steadily kept at his post, although
scarcely able to sit upright. In the mean
time the passengers could see nothing, but
heard the roaring of the oncoming tornado of
fire, and soon the glare of outside was too
much for the reason OF number OF them.
The rear car caught fire and as the flames
overlook it the passengers rushed headlong
into the forward cars.
Conductor Sullivan with his plucky as
sociates walked up and down the aisle, doing
their best to soothe the frightened passengers.
The shrieks OF the women and children as
well as the terrified shouts of the men in
creased the terrible feelings aroused by the
uproar OF the flames on every hand.
The windows broke from the heat and sew
eral OF the men passengers, too terrified for
further sef-control, with terrible cry.
leaped headlong through one of the open
windows and were swallowed up in the flames
outside. Others seeing this action quickly fol-
lowed, and altogether in the next ten minutes
Il dozen nen leaped to death in the flames in
a like manner. The women, whose terror had
been pitiful few minutes before, now came
heroically to the help OF the trainmen in en-
deayoring to soothe the frightened children, a
number of whom were on the train.
Engineer Root saw that there was no outlet
apparently for his train ahead and concluded
TO turn back through the district already
burned over, rather than encounter possibly
greater perils before them. He backed at a
fast speed to Skunk Lake, a little set
R.rnv of md fha
passengers deserted the burning train at that
place, seeking refuge in a swamp, whero they
spent the night. This morning a relief train
from the North brought them through Hinck-
ley and on to this city. The relief train
carried supply OF hand cars. which were
used in picking up the bodies of the dead
along the track. One hundred bodies were
picked up and brought into Hinckley before
the relief train came on TO this city with the
injured passengers and trainmen.
PREFERRED DROWNING TO BEING ROASTED ALIVE
Hinckley was mass of ruins, nothing being
left stending except the walls of the round
house. SO fast did the flames come that the
people had little or no chance to save them
selves. They fed on horseback and on foot,
but were quickly overtaken, and very few
seem to have escaped.
One party of about forty or fifty people
sbuSHl Sdltly III d outlllOW pOOl Oi water III Il
gravel pit. The flames swooped down upon
them from every side, and they in their en-
deayor TO escape from the flames were
drowned in the pool, many of them throwing
themselves into the water, evidently prefer
ring death by drowning to being roasted
alive.
Engineer Root lies at his home at White
Bear, too badly injured to be interviewed
| His physician, however, gave the following
as the story told by Root to him:
'We could have run through Hinckley
without trouble, but as we approached the
village there were great many people along
the track who had crossed the river to get
| away from the fire. 1 stopped the train
| and took on as many as could
get on board. By this time the
flames were upon US. and l started
! back up the track at full speed. The FIRE
came at terrific rate, leaping along both
sides of the track and rapidly gaining upon
us until we were running in sea of fame.
ran back about six miles till
| came to q swamp, where l stopped.
and the passengers scrambled out and
| buried themselves in the mud and
water. The cars were all thoroughly ablaze
| by this time, and it was but short time be-
fore they were all in ruins, even the tender OF
| the engine being consumed"
Engineer Root was badly cut by broken
glass, but his worst injuries were from inhal-
ing the hot air and smoke. The physicians
hope that his internal injuries may not prove
| fatal