The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-09-08
SIMPLY AWFUL.
Fearful Destruction by Minnesota
Forest Fires.
Citizens Compelled to Fly from Their
Homes Pursued by Reienties Flames
Hundreds Burned to Death and
Thousands Homeless.
Minneaota's Horror.


hundreds are missing, while from $50 to
zoo were scattered on farms through
out the district burned over. The de-
struction was complete in most of the
towns named, but some of the forest
land escaped. The loss, however, will
be in the millions and the loss Of life
will not be definitely known for several
days, il ever.
Hinckley, Minn., about half way be-
tween this city and Duluth, has been
wiped out by forest fires and the list of
dead may reach 1000. The walls of
the schoolhouse, the iron fence about
the town hall property, the bank vault
and one absolutely uninjured clubhouse
is all that is left to mark the site where
stood a score Of buildings, and a dozen
times as many dwelling houses
The fire first struck Hinckley on the
brave fire-fghters for the first time
gave up the unequal battle, and al
ready too late in many instances,
turned their attention to their per-
sonal safety. The eastern Minnesota
train from the south had just come in
and the people of the panic-stricken
city focked to it for safety. A number
of box cars were coupled on and filed
and covered with men, women and
children. Some were bareheaded, some
were coatless, some few clutched n
pitiful bundle of the more precious of
their portable possessions. Families
were separated. Children Joined the
throng and left parents. In all there
tn1 Of oh
more people.
The people who were left in the city
were in what seemed to be an almost
hopeless condition. Egress by the only
means of transportation that could
hope to distance the swiftly advancing
flames was out of the question. The
men had been fighting the fire for
hours, and the women and children
were in q panic-stricken condition.
Horses were harnessed to buggies and
wagons. Women and children were
hurriedly loaded. In some cases at
tempts were made to carry off some
household goods, but in most instances
the people had no thought for aught
but their lives. Probably 200 of them
left town on foot or in vehicles, plung-
Grindstone river, which skirts the town
on the north.
Over the hill that rises beyond the
Grindstone is a swamp and to this most
of the people with teams headed, but
1t proved no protection. The fire gave
them no opportunity to go further.
Some abandoned their teams and ran
into the low portions of the morass,
but the fire sought them out. Not one
was left to tell the tale and there yester-
day morning in space Of little more
than five acres were counted over 130
cOrpses.
The situation at Sandstone is even
more appalling than at Hinckley, ex.
cept in point Of numbers.
Later Details.
ST. PAUL, Mimi. Sept. "A Pine
City special to the Pioneer Press says:
Words cannot tell the story of death
and destruction that is revealed to the
travellers on the st. Paul & Duluth
from Mission Creek to 3 miles above
the little town of Miller or Sandstone
Junction. The awfulness Of the desc
lation which strikes upon the eye Of
the observer as he reaches the camp
which was once the town Of Hinckley
is still more strongly impressed in his
vision as he journeys northward-
Members of q relief party started on
hand car loaded with provisions to
relieve the people of Sandstone, who
were reported in great distress.
The house of John Robinson was
near Skunk lake in the edge of the
woods, and the family sought refuge
in the cellar. There was no escape
from the fire and the party found the
bodies of John Robinson, his wife,
Mary, their eldest daughter, and two
small children. All their clothing was
burned from the bodies. but the victims
had evidently been suffocated before
the flames reached them. The hands
of the Oldest daughter were upraised
with palms together In an attitude of
PRAYER.
Within COO yards Of the spot where
Engineer Root stopped his train was q
long trench, running from the little
body of water. which proved a place OF
safety for the passengers on the limit
ed, to q swamp on the lake. Following
along this trench the party came upon
the partially clothed body of a man,
who, In personal appearance, CORE
sponded to the description of General
Passenger and Freight Agent Rowley,
of the Duluth & Winnipeg railroad. An
examination of the dead mans shirt
collar showed the name. o. Rowley,
and it is supposed he wasa passenger on
the limited, and in taking to the ditch
| expected TO reach the lake.
Other bodies found by the party were
those of q man and woman, who had
evidently fed from q farm house near
by, and the bodies of two men, who are
supposed to have been passengers on
the burned train.
The latest verified report of the mum
ber of dead do not materially alter
former estimates. The number of dead
at Hinckley is placed at 200, and tho
Pioneer Press correspondent has actu
ally counted 1914 of these, and the mar
gin allowed is about all that is neces
sary. The figures are as follows:
Hinckley, 200; Sandstone, 6s; Miller
l2; between Skunk lake and Miller, IL
PoScgame, 2s; in lumber camps ant
scattering, estimate, so; total, 36i.