The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-04
FLAMES VICTIMS.
Sad Sights in the Depopulated
Town Of Sandstone
TEE DEAD BODIES ROTTING.
Care for the Living Leaves No
Time for the Dead.
BURIED IN HUGE TRENCHES TODAY.

Terrible Experiences of "a Relief Party
Found Lying in tho Deserted streets
and In tho Ashes of Ruined Homes.
The Death List So Far as Known Will
Probably Reach Three Hundred and
Sixty four.
ST. PAUL. Sept. A Pine City special
30 The Pioneer Press says: Words cannot
tell the story of death and destruction
that Is revealed to the traveller on the st.
Paul and Duluth from Mission Creek, two
miles above the little town of Miller, or
Sandstone Junction. The awfulness Of
the desolatson which strikes upon the eye
OF the observer as he reaches the camp
which was once the town of Hincklry, is
more strongly impressed on his vision us
he journeys northward.
Yesterday the smoke lifted, revealing a
landscape bare and black, the few stand
ing trees being charred to a height of
forty feet, while the ground was of that
peculiar tint of brown mixed with gun
powder, for the grass has been burned to
the roots Here and there, in the bleak
and dreary stretch of country in what is
now great lone land, was seen the body
OF deer, whose fleet feet had not been
able to outrun the flames, or of human
being who had be absolutely powerless
against the grim destroyer.
A Pioneer Press man accompa MED
Judge Nethaway, Of saltwater and mem
bsrs Of relief party which started on
hand car loaded with provisions to relieve
the people of Sandstone. who were re-
ported In great distress Two miles above
Hinckley they found lying by the trunk
Of tree the body of man which was
evidently that of lumberman. The re-
lief party proceeded as far as Skunk Lake,
where the Duluth limited train was
burned. Here they found Engineer Will
Jams In charge OF gang Of men, rebuild
ing the burned bridges. From them it
was learned that the living Of Sandstone
had been taken to Duluth on special
trsins, and their pressing necessities re-
hsyed, SO that the help from Pine City
was not needed. The party, therefore, re-
solved itself into one OF searchers for
bodies.
The house Of John Robinson was near
Skunk Lake, in the woods. and his fam
lily had sought refuge in the cellar. There
was NO escape from the fire, and the party
found the bodies of John Robinson and
his wife, Mary Robinson, their eldest
daughter, and two smaller children. All
the clothing was burned from the bodies
but the victims had evidently been suf
located before the flames reached them.
The hands of the Oldest daughter were
appraised in an attitude of prayer.
Within COO yards of the spot where En-
gineer Root stopped his train was long
trench, running from the little body of
water which proved place of safety for
the passengers on the limited to a swamp
on the lake. Following along this trench,
the party came upon the partially clothed
body of Otto Rowley, general passenger
aud freight agent of the Duluth and Win
nipeg railroad. 1t in supposed that he
wss passenger on the limited and in TAX
ing to the ditch, expected to reach the
lake, Other bodies found by the party
msrs those of man and woman who
had evidently fed from a farm houae
nsarby and the bodies of two men who
are suppos Ito have been passengers on
the burned train.
Tho latest reports Of the number of dend
Do not materially alter tho former esti-
mates. In fact. that estimate is proving
fusion of the first day. One elemsnt that
makes CLOSE figuring very difficult is the
fnot that bodies seen in the woods and
along the track are not infrequently re-
ported to two points, and sent out from
each ms among it's dead. Then, too, the
tendency OF the occasion, bad as it is, is
to exaGgeration. However, eliminating
these dou btful reports as far as possible
FROM Its approximation, Tho Pioneer
Press Is convinced that the total is as near
correct az possible. The figures are as
follows: HinGkley, 900; Sandstone, 80;
Miller. l2, between Skunk LIKE and Mill
Ter, ls; Pokegama, %. In lumber camps
and scattering estimated, 80; total, 864.
Yardlnastsr Dave Williams OF Duluth,
as something Of a hero himself. He Is the
man who grasped the situation acted on
his knowledge promptly, and relieved the
people of Sandstone. He received mes.
says from Miller last night which said:
tfhere are 100 people at Sandstone with
out food or shelter. For Gods sake get
Shem out of there
Within an incredibly short time an en-
KiRe In charge of Yardmaster Williams
was on the way to Sandstone. The entire
read after the burned district was reached
Nes patrolled, and the engine kept up m
ileessant whistling, 40 that any persons
who were nearby would come at once to
the track, When the train arrived at
Sandstone junction, or Miller, as 1t is
generally called, it was met by nearly the
entire population Of Sandstone and Miller.
The depot platform at Miller had been
burned, aud there was not house left
standing anywhere in view. About ITO
people were taken aboard and messen-
. Tn Gan nHatp ,yh t,,f a.
people OF the arrival of relief. Very few
remained but those with loved ones lying
dead.
Mr.. Webster, father of Mayor Lee Web
ster, Of this town was among the dead,
and yesterday Mr.. Webster went to Sand
stone to bury his father and mother. The
scene at Sandstone. as described by Mr..
Wsbst0r, was heartrending, The streets
of the town were only lines ofaSand be-
tween heaps of ashes Within these lines
lay forty bodies scattered ut random, and
twenty-five more were found dead on the
outskirts of tiie town and in the hollowG
and marshes toward the river bank. The
bodies very lying exposed to the sun and
rain and were rapidly decomposing. They
were identified as far as possible, and to-
day the victims were buried in two hugs
trenches. Those hereafter discovered win
be bhried were found, as it will be lInpoD
&blo t0 handle them.
One or the marvellous circumstances of
she affair is the escape Of so many cattle
and horses Many were absolutely un-
scatheo, though no one can tell how they
escaped thu ordeal of fire. Others were
Pihfuiiy burned, and steps are tardily
being taken to put them out of their mis-
sry. This morning the oarcasses of the
dead animals were buried.