The morning call., 1894-09-04
THE DRUMMER'S STORY.
lie Ran for His Life Before a Storm
of Flame,

ST. PAUL, MINI, Sept. 3-Several traV-
cling men. among them James Lobdell of
this city. who abandoned the Inflated
train which burned at Hinckley, have ar
rived here. The thrilling story of their
trip from the train back to Hinckley is
thus told by Mr. l. pbdell:
81 have been a travelling man for the
past dozen years and had been over the
Duluth line so many times that l felt safe
in making a trial. l was so well ac-
quainted with the location of the streams
that l thought if we got ia g tight place
we could run into one OF them and save
ourselves. We had lost all our baggage,
and we had nothing besides the clothing
we wore. and each had a light overcoat
With the rest Mr.. Anderson had lost
$4,000 of bonds. which could not be re-
placed. We got along pretty we'll for the
first halt hour, but then the smoke became
so thick we could not see fifty feet in front
of u.s. We were in great danger of being
suffocated. We could not see the track
and the ties were burning beneath US.
Each one of US took an Overcoat and
wrapped it about his head, leaving only a
small opening through which to breathe
ITO add TO the horror of the situation
every little while We would come across
dead body. We were only saved by occa.
sonally arriving at a railway cut, where
there was generally but little smoke. Two
miles above Hinckley the dead bodies be-
gan TO grow thicker. Most of them had
died from suffocation. In several cases
they had saved their heads by running
them into sand heaps only to have their
bodies 50 badly burned that they could
not survive. In one place we found four
dead in one heap-a mother and three
children. She had laid them on the
ground and then laid down Oh them in an
attempt to cover them. EVery shred of
clothing was burned from them. On the
way down to Hinckley we counted TWENTY
nine bodies. Many people ran directly
into the woods, where they had no chance
for escape"
Mr.. Lobdell and his companions found
a wagon-bridge and went in a roundabout
way to a point south of Mission Creek.
where they found handcar and went 10
Pine City.
The telegraph operator, Thomas Green,
remained at his post until all but three
buildings in Hinckley had been burned.
When the depot took fire he ran to the
safe and took therefrom $4,000 in green
backs and fed to the river. IL remained
in the water several hours, when be Joined
LObdell and his companions in their trip to
Pine City. Dozens of people tried to save
themselves by running into the river.
Some were successful, but many were suf-
located by the smoke. Nine bodies were
taken out at the same time, and probably
twenty or thirty more will be found
Everybody is In a state Of bewilderment,
and, as all records are burned, il is hard to
get any definite information as to the
people or property.
A large number of sportsmen left St
Paul within ten days to hunt prairie
chickens near Hinckley, Mora. Sandstone
and other points in that vicinity. The
fire covers a wide stretch Of territory, and
if these sportsmen were in the forests, no
power on earth could save them, unless
they were close to some large body of
water.
A force of men and a supply of tents
have gone 10 Hinckley, those being most
needed just now. Additional supplies
were picked up at every station along the
road. Philip Martin of the land depart
ment of the road went in search of
Thomas Fitzgerald, land examiner at Del
GrOVe, VINO, with uOZen men, was IN the
midst Of the fire and has not been heard
from. The Chamber of Commerce raised
$4,000 for relief at a meeting to-day and
adopted resolutions favOring the securing
of Information from United States Con-
sular agents as to forestry management in
foreign countries.
A large amount of timber and farm
crops have been consumed near Ishpem-
ing. There are big fires south and west
of that city. close TO dwellings.