The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-09-05
Town Of Hinck|ey, Mimi, Wiped
Out by Forest Fires.
LIST OF DEAD MAY REACH 1000
A Raging Forest Fire Unters villages
Sweeping Everything Before It
In Its Awful Fury.

out and more than 500 dead is the
record made by forest fires In this state
In the past "a hours. In Hinckley,
Sandstone, Pokagama, Sandstone
Junction. Skunk lake and Mission
Creek there are 355 known dead. In
addition, several hundred are missing
while from $50 to 200 are scattered on
farms throughout the district burned
over. The destruction was complete
in most of the towns named. The loss
will be In millions, and the loss Of life
will not be definitely known f,r sew.
eral days, If ever. Relief trains were
sent out from this city, Minneapolis.
Duluth and other towns, and sufferers
are being cared for at Pine City and
other points.
HINCKLEY ENTIRELY DESTROYED.
The Fire Demon Consumes Everything
in Its Awful Flight.
ST. PAUL, Sept. 2.-The town OF
Hinckley, MIMI. about half way be-
tween this city and Duluth. has been
wiped out by forest free, and the Iist
OF dead may reach 1000. 1t Will GER
tainly exceed 200, and reports now be.
ing received indicate the larger figure
may not be too large. On a train 10.
day from there there were one or two
persons who came through the fires
and who gave graphic stories OF the
scene. The train from Duluth reached
q point a mile and half north of
Hinckley some time after midnight
and was forced 10 return to a point
five miles away en- account OF the
threatening flames.
Dead Bodies Along The Railroad.
Half o dozen passengers. however,
secured a handca. and rode through
the flames to Hinckley, ticking north.
bound train this side Of there and re-.
turning On it to this city. On their
ride on the handcar they encountered
q dead bodies along the line Of rail-
road. Seventeen were discovered At
Hinckley during the morning and q
Others have been found up to l o'clock.
They say the people of Hinckley ran
to the woods when their houses caught
fire, and as the timber afterwards
burned 1t is more than probable that
great numbers perished. The most
conservative estimate of the dead 10 200.
Whole Country on Fire.
The whole country around Hinckley
IL on fire, and the foil extent OF the
disaster can not be learned for day or
two. 1t is feared that eeveral other
towns have suffered like fate. Mil
laca called for help yesterday afternoon
and . relief train from st. Cloud was
unable to get hey ond Bridgman. Moth.
ing further has yet been received from
Millacs, and how much II may be suf-
fering can not At this time be known.
Bridgman was apparently safe after a
hard fight. The flames, however. were
very threaten irg around that town,
aud 40 1t 10 very dry all over that part
of the state, the wort Ia feared.
Entire Families Psrisl,~d.
A party that came through the fires
around Hinckley on hand.car SUI.
fered severely from burning. Their
injuries, however, will not prove fatal.
They tell many cad stories Of what
they % ". One woman had evidently
tried to cave her five children and was
overtaken by the fierce flames, and the
whole family perished close to the rail-
road tracks.
Another case was where mother,
seeing her house In fiamer. ran to save
her child. her husband following her.
adtt the walls ofthe house caved In be-
fore they could get out.
Passenger Surrounded by Fire.
Tic passenger train from Duluth, on
which these men were. ID In ashes and
the rest Of the passengers have taken
refuge in marsh near Skunk lake,
where they are surrounded by fire..
!. The engineer was badly burned by
the flames. hut stood to his post and
got all Of the passengers out Of the fire
safely. This e. gineer, james Root. 10
one Of the best known and pluckiest
men in the employ of the s.. Paul l.
Duluth railroad. He tried to take bis
train through the fires to Hinckley.
but when the cars caught fire from
flying embers he reversed his engine
and backed at full speed 10 Skunk lake.
It was 80 dark during tie day yester-
day that 1t was almost impossible for
anyone to see 100 feet away, and during
the night tie headlight on the engine
was useless. Enqinesr Roots iDjuri"s
are quite serious, but it is hoped that
he will recover, although one report
gives no hope.
Mission Creek Reported In Ashes.
The little town of Mission Greek,
north of Hinckley, was also reported
In ashes. Special trains were sent out,
both from Duluth and st. Paul.
equipped with medical forces, and all
that IL possible will be done.
Two Hundred and Fifty Dead Found.
A private dispatch received this
merning from the burned district
states positively that already $50 dead
bodies have been recovered. 50 the esti-
mAie made above may I've con sidcred
deoldsdly conservative. The Losses In
the nsIg hborhood Of 81 Cloud, which
10 on the wsstsrn edge Of the fires, are
estimated 1t $20O.OOD, and from that
point east and north nearly every thing
y burned Fires are raging IL Becker
md x.ltkep rcuntleS where many