Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-04
The Humane Undertaking Going On
in the Northwest.
FOOD AND HOMES FOR THE SUFFERING
Belief That Michigan Fires Were
lncendiay.
MEN WHO WANTED WORK

Of Pine City today gives visible evidence of
bloodshot eyes and burned noses and
cheeks from the conflict with the fire.
The women who are numbered among the
refugees. are thinly clad. and many are
without covering for their heads. Many Of
them sat outside the eating house last even-
ing comparing notes with other unfortu-
Eates until called to occupy the cots in
tents in the park. There are fifty tents,
| srd each housed four or five people last
| night.
Grindstone lake. ten miles north of Hinck-
| ley, has been the camping ground for sew
| eral summers of parties from Hinckley
This year larger number Of people were
camped there than usual. and consequently
when a fire was seen to be encroaching on
Meals place, three-quarters Of a mile from
one of the camps. several OF the men start
ed for the scene. John Patrick and Messrs.
Ellsworth and Collins we're among the nur1-
Der. Other men we're fighting The fire when
they get there. and 1t was supposed that
they c. uid get it under control
The relief party hardly reached the scene
however. when they discovered flames shoot
ing over the tops Of timbers back of their
own csmp. Patrick started back along the
shore. while the Others got into a small
skiff and padcled faster than they had ever
| before, hoping to reach the camp before IL
was overwhelmed. While they were stiu
some distance away they saw the women
rushing into The lake and the camp outfit
going skyward in flames and smoke.
A BaIf Of Fire.
Patrick hardly comprehended these things,
however. as he had not gone far before q
ball OF fire darted across the lake lover a
mile wide where he stood and knocked him
down as il sped on :ts work of destruction
| through the forest His clothes were ignit-
ed, and for time he was completely dazed
! When he had recovered his senses. the FIRE
was all about him. and only a narrow path
way through the water elevator at the edge
of the lake remained. The bank shelved or
very steep all along and offered an avenue
Of escape.
AS he was splashing through the water q
stray dog fell in behind him and marched
| along in his Company. The two had an en-
counter a little later with a big black beast
that barred their passage. and would under
ordinary circumstances have annihilated
! both man and cur. Bruin. who was squat
ted in the water, did not even delgn to no
tiee them, but simply moved aside about
six inches, SO that they could pass, and
Patrick doubts IL the dog realized that the
bear was there.
read opened out from the lake, and here
met twenty-one homesteaders and their
families. who had been fleeing through the
binding smoke ahead Of the flames. All the
members Of the party threw themselves into
the lake and remained there until the
flames had passed over. None were serious
ly injured. but all Were so exhausted as TO
preclude the possibility OF going further that
night. They lay on the banks OF the lake
until morning, and then started back over
the road they had come in the direction OF
Sandstone Junction. Patrick has not been
seen or heard from since.
Eleven of the settlers, one a woman, with
baby fve weeks old got into an old canoe
and Padded out into the lake
The waves nearly filled the boat several
times. and the baby was frequently held
aloft to keep IL from drowning In the boat
I he frail craft drifted ashore in the carly
morning over a mile from the camp Pat
rick. after passing an awful night fun of
anxious forebodings. was able to reach his
family. overjoyed at finding them unharm-
ed.
Just inside the doorway Of the hospital
les evening sat a fearful and woe-begone
woman. while at her side, with a bandage
around his forehead. stood a bewhiskered
with rapt attention. The man was NJ A.
Greenfield, and the woman Mrs. Thomas
Henderson. The tale he told was the sad
dest she had ever heard. We who stood
by groaned in sympathy with her for size
was hearing the sad fate of her boys. four
teen and sixteen years OF age. who had
perished in the flames at Greenfield's farm,
five miles from Hinckley. The boys. with
their father, were cutting a road through
from the Duluth railroad toward Green
fields when the fire forced them out They
reached his place, and with his family
took refuge I'm the cellar. One Of them,
when the flames enveloped the house, never
got out. and the other perished In a culvert
where he had taken shelter.
Mr. Greenhelds five chiliren found q
fiery grave In the cellar. AMI his wife. al
though still alive. is in the hospital and SO
badly burned to be beyond hope.
Miss Hammond OF Hinckley. who occu-
pies a bed near her, is in a similar condi-
ton. Mr.. Albright, the bookkeeper of the
Brennan Lumber Company, sat with Sec
retary Hart while the registry of those
needing relief progressed, and rendered
valuable assistance in identifying those
who applied for relief.
The Work of Relief.
90 tnDTOuSnly nave aIrdnStIneIIS
been made for the relief Of the sufferers
around Hinckley that everything moves
along without any hitch. and the day there
was comparatively quiet, although all are
busy. and the wants of every one have been
well cared for. The people of this little
village have responded nobIy 20 the cry for
help that came from their suffering neigh
be rs, and all that could be done has been
done for their relief. Clothing, medical SUP
plies bedding, provisions and other supplies
were poured in from all parts of the state
here and sent where most needed
The regulars from Fort Smelling have been
Of great help, as their tents at Hinckley
were greatly neeced, besides which the po-
lice duty which they can do is of advant-
age. The crowds of curious people are go-
ing over the grounds looking for relics of
the horrible disaster, and the systematic
searching parties are looking for more
bodies in the woods.
Gen. Bunker represents the governor in
the relief measures. and Mr.. ii. ii. Hart of
the Stata hoor6 of .ho boe a.aa., -