Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-03

10 prevent suffocation.
One unknown man succumbed to the
smoke or tho terrible strain and fell into
the water and was drowned. So far as
known this was the only tragedy near the
pit
other citizens sought refuge in the
Grindstone under the abutmonts of the
two railway bridges and the foot bridge
The exact number cannot DO known as
they were scattered along n considerable
distance That many escaped and some
were drowned is we'll known.
Mrs. Martin Martinson and her four
little children were taken drowned from
the water the next morning
In the meantime Hinckley WINS burning
with frightful rapidity, and in a fog
hours nothing was left but blackened
ruins.
The loss will certainly exceed moro than
81, 200, 900. with light insurance.
Fifty Burned mt Sandstone.
The situation ut Sandstone is even more
appalling than at Hinckley except In
point of numbers. OF the 200 people in
the town ono fourth arc dead.
Otto StatIerfeldt reached here from VI
place. He says the people w"-"
pairing to leave when the f.
three sides, and not n sing
a thing except his cloth,
went to the river, and so Oh
ed to death. At 1 o'clock
he saw over 40 bodies char,
lying on every side. The poo,
saved are living ON potatoes and carroIs
left in the ground.
Mr.. Gilroy, conductor on the Eastern
Minnesota road, says all the bridges have
been burned. Ono gentleman found a.
dead bodies Mt Sandstone lying uncovered
in the sun. Tho people are destitute Of
everything.
In addition to "a bodies at sandstone
thoro were 20 Mt Kettle River junction.
All the settlers in the vicinity are prob.
ably burned to death. O'Neil brothers
had IL camps in the woods there, and all
these are burned. Most of tho inmates
however, arc believed to have escaped
with their lives. There are IL homeless
families at Mission Creek. and the same
story is true of several other PLACES In
that vicinity.
Suffering In Pine City.
Pine City has turned the skating rink
and courthouse, rs well rs many private
houses, into hospitals, where SO sufferers
arc receiving medical aid and careful
nursing.
Tho town hall Is used rs an eating
house, where all homeless people are sub
stantiallly fol. Tho schoolhousc, church
and hotel and some stores arc turned over
for shelter. Whichever way the eye turns
heartrcnding scenes are witnessed. The
hospitals and streets are thronged with
people
As soon rs each train comes in from
tho north there Is frcnzicd rush of pallid
inquirers. some of whom are doomed to
disappointment forever. Fathers seek
wives and children, sister their brothers,
youths their mothers, and occasionally
some arc made to rejoice by finding them.
Few families arc complete, and the
I torture of anxiety and despair Is driving
| the people out of their senses \ man GO
ing insane; a patient ,sroaning life away;
a woman giving premature birth; n heap
of cindrrs representing human form
these are fow of the incidents of the
! graf forest fire of 1894.
No trains arc running west of Hinck-
! ley, and it Is impossible to get accurate
information. Carlton. Rutlcdgc and 9TH
! or towns tn tho north are reported burned
! to the ground. The Eastern Minnesota
| is Quilted, and the Omaha Jared little bot
ter. The Eastern Minnesota train from
! Hinckley for 1t. Paul ut o'clock, the linn
| tied, OH Sunday took about jnO people to
| Duluth, all of whom are reported all
| right. This train got over the bridge safe
! ly u fow minutes before the burning.
At Pinetown, II few miles east of Pine
! City, south of snake river and west of IT
/ Croix, fearful fire is blazing and sweep
! ing every InllE betoEt IT, IN tnt hlttFltOi
! this fire was at least IL miles square, but
As the wind has gone down considerably
it is hoped its course will bc changed or
checked. There are fires north Of Snake
river; also in heavy timber section which
| Is sparsely settled.
AS for loss of property, il is impossible
/ to make even an approximation, but IL
certainly runs up into tho millions, 81,
4 0UO, 900 or 81, 600, 900 worth between
|
. to ashes and cindcrs.
| Tho cleanout has hccn so complete
that many people have no ambition loft
tn rebuild homes an top of the ruins.
Most OF them will scatter to all parts OF
the country to find their homes as sool
as they can.
An Engineers IIeroism.
From the stories of passengers on the
! limited train which was burned near
! Hinckley. the entire train crew deserve
to be placed on the roll of honor for per
sonal heFoism. Engineer Root of White
Bear heads tho list and will have thrill
ing story to tell IL he RECEIVERS from his in
juries. He was badly burned and almost
blinded and fell from his scat uncOnsciou:
Immediately on getting through the fires
Fireman John McGowan was a good
companion for him in the cab, and tn,
other members of the crew-Conductol
Jerry sullivan, Brakeman Monahan, Bag
ga-eman George Morris and Porter Blaii
were fit associates for the hero who Leo
them into what was literally fiery fur
mace.
When about two miles north of Hinck
Icy, Engineer Root first discovered tina
the fires which had been raging on boil
sidos OF the track were racing him for hi
life and the lives of his passengers Gin
dcrs were flying in overy direction, anS
the smoke was So dense that it was wei
nigh impossible to sec beyond the cal
windows oven with the aid of the power
full headlight
At first he thought to outrun the flame
which wero coming after and bearing
down upon him ut 60 mile gait Whel
about mile and half from Hinckley
he discovered that the fro was too fast 70
him, having ovcrtaken the train and over
loaped IL, SO that the train was litcrall.
surrounded with flames. Tho air wa
stirling. and the clothes of both cngince
and fireman caught fire. MCGOWAN leape'
into the water tank. distinguishing tn
fro in his own clothes and then SELLING
bucket dashed the water several times owe
the burning engineer.
Root steadily sept at his post although
scarcely able to sit upright. In the mean
timo the passengers could sec nothing
, but heard the roaring of the oncomin
tornado of fire, and soon the glare outsid
) was too much for the reason of n numbc
of them.
Tho rear car caught fire, and as tn
r flames overlook It tho passengers ther
rushed headlong into tho forward car.
= Conductor Sullivan, with his plucky assC
ciatcs, walked up and down the aisle, dc
{ ing their best to soothe the frightcne
passengers.
D The shrieks Of tho women and children
{ as we'll as the terrified shouts of the mer
[ increased tho terrible feelings aroused
D | the upToar of tho flames on every hant
) The windows broke from the heat, an
several of the men passengers, too tcrr