The Delta independent., 1894-09-05

uutIl EthCutS cNeiy
or, and there are hundreds of them In
isolated positions all through the coun-
try.
The town of Hinckley, Mimi, about
half way between this city and Du-
luth, has been wiped out by forest fires
and the list Bf dead inlay reach 1,OOU.
1t will certainly exceed 200; and the
reports now being received would ihdi-
cate the larger figure may not be too
great.
The whole country around Hinckley
Is on fire and the full extent Of the dis
astcr cannot be learned for a day or
two. 1t is feared several other towns
have suffered II like fate. Alillntn call!
ed for help yesterday afternoon aitd the
relief train from st. Cloud was unable
to get beyond Bridgman. Nothing fur
ther has yet been received from Mil
iaca. and how much may have been
the suffering cannot nt this time be
known.
Brilgman was apparently safe after
a hard fight. The flames. however.
were threatening around that town,
and as it is very dry all over that part
of the state. the worst IL feared.
st. Paul. Sept. "A special to the
Pioneer Press from Pine City, Minn.,
saws: Estimates of the dead-Hinck-
ley. 200: Sandstone, 46; Sandstone
Junction. %: POkegama, %; Skunk
Lake. ~: miscellaneous, 30; total, 35J.
The walls Of the school house, the
iron fence about the town hall prop
erty. the bank vault and one absolute
ly uninjurcd outhouse IL all that Is left
to mark the site of Hinckley, where
Yesterday stood II score Of buildings
and II dozen times as many dwelling
houses.
The story Of the catastrophe is a
short one. The town was built of
wood. The school house erected Inst
year at II cost of $4,000 and one-half
Of the Duluth round house were the
only brick structures In the city.
All yesterday forenoon the tOwilspeO-
ple were upprehensive. The fire kept
advancing. famed by the wind, which
was blowing n gale. About IL O'Clock
the fire company got out their engine
and laid an eighteen hundred-foot line
of hose to the southern outskirts OF
the town.
The hose was too short for the meas
urc of protection desired. and tele-
gram was sent to Rush City for more.
one hundred feet was sent, but 1t
never reached 1Iinckley.
About 3 o'clock In the afternoon the
fire literally jumped into the town. 1t
did not eat It's way along, devouring
everything in its path, but came In
hu.c leaps, as IL to take everything be-
fore 1t, 1t appeared as II 1t was forced
along by cyclones OF its own genera
ton. The intense heat would develop
a veritnble whirlwind of fame that
carried huge blazing firebrands high
In the air, and carrying them forward
for from forty to eighty rods, let them
fall and begin the work of devastation
anew.
The fire struck Hinckley on the east
side of the Duluth track, and the brave
fire fighters for the first time gave up
the unequal battle and already too late
in many Instances turned their atten-
ton to their personal safety.
The Eastern Minnesota train from
the south had just come In, and the
people of the panic stricken city flock
ed to 1t for safety. A number OF box
cars were coupled on and filled and
covered with men, women and chill
lrpu. Some were bareheaded. some
were coatless, some few clutched
pitirul bundle of the more precious of
their portable possessions. Families
were separated. In all this was a
motley crowd of about 400 or more
people. The train pulled out just
ahead of the fire and succeeded In ul-
timatpIy reaching Duluth.
A, the same hour the accommoda-
lion train on the Iiinckley 4 st. Cloud
branch left for the latter place with
about twenty-five passengers.
The people who were left In the city
were in what seemed to be an almost
helpless condition. Egress by the only
means of transportation that couad
hope to distance the swiftly advancing
g:tinea was out OF the question. The
men had been fighting the fire for
hours. and the women and children
were in panic stricken condition.
Horses were harnessed to buggies and
,.uepns. Women and children were
hnrriedly loaded. Probably 200 OF
them left town on foot or In vehicles,
D'unglng into the woods north across
thp Grlndstone river. which skirts the
own on tho north. They were literal
" i,rcing before the pursuing demon
uyrr The hill that rises beyond the
,;lrastone IL Il swamp. and TO this
..osl of he people with teams headed,
u. (, proved 10 protection. The fire
gave them no opportunity to go fur
thcr. Some abandoned their teams