The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-09-03

900, and from that point east and
north nearly everything in burning;
The hres arc raging at Becker and
Aitkcn c0untIoS, whore many farm
houses and much grain has been lost,
as we'll as timber.
ROOTS HEROIC CONDUCT.
In later dispatch nro the following
particulars Of Engineer Roots hero
ism:
From the storios Of passengers on the
limited train, which was burned near
Hinckloy. tho entire train crew deserve
10 be placed on tho roll OF honor for
personal heroism. Engineer James
Root, OF White Bear, heads the list. He
WRS badly burned and almost blinded,
and iell from his seat unconscious i'm.
modiately after getting through the
fires. When about two milcs north OF
Hinckley, Engineer Root first discov'
cred that the fros, which had boen
burning on both sides Of the track,
wore racing him for hia life and the
lives Of his passengers. Cinders were
flying in every direction, and tho smoke
was 90 dense that II was we'll nigh i'm.
possible to SEQ beyond the cab windoWs
with the aid Of the powerful head
light.
When about mile and n half from
Hiuckley tho fro overlook the train and
overleaped IL, so that the train was lit
orally surrounded with flames. The air
was sitting, and the clothes Of both OH
gineor and fireman caught 1ro. Nc.
Gowan lcaped into the water tank, ex-
tinguishIug tho fre In his clothes, and
thcn, seizing bucket, dashed tho water
several times over the burning oneinoer
Root steadily kept at his post, al
though scarcely able to sit upright, In
the meantime the passengers could see
nothing, but heard tho roaring Of the
onconIng tornado OF fro and soon the
glare outside was too much for tho reason
Of number OF them. The rear car
caught fro as the flames overlook 1t and
tho passengers rushed headlond into
the forward cars. Conductor Sui.
livan with his plucky associates
walked up and down the aisle.
doing their best to aoothe the
frightened passengers. The windows
broke from tho heat and several Of the
men passengera, too terrified for further
self.control, with q terribly cry, leaped
headlong through one Of the windows
and were swallowed up in tho flames
outside. Others seeing this action
quickly followed and altogether in the
next ten minutes dozen men leapod to
death in the flames in like manner.
Tho women whose terror had beon pitt
ful few minutes before. now came
horoically to the help OF tho trainmen
in endeavoring TO sootbo tho frightened
children, n number OF whom wcro on
tho train.
Engineer Root cav th Gro was no out
let apparently for his train ahead and
concluded to turn back through the
distrie. already burned over rathor
than encounter possibly creator perils
before them. uo backed at fast speed
to Skunk Lake, little settlement five
miles north OF Hinckley. aud the pas.
acngera deserted the burning train at
that place, seeking refuge In o swamp,
where they spont tho night.
This morning relief train from the
north was brought through Hinckley
md on to this cisy. The reliof train
carried supply OF hand cars, which
wero used in picking up tho bodies Of
tho dead along the track. One hundred
bodies wero picked up and brought into
Hincklcy before tho relief train camo
on TO this city with the injured passen.
gers and truinmcn.