The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-27
DEATH COMES TO
HEROIC ENGINEER
EDWARD BARRY RESCUED HUN
DREDS FROM HINCKLEY FIRE.
Day in September, 1894, and His
Heroic Determination Enabled
Hundreds to Ride to Safety.

Edward E. Barry, one Of the prom
inent heroes of the Hinckley forest
fire of 1894, in which 418 lives were
lost, died yesterday in st. Josephs
hospital, st. Paul, of heart disease.
cou pas his nsrfy Ma to the freght
and passenger cars in Hinckley, just
as the fire struck the town, and driv-
ing the engine backward thru the
burning forest, over flaming bridges
and Warping rails, carried to safety
more than 500 refugees from the dis
trict being ravished by the fire which
ragged with tornado-like fury, UNI
quenchable.
Leaving West Superior on the
morning of that tragic Sept. 1, Barry
took his freight train, No. %. south
ward toward the heavy dark cloud
higher and higher as the day adj
vanced. Into this cloud he Went and
altho he felt the smart of the eyes
in the smoke and was choked by 1t,
he drove the locomotive on to Hinck-
ley.
He could not go farther. On the
sidetrack was passenger train which
had come from the opposite direction,
and the crew told that the bridges
had been wiped out by the fire.
Hundreds of persons, foreseeing the
doom of the town. sought refuge In
pulled out Of the fire zone. They
filled the passenger coaches and then
crowded into the freight cars like cat
| tie The pail over Hinckley was dis
PEELED by a sudden binding light.
The fire was upon the town, licking
up the small buildings omnivorously,
irresistibly.
The Race with Death.
| The six passenger coaches were
coupled to the freight cars, but there
was no means of turning Barry's en-
CINE, which was coupled head-on to
the train. Barry besought the con-
ductor to give the word to back the
train. But the conductor hesitated.
There were no orders, and he did not
wish to proceed without them. Barry
fell on his knees and begged that he
| might take the responsibility in his
own hands. Still the other man hest
| tated. At that moment word came
that the bridge over the Sandstone
river was burning. Delay meant
death Barry sprang into the cab and
the conductor shouted to go ahead
The train pulled slowly out and just
then the depot and freight yards burst
into flames.
,, When the train dashed over the
Sandstone bridge, from which the
flames rose and licked about. the cars
4
of people signaling for succor. Barry
> feared stopping might cut off the
escape. He cogitated moment ane
then blew for brakes, at the same
time reversing the engine.
f A Rescue En- Route.
. The train stopped. The unfortu
+ mates piled aboard, and the train wen
on again, thru the binding smoke
! so thick that the engineer could no
: see yard beyond the tender in front
D The Understand burning brands curlet
. about inside the engine: The en-
h closed with the pain. But on he wen
+ with his load of 500 lives, altho tn
: fact that the engine was runnin'
4 backward left no protection to tn
3 engineer in the cab from the heat AM
smoke. = @ .
s his engine, stumbled to the groun'
r and for twenty minutes bathed nj
e face in water which a hundred CRATE
full persons tried to pump for him
r He took the train on into Duluth an
e was lionized. The state commission
r appointed to investigate the fire an
O distribute relief wrote an apprec1a
e ton of his heroism in their report an
s gave him a gold medal.
e Barry's home was in Superior
: About a year ago he began to suffe
from heart disease, but the malad
did not become critical until four day
before death. He was stopping a
472 jackson street, st. Paul, when h
became i'll and was removed to tn
y hospital.
He was we'll known by railroad me
', in the twin cities and along the East
- ern Minnesota. He was with tn
;, Great Northern for twenty years. an
:, was one OF their most trusted en-
IS gineers He was 46 years old and
q survived by his widow. The body wi
a be shipped to Northeast, Erie count!
"a Pa, for interment.