HUNDREDS PERISH IN FOREST FIRES
Western Towns Destroyed and Citizens Burned to Death in Their Crumbling Houses.
TERRIBLE SCENES OF SUFFERING AT HINCKLEY.
The Minnesota Town Completely Wiped Out by the Flames, and Many of Its Inhabitants Perish—One Hundred and Forty-three Bodies Already Recovered, and More in the Ruins—Other Towns Swept Up by the Fire—The List of Dead Will Probably Reach Four Hundred.
PINE CITY, Minn., Sept. 2.—Three towns—Hinckley, Mission Creek, and Pokegama—are in ashes to-night, and more than 200 dead bodies lie in the region around Hinckley.
The vast valley between the Kettle River and Cross Lake, including several villages and settlements, is laid waste by forest fires. Besides the towns that were reduced to ashes, farms were swept clean by the flames. The forests are still burning fiercely, and rain is required to drown the fires that are sweeping over a vast region.
Whole families have been cremated. In some instances only one or two men escaped from a neighborhood to tell of the destruction. They saved their lives by running to small lakes or hiding in potato fields, and reached Pine City more dead than alive. The dead are being picked up by the score and brought here. Searching parties are penetrating the burned district, but find only the charred remains of the inhabitants.
The people from Hinckley and Mission Creek who escaped with their lives are destitute, having neither homes nor food. The relief sent out from St. Paul was timely. The supply of provisions was more welcome than even the blankets sent out later, because the majority were still anxious to continue the search for the dead and sufferers. The tents and hospital supplies were very necessary for the injured and badly-burned people. Harris Richardson of St. Paul has telegraphed Gov. Nelson to send out more supplies of provisions and bedding. H. H. Hart of the State Board of Charities is at Pine City collecting data preparatory to providing State relief. Joe Manix of Minneapolis is here also to report the situation to Mayor Eustis, so that supplies are needed and will contribute building material. Assistant General Manager Miller of the St. Paul and Duluth Road has been here and returned to St. Paul to send out sleepers and hospital and camp supplies for the wounded and homeless.
Conservative reports to-night place the total number killed in the fires at 300, at least, with the number killed in the fires at 300, at least, with the number of wounded at as many more, and a number of these will die. Nothing like complete lists of the dead or injured is obtainable at this hour. One hundred and forty-three charred bodies have been recovered at Hinckley and forty-five at Sandstone
The Dead.
The names of the dead, as far as obtainable, are:
AMNELSON, Mrs. ANDREW, and two children.
ANDERSON, CHARELS, cashier Hinckley Bank.
ANDERSON, JOHN, wife, and two children.
BEAN, JAMES.
BEST—Five members of the Best family.
BLANCHARD, Mrs. JOHN, and three children.
CAMPBELL, THOMAS.
CARL, JOSEPH.
CHAMBERS, LOUISE.
CROWLEY, JOHN.
CURRY, Mrs. MICHAEL, and two children.
DONAHUE, Mrs. DANIEL.
GORMAN, Mrs. THOMAS, and children.
GRANSTORM, ANDREW, wife, and three children.
GRAY, WALTER.
HANSON, ALEX, wife, and three children.
JONES, THOMES, of Eau Claire, Wis.
MATTISON, MATTHEW.
NESBITT, WILLIAM.
PENNOYER, WILLIAM, of Chippewa Falls, Wis.
REYNOLDS, LEVI, wife, and three children.
RIELY, DENNIS.
SCAMMEL, THOMAS.
SCAMMON, LOUIS.
SCHMOLING, WILLIAM.
SHERMAN, JOHN, wife, and three children.
SHERMAN, Mrs. NOBLE, and child.
The Injured.
BARDEN, JOSEPH; eyes, legs, and hands burned.
CARLSON, C. A., of St. Louis; ears and hands burned.
FRISK, NELS; face and hands burned.
GREENFIELD, Mrs.; face and body burned.
HAMMOND, EMMA; entire body burned; will die.
JEMKE, CARROLL; head and arms burned.
LARSON, CHARLES; hands burned.
McNEIL, Mrs.; head burned.
OLSON, Mrs. OTTO; face and eyes burned.
WESTERLUND, Mrs.; face and eyes burned.
WILL, OTTO; eyes burned.
The relief train from St. Paul arrived here at 8 P. M., with 2,400 loaves of bread, clothing, hospital material, and a large delegation of St. Paul citizens. At White Bear Lake $400 was subscribed, and three carloads of supplies were procured by the time the train arrived here.
The following committee has been selected to take entire charge of the relief work: James Hurly, Pine City, Chairman; J. F. Stine, J. Y. Breckinridge, Gen. Charles Bunker, E. A. Hough, H. Borchars, and H. Hart, St. Paul; J. T. Mannix, Minneapolis; A. E. Quinn, J. C. Hethaway, J. H. Burwell, D. H. Moon, J. D. Markham, P. H. Kelly, G. r. Finch, H. Y. King, and L. F. Stone.
Anything like an estimate of the loss is impossible. Hinckley has been completely destroyed, as has Mission Creek, Sandstone, and several other small places, and large numbers of people are missing. The fire extends from Pine City as far west as Carlton and Rutledge, sweeping everything in its path.
The Rev. P. Knudson, a Presbyterian minister of Hinckley, tells a graphic story of the fire, which swept down on the town like an avalanche. He says over 200 of those who perished might have been saved had they kept away from the river. The people lost their heads and stampeded, trying to escape by teams and saddle horses. Knudson took a hilltop, and when the fire passed over found himself in a charred desert, surrounded by hundreds of dead, while those who survived were far from help and with nothing to eat or drink. He thinks the horrors of the Chicago fire nothing compared to it.
At Hinckley the bodies are piled in the graveyard, and will be buried as soon as possible. Every effort is made to identify the dead bodies. There are 600 homeless people in Pine City.
Reliable information received by the Relief Committee shows about 250 dead at Hinckley and 500 to 550 homeless survivors, most of whom are at Pine City, with nothing to eat or wear. Sandstone has 50 dead and 225 homeless in the very worst possible condition, and needing immediate aid. There are 25 dead at Sandstone Junction. Mayors Smith of St. Paul and Eustis of Minneapolis will be telegraphed that the situation is worse than at first thought, and immediate relief is needed.
The Towns Destroyed.
ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 2.—So far as can be learned at this time from the devastated district, the following towns have been destroyed, and the following are dead in numbers:
Hinckley, Minn., 1,000 to 1,200 inhabitants; 250 to 300 dead; 500 to 600 homeless.
Pokegama, Minn., next station southwest of Hinckley, 500 inhabitants; 50 dead.
Miller, Minn., near Hinckley, off railroad line, dead unknown.
Shell Lake, Baronette, Granite Lake, Cumberland, Pineville, Comstock, and Forest City, lumber towns in Wisconsin between Chippewa Falls and Superior.
Spooner, Wis., partly destroyed.
The number of dead in these Wisconsin towns and in other parts of the country between Chippewa Falls and Superior is estimated at 100 persons.
The Minnesota conflagration, which was attended by the shocking loss of life and agony of body and mind for hundreds of others who escaped with their lives only, swept everything and everybody in its path from Pine City as far west as Carlton, near Duluth. The great valley between Kettle River and Cross Lake, which a few days ago was in no danger of destruction by the forest fires raging in the lumber States, is now one vast area of ashes.
