Indiana State Sentinel, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 September 1894 — Page 6

G.

THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL, WEDNESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 5, 1894 TWELVE PAGES.

AFTER THB DELUGE OF

DEATH-DEALMG FLAMES

Concluded front CALLTE GRISSENGER, aged sir. MABEL GRISrflNGER. aged three. Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAM GINDER and two hovs. WINNIFRED CINDER, aged six. C. O. ANDERSOX. Mis. UXXS PAULSON and four children. Mr. and Mis. CHAMBERS and two children. henry I r ANSON. EMILY ANI)1:KS0N'. N K LS ROBERTSON, wife and two children. MARY ROBINSON. OTTü TtOWLEY of Dtiluth. ISRAEL HCHURMSKI of Chicago. E. RICKETTSON of Minneapolis. DAVID K AN K of Rock creek. Mr. and Mrs. JOHN BEST. GEORGE BEST, aged twenty-five. TORU REST, acred twent v-three. WILLIAM REST, aged twenty-one. BERTHA REST, aged seventeen. VrCTOU P.nST. aged eight. MI NN T 1-3 WE IG EL. aged nine. Mies A NN IK T R L'TTM A N, aged twen-ty-s'.x, of DUtr.ond Bluff, Wis. Dr. KELCV of New Brighton. LAMBESON. WI LL1 A M NESBITT. Mr. and Mrs. JOHN BURKE and two child ron. Mr. and Mr.. L. REINOLDS and two Children. JIM I J KAN'. HAN'S MATTISON. SANDY HFNPKRFON of Tine City. JOliNNV HENDERSON cf Pin City. THOMAS JONF3S. CHARLES HA N SON. DENNIS5 RILKY. JOHN ANDERSON, wife andtwochlldren. PETER ROBERTSON. LOP IS NELSON. EMMA DO LAND. BELLE O'lililK.V. ANNA WALLACE. Mr. COSTK5AND an l three children. WILLIAM PINNOHR. I'ATIUCK MFRPI I Y. HENRY HOFFMAN and wife of Sandetone. Ir.. JOHN M'NAMARA and one child. Yunluiuxlrr Williams la il Hero. Yardmaster Pave Williams cf Duluth !s sonii-ihln? of a hero himself. He 1 the mm who jjrv.spvd the situation, acted on Lis knowledge promptly and relieved the j;o;le of Sandstone. He received a jnessage from Miller last night which raid: "There are l.'.i) reopie at Sandstone "without foxl or shIter. For God's sake get them out of there." Within an incredibly short time an engine, in charge of Yard mast er Williamd, was n tile way to Sandstone. The entire road, after the burned district was reached, was patrolled and the t-ngine kept xi i a continual whistling so that any persons who might re near the railroad would com ut once to the track. TVVhen the train arrived et Sandstone Junction, or Miller, as It is generally called, it wan mt by nearly the entire j'opluatlon of Sandstone and Miller. The depot platform at Miller hud been Earned and there was not a (house left standing anywhere In view. About 10 2eopIe were taken aboard, and a mesrenger was sent to Sandstone who Informed the people of the arrival of relief. "Very few remained, and they were those with loved ones lying dead. No one wa burned seriously who was not fatally injured. There was no attempt to care for the dead, who lay scattered with Irregularity through the treets of thy town. Everything Inflammable at Sandstone was destroyed, and today's Investigations brought the number of the dead at that place up to sixty-two, with twenty-one people mining. Mr. Webster, the father of Mayor Lee "Webster, In this town, was among the dead, and this afternoon Mr. Webster went to Sandstone to b-ry ihis father and mother. The scene at Sandstone, as described by Mr. Webster, was heartrending. Ilodlea Scattered at ILundom. The streets of the town were only lines bf eand between heaps cf auaes. Within these lines lay forty bodies scattered at random, and twenty-two more were found afterward in the outskirts of the town anj along "the hollows and marshes toward the river bank. The bodies were lying exposed to the eun and rain alike, nd wr-- rapidly becoming decomposed. They were Identified as far as possible wnd wi'.l be buried tomorrow. The Duluth people are looking after the care und relief of the people on the line north of Hl.ickley. They are doing their work well and will see that no one of the living Is allowed suffer for food or cloth. tr,g. One of he marvelous circumetances of the occasion Is the escape of eo t:any cattle and horses. Many were laosolutely uns.orched, though no one can fxplaln how they escaped the ordeal of fire. Others were pitifully burned anl ttep.-i are tardily being taken to put them out of their misery. A company of militia went out and killed one ox this afternoon. The animals were without food until late this afternoon, when tihe relief train brought up some hay, and "the vj.vm were in great suffering, not "Slaving been miikod for two days. Tomorrow morning the carcasses of the dead animals, which are becoming very offensive, will be put out of the ay by burial or burning. In the afternoon, following tue rain, a strongbreeze wept up from the south and soon the flames, which had been quenched and emoulderir.g by the morning showers, wtra again fanned to a blaze and hundreds of columns of rnuike began to escend from the woods. The fire will not be out for many a day unless there fare heevy rains, but there is no danger, cs the underbrush Is burned out clean end there Is no possibility of another rpread. The Intensity and Insatiability of the fire cannot be seen from the fact ttiat corduroy fills, where the logs were "burned under several feet of earth, are entirely eaten out, the fire eating Its way through under the entire width of xoael. llarlal of the lnldentifled Dead. None of the citizens of Pine City who volunteered their aid In the work of relief did more than F. G. Weber. He took entire charge of the work at the cemetery and kept at the hideous work until all that oould be done had ben accomplished. Not until nightfall were hl3 labors over, and during that time he had a sueceeslon of relays of men under him, for many sickened and had to give It up. The work progressed plower than Heed Lave been the rase had Mr. Weber's working force been adequate. As It wlna Flxty-five unidentified dead were interred In the trenches, fifty-nlx more were put In boxs and thirteen were burted 'by their friends, making a total of 131 bodies handled at the cemeteryMr. Weber says he has reports of fiftyone bodie all ready for burial tomorrow, Ann this number will grow every hour. The bodies found after tomorrow must b burled where found. It will be impoib'e to move them, as they are literally falling to pieces. AFTi:il Til 13 DELI GR I-otlinralc Grief Takes the IMuee of the Eirltrmrnl. PING CITY, Minn., Sept. 3. After the !elug? the reaction has come at Hinckley. The excitement which has buoyed up no many of the visitors, even In the face of the fact o many relatives and friends frad perished In the fiery llx i, has passed away, and dull, lethargic grief has taken Its place. The uninjured refugees at Pine .City, asd there are several thousands, are

First I'aire.

standing about the street cirncrs In little knotd and discussing the Incidents of the catastrophe in awestruck torus. Tha probable death of this one or this family and the new of the escape of another, who was at first supposed to have perished, are all dircuss-sl with the same benumbed air expressing neither foito.v nor de?palr in the one case nr elation and Joy In the other. The night was a rloomy one. The hospital patients demanded the attention of the physicians ail niglit, and the only drurclst In Pine City was kept busy until daylight filling prescriptions ar.d supplying lotions, for most f the. injuries were burns more or less Ferlous. By morning all wen in a .täte of comparative comfort and there were none whose hurts wore deemed fatal. Anions' tiio good citizens of Pine City who ' had opened their hearts, their homes and their public buildings to their strkk-n nei.ubors aM wa.- bustle and activity. Th town hall was kepi open all n'ijht and provisions served to ail trin-rs. The school house and many a private home U'CTQ thrown open. Every blanket in town wa called lnt service. Th Yom:n anl children were given th' letter quarter and the men stretched out ii rows on th i flxfrs of the two public buildings named. Ueforo daylight the town was astir. The arrangements for th-? relief of the destitute further up the line wnere hundreds of mrn. women and chll.ltvn were not only homeless but .'ibsVutely without a scrap of food cr bediling or extra clothing, were taken up where they were dropped at night. The appointed committees met and KAt their work well In hand. Ueforo 7 o'clock in. the morning the construction train loaded with bridge material for the repair of the bridge across the Grindstone river, at Hinckley, came up from Rush City. A coupie hundred loaves of bread and other lkiht provisions wore placed on. board in charge of Judge J. C. Nathemy of stllUater, representing- the rciiff committee. A party of laborers to dig graves and inter the bodies wcu) collected and tho train proceeded into the burned country. At Hinckley the provisions wer. Im I 'd o:i to a hand-car manned by Judge Nathemy and a volunteer crew and a start was muJe a ross the shaky bridge to Milter, nine miles further north, where a dozn or more were reported dead and Ihre. or four tlmee a.-i many hungry and homeless. From Mllier they expect to work eist to Sajidstoce. about five miles across th5 country on the Flastern Minnesota railroad, where there aro between fifty and fiftyflva dead and a couple of hundred living, who were saved in Kettle river and in the great Sandstone quarries. About 11 oVbvk the bridge was suCiclently repaired to admJt the pass-age of a train, and an engine, frwUht car and caboose with a plentiful supply of food and a meager More of conins in char,-;e of Undertaker O'JIaliorau of St. l'aul were sent frth. Xo Atlempt to Dress llodle. At Hinckley the visible situation had not materially changed nor improved over night. The thirty or forty caKkeU and boxes with their grues.ine contents still lay alongside the track, where they were placed laft night. No attempt lud been made to dress or embalm the bodies, and they were already growing very offensive. Fortunately the day was cool and cloudy and irrateful showers fell at Intervals during tho forenoonr. The remains of the dead, however, were in fueh a horribly blistered and burned condition that decomposition rapidly set In. Undertaker J.' G. Donnelly of St. Paul wad on the ground and he advised that the bodies be burled as rapidly as possible. Every attempt at id ntitlcatlon had been exhausted. From theso bodies by the track the officials of the St. Paul fc Duluth road had removed and carefully preserved every t sinket and article of Jewelry, and even bhreds and scraps of clothing, placing those from eeeh body into a ret- ptacle numbered like 'the ensket, fn that if possible when the relatives return they may recognize and know whether their friends have been Interred. Out In tho little cemetery a mile cast of town was a tk'ctu which words are jKrwerless to destrib. At b -st the llttla spot would be as dreary as could well be Imagined. It is on top of a rough sandy knoll, where nature is seen at her Worst, and absolutely no attempt toward artificial embellishment has ever been made. There were only a few little sandy, unsodden mound before. Now, with the blackened, lire-scoured stumps and fallen trunks of trees all about, it presented an aiicarance of desolation hard to describe. tut in the venter of the opening was the crowning horror. In an indiscriminate heap lay more than ninety corpses, men, women and children. Some burned to a crisp, others only browned by th heat. Some were bloated until the abdomen had cracked open. Skulls were burned open und brains escaped, mid all were twisted and cramped in the qui.--ite agony of the death that had overtaken them. A force of men were quickly at work digging a shallow trench along the south end of the cemetery. The. sandy noil was hard as flint. It had been baited to a crust by weeks of drought and almost solidified by t le lire. The work progressed elowly. DIkkIuk Ills Ftiiiitly'a Grave. Oft In the corner of the clearing two smaller graves were dug. One was for Mrs. William Grisinger and her two bnby girls, Caroline, aged six, and Mabel, aged three. The husband and father had recognized them In the heap and was hard at work preparing for them a final resting place apart from the trench designed for the unidentified, his labors' dulling for the time the acuteness of hid angulsn. Ti;e other grave was for the Best family, whos name makes their destruction notable even in this time of death. John Rest, jr., was digging the pit with the friendly assistance of two neighbors. Laid in a row recently covered were the bodies of John Rest, sr., Mrs. Rest, Fred Rest, aged twenty-three; Rertha, aged seventeen; Mrs. Annie Wiesel, a married daughter, and her three-year-old daughter Minnie, Miss Annie Truttniar of Diamond Eiuff, Wis., a visitor, aged twenty-six, and Victor Rest, aged elterht. The other sons, George, aged twenty-five, and Willie, aged twentyone, are missing, and are certainly d?ad. And of this whole family of three generations only the sorrowing gravedigger and his wifa and child, who took refuge, are alive. The only others of these ninety odd who were recognized were Charles Anderson, cashier of the ank; Mrs. William Ginder and her daughter Winifred, aged six. One or two others were Imperfectly identified, but It was largely guesswork. Enough rude boxes were knocked together from rough bo.irds to contain most of these bodies, and they were rapdlly laid away under the sand, but not before other bjdies began to come in. The Operator Died nt Ills Pont. In the swamp across the Grindstone where thesa corpses were found yesterday were about thirty others which were brought In this morning, making a total of 120 dead In this little space of four or live acres. Down near the river was found the body of Thomas Dunn, the Duluth operator at Hinckley. Dunn was born and reared here and was a universal favorite. He stuek to his key until tha depot was burning over his head. The delay In locating his body led his rlends to hopj that he might have escaped, but this morning the finding of his blackened corpse put an end to all uncertainty. Up the St. Paul & Duluth right-of-way were found three or four more bodies. Among those who perished north of town was Mr. Erlckson of 2310 Polk-st., N. E., Minneapolis, who was here vlaltlng

his son. He went out In a wagon with Dave Kane, of Rock Creek, also a visitor here, and both perished, though the horses came out unscathed. . The busiest point at Hinckley-at noon was the Associate Press telegraph office. It was not mivjh. of an offlce, but it sufficed to serve the public with the Associated Press report, the only press rejort pent out of Hinckley today. The wires were brought down to a burned stump of a tree. A dry good box near by served as thp operator's desk. Another box made him a seat. A spike held down the copyn the breeze. The Associated Press correspondent had a like homely desk and eat on a beer keg. An occasional shower blurred the copy, but It Ras rapidly fed to the eager wire despite the discomforts of the occasion. Abnolutel Swept Clean. The Associated Press correspondent took a five-mile tramp through the woods to the north of town . this morning, through a scene of desolation which rarely falls Wneath the eye of man. The country Is absolutely swept clean. There Is but one settler's house standing within an unknown radius of miles. It Is that of Mike Dean, on the edge of the river, three miles east of town. It was a new house and very substantial. Dean anl a neighbor fought the fire until they had to abandon hope. They got the women and children into the water, covering their heads with cloths kept wet by dashing water over them, and when the fire had passed they came out unhurt and were much surprised to find their building standing, and tills morning whnn the Associated Press corresjwmdent entered the clearing the house dog barked as savagely and the rooster crew as loudly as if they had not come within an ace of death. The hanj-car party which went north this morning haa just returned. It met the Duluth construction train about eight miles up the track with word that the city of Duluth had furnish'' the neeessary relief at Sandstone and M'.ller. They accordingly turned back and on the way Is located eleven bodies, Welling the total of those found along the track between Hinckley and Skunk Lake, to about Hfty. One of them was Otto Rowley of Duluth, general freight agent of the Duluth Winnipeg. He was a passenger on the limited south-bound train on Saturday, and had left the main body of refugees and passengers, running back toward the lake. His body was Identified by the name on his collar. Near another body, evidently that of a passenger, was found a letter addressed to Michael Schrumski, Chicago, and a charred business card bearing the same najne. Three other bodies were probably those of passengers on the Ill-fated train. Another was a young mm, a sendld specimen of physical manhood, and from his clothing and high-laced boots, apparently a prospector or cruiser. The other five were the family of a settler named John Itobinson, consisting of himself, three women and an Infant. Above Skunk Iake the work 'train reported twelve bodies on the right of the road, presumably passengers. Mlxht Have uvcd Themselves. The most oorrowful feature of the horrible fatality at Hinckley . is the thought that had the situation been realized in time not a tdngle life among the residents of the town neJ have been lost. The Great Northern gravel pits, where only 100 sought safety, is ten acres In extent, broad enough and long enough and Jeep enough to have sheltered every Joul in Hinckley, with their dornest!.? ani.rn.ils. There Is a pool of water of msld arable depth there. The bottoms ore bare of grass or shrubbery, and there was ro inflammable material near the brink on the ride from which the fire came. Those who did seek this have passed the hours of their enforced Imprisonment ia comparative comfort. This morning a detail of twenty regulars from Ft. Snelling. under command of Capt. Hale and Lieut. McCoy, and an army surgeon came In from St. Paul. They brought some tents, but Unding that Adjt.-Gen. Mahlberg had tent up ISO ftate tents, the regulars turned In and, put up fifty of them for the refugees, with regular army expedition. The local physicians were about played out and there was an abundance of work for the army surgeons.

IIADI3 Mi AiSOTIir.K FAIUSWCLL. Frightful Kiperlvnce of a Train Crew er l'okeicam. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Sept. 3. A special to the Journal Tvom St. Cloud, Minn., says: The first eye-witnesa of the great forest fire to mach St. Cloud from the scene of the fire were the crew of train No. 4C, which was ditched one and a half miles on the other Mde of Pokegam. The crew consisted of Conductor I-:. i:. Parr. Conductor Will Vogel, Firenun Joe Sacher and Rrakeman John Delaney and Michael Whalen, John Vandeisluys, the Great Northern express messenger. John Vandersluys tells the story of their awful experience: "We l"ft Hinckley at the( usual time Saturday afternoon. It was smoky and the air was hot and oppressive. A terrible wind was blowing as hot as a furnace. We had not gone far when fhe smoke began to be so thick that It was Perfectly dark. Our train consited of an engine, baggage car and coach. As wo plunged through the darkness, smoke and flames and ru..hed over the email bridges and wooöen culverts we could feel them give under the weight of the train. The tics, bridges, fences and the trees above our heads were burnlDg. When within a mile and a half of Pokegam our train went into the ditch, but we all es-caped and laid duwn on our fees to keep from smothering. Put it continued to grow worse. Finally we managed to reach a small creek and we threw the water over ourselves and put out the fire, which, caught under the baggage car. Over our heads the flames were leaping clear across the tracks. It was terrible awful. No one can describe our awful experience. At one time we thought we cculd not stand it longer and said good-bye to each other. The lire came with the fury of a cyclone and must have been traveling sixty mii"s an hour. At 5 o'clock two uf us walked to Pokegam. thinking we could get relief there. When we got there we found about half the people in the river. Their feet were burned and blistered and their faces scorched. Some of them were so blinded that they could not see. We took them back to the train with us. There wer about twenty-four of them. They did not know j where their neighbors were. We tore up our shirts and used the cloth to cover up the burned and blistered feet of the sufferers. "At 5 o'clock Sunday morning we left the party and the train In charge of two brakemen. I started for Hinckley. On the way every tie in the track was burned out; the ground was baked, and we found many bodies of those who had perished. When we reached Hinckley we found that the relief train from St. l'aul had reached there and everything that man could do was being done for the injured and suffocating. Everything but the Great Northern round-house, the freight shed and water tank was gone. We found all of I'ine City a hospital. Every house was thrown open for tne shelter of the sufferers. The stories told of the terrible loss of life In and about Hinckley are not exaggerated In the least. There are at least 300 people dead there, and It la hard telling where that fire, sweeping along at sixty milps an hour, has or will be stopped." HAD A TIIIULLIXG EirEIUESCE. The l'asaenjrers "Who Deaerted the Train la Hinckley. ST, PAUL, Minn., Sept. 3. Several traveling men, among them James Lobde'.l of this city, who abandoned the 111fn.ted train which was burned at H nckley, have Just arrived here. The thrilling Ftory of their trip from the train back to Hinckley in thus told by Mr. Lobdell: "I have been a traveling man for the past twelve years and had been over the Duluth line so many times that I felt sate In

making a trial. I was so well acquainted with the location of the streams tSat I thought if we got In a tight place we could run into one of them and save ourselves. We had lost all of our-baggage, as had the rest of tho passengers, and we had nothing else beside the clothes we wore and each a litfht overcoat. With the rest Mr. Anders-on had lost $12.0'J of bonds, which could not be replaced. We

got along pretty well for othe first h hour, but wo then ran into envke dense that we could not see three feet in front of us. We were in imminent danger of b-Ing Fiiffoeatd. We ?o?ild. not see the track and the ties were burning beneath out feet. Each of us took an overcoat and wrapped it about his head, leaving only a small opening from which to breathe. To add to the horror of the situation every little way we would come acros-s a dead body. We were only saved, by occasionally arriving at a railway cut. where there was generally but Untie smoke. Two miles above Hinckley the dead bodies began to grow thicker. Most of them had died from suffocation. In several cases they had saved their heads by running thern into sandheaps, only to have their bodies so badly burned that they could not survive. In one place we found four dead In one heap a mother and three children. She had laid them on the ground and then lail down on them In an attempt to cover them. Every shred of clothing was burned from every one of them. On the way down to Hinckley we counted twenty-nine bodies, and at this point we learned thit the total death-roll would reach over 200, as scores of people ran directly into the woods, where they had no chance whatever to escape." Mr. Lobdell and his companions found a wagon bridge and went in a roundabout way to a point south of Mission creek, where they found a hand-car and went to Pine City. The telegraph curator there, Otis Green, rem -lined at his paot until all but three buildings In Hinckley had been burned. When the depot took fire lie ran to tfce- safe anl took therefrom Jö.Ouo in greenbacks and fled to the river. He remained In the river several hours, when , he joined Lobdell and his companions In their trip to Pine City. Dozens of people tiled to save themselves by running Into tho river. Some were successful, but many were suffocated by the smoke. Nine bodies were taken out at the same time this morning: and probably' twenty or thirty more will be found. Everybody Is In a state of bewilderment, and a-s ail records are burned it is hard to get any definite information, as to the people or property, lllukley Is a total lord. nilOOIv PARK DESTROYED And n Xuiutipr of t'ltlr.ena on the MlnaliiK Mt. MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3. A special from Mora, Minn,, says: Rrook Park, Pokegam station, a new town on the St. Cioud & Hinckley branch of the Northern road, was totally destroyed. The flames burned 300,000 feet of luimbt r, sawmill, hotel, stores, paper ollice and school houses, and twenty-five families In the Immediate vicinity are homeless. Six thousand t uis of hay, twenty head of horses and thirty bead of cattle are gone. The total hs.s of property is placed at about $C0,0UJ; no Insurance. Among the dea.l are: JOHN RAYMOND, wife and three children. CHARLES ANDERSON, wife and three children. FRED MOLANDER. wife and two children. Miss LORA OUSEN. OSClAtt LA R SDN and sister. David Goodsed, Chirles Whitney and J. Rrennan are mis.-ing. The injured are: Dr. Keisey, hands anil eyes burned. Joseph r.engoni, hands ar.i fett burned. Wright Keisey, burned about th eyes. Many children were blinded by the lire and smoke. The following surviving sufferers were brought to Mora Ust night: W. II. Thompson, Joseph R.engoni, Wright Kelspy and family, Mrs. Creumerd and four children, i tans Nelson, section foreman, and family anl Frank LIttengarber. The remainder, about fifty people, will be brought today. The Rev. Mr. Thompson opened his church to the sufferers, and 'Hie citizens are relieving their Immediate wants. Th dmd found yesterday were burled. All railroad bridges between Mora and Hinckley were burned, but Will be repaired today. The sufferers need food, raiment and shelter for winter. Contributions from the outside are needed for their relief, and should be sent to the Rev. Mr. Thompson. Kelsoy and Markham. the town site owners, say the town will be rebuilt. IP IX TUM Mll.MOXS. estimates of the Losa In Property In the llurut DUtriet. CHICAGO, Sept. 8. Reorts to the Tribune from portions of. Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, in which the forest fires are now raging, show that the condition of affairs there Is more than terrible. The lrs.s of property, at a low estimate, has already reached $12,000.0C0, not Including the standing timber that has been destroyed. Hut even wor?e is the loss of life which it Is feared will reach as high as 1,000. Reports of nearly four hundred persons having perished have already been received, while the reports as they continue to come In are increasing the list. The best information Is that about twenty towns have alreadybeen destroyed, driving thousands of families fron their homes in the face of the llames. The Herald summarizes as fcdlows: Six towns wiped out and more than live hundred dead, is the record made by the forest tires in Minnesota In the last twenty-four hours. In Hinckley, Sandstone, Pokegama. Sandstone Junction, Skunk Lake, and Mission Creek, there are 3."3 known dead. In addition several are missing, while from one hundred and fifty to two hundred people are scattered on farms throughout the district burned over. The destruction was complete in most of the towns named, but some of the forest land escaped. The loss, however, will be lr the millions-, add the loss of life will not be definitely known for several days, if ever. . The Record summarizes as follows: Eastern Minnesota has suffered in the last twenty-four hours from a horror never equaled in this country, except at Johnstown, Pa., May 31, 18srJ. Nearly four hundred persons are known to be dead, over $2,000,000 worth of property Is destroyed and hundreds of families are homeless In Pine City and adjoining counties. Reports received late tonight Indicate tliat the death list will exceed the number above given, and may not fall short of 1.000. There Is much confusion In the reports, ar.d It Is impossible to get anything like a correst estimate tonight. The Times estimates that at least half a thousand persons are dead, as follows: HInckLey, 2Ö0: Sandstone. 40; Sandstone Junction, 20; pokegama, S3; Skunk Lake, 29; Plnetown, 12; Mission Creek, 9; Partridge, 6; Kettle River Junction, 6; Carltor.. 3; Rutledge, 2 miscellaneous, 80. The Inter Ocean says CeO are dead, and the total may reach l.ooo. SOt XllIJ) 1,1 It H TIIl XDKn. Great Sheet of Flames Descended rvlth h, Terrible Hoar. SANDSTONE Minn.. Sept. 3. All that remains of what once was the prosperous village of Sandstone Is the small shack used by the Sandston? compmy for an office, and this would hive met the fate of the other buildings but. for the fact that 'it was locate! near the quarry and was missed by the flames. Crowded into this building and the ferry house were found over i!00 people who had lost their homes and everything they possessed except the clothing which they wore. When the St. Paul & Duluth relief train, which left Duluth at 4 o'clock, arrived at Miller's Junction word was received that the town of Sandstone wad entirely burned and the peojda there were in need of Immediate aid. A party of the relief committee aboard the train started with

provisions to look after the destitute peoplj. After passing the Eastern Mlnesota tracks, and Just before coming to the glowing coals and ashes that marked all that remained of Sandstone, several bodieg were seen,. the victims apparently hiving been overtaken by the flames us they were fleeing to safety. On reaching the quarry below the town where the people who were saved were waiting aid. they were given provisions, and those who were uninjured were sent forward to the relief train, about four or five miles away. Those who were burned and a number of children were left In the office building until today, when they will be cared for by another relief train. All thosj 6aved at Sandstone were In the river while the cyclone of flames passed, and only managed to escape by wading In the water over each other's head. The coming of the llames sounded like thunder, and with such rapidity did they come that people who lingered to save property or neglected to seek safety In the river perished In the flames. As far as could be learned between forty and fifty bodies were scattered about the streets burned to a crisp. The relief committee had paid but little attention to bodies, as the living required immeditae attention. The town boasted of a water system, but as one of the citizens remarked, "The whole of Kettle river would not have had any effeevt on the solid sheet of flames that danced on the town and swept It out of existence in less than an hour." The relief train took back about 243 persons to Duluth.

KOTTIMi IX TUM SCX. Xocleot to Hury Many of Charred and Shnpelena Itotllea. DULUTH. Minn., Sept. 3. Early today a relief train returned to Duluth bearing" 227 survivors of the burning of Sandstone. The train came up on the PL Taul ft Duluth, the trip having been made to Sandstone by the relief party on foot. The survivors were secured, and babes and small children carried back over the six-mile trail through the woods One hundred and fifty people weru left and a second train was sent out for them. The party had to cross from Miller station, on the St. Paul & Duluth, to Sandstone, six miles distant. Sixty Wdles were found In the little towns Featured about everywhere. No attempt has been made to bury them and they are rotting in the hot sun. One building Is all that remains at Partridge, on the Eastern Minnesota. Everything was burned, but so far as can be learned only one life was lost. The list of dead as near a3 could be gotten from the survivors who reached the train Is as follows: 1. ENGLAND, wife and Beven children. JOHNSON, wife, children and brother-in-law. H. EDSTROM'S family of six. Edstrom himself is badly. If not fatally, burned. II. HOFFMAN and wife. ALFRF3D BROAD, wife and family of three children. AUGUST ANDERSON and son died n the pump house and were found In the box. EMIL PETERSON, single, found In tho streets In the centr.il part of town. C. F. ANDERSON, wife and two children. Mrs. AUGUST ANDERSON. PETER KAHN, wife and three Children. GUSTAVE ANDERSON, wife and two children. They found a mcther in the yard with her children clasped in her arms. Many others were found In Sandstone and remlane l unidentified. Fistimates from conservative men who have gone over the ground place the loss of life at anywhere from t00 to 1,000. About 1.200 homeless people have been brought to Duluth. The railroad wires are not yet repaired" and details come In slowly. I'ltAVixtj ron it a ix. I'nlesM It Cornea Cndott Will lie Com pletelr Wiped Out. MILWAUKEE, Sept. 3. A special from Chippewa Falls, Wis., says: "Northwestern Wisconsin Is one sea of flames, and reports are coming Into this city constantly of fatalities caused by the great conflagration. The towns of Rlblake, Marengo and I'radshaw have been completely wiped out, and at the latter place three people lost their lives. Many others are missing and it Is impossible to estimate the extent of sufferings by the people. Yesterday a message was received here from Cadott asking for aid. The town was threatened by forest fire and the inhaibtants were almost panic-stricken over their Imminent dangers. A force of men from Chippewa was sent up, and until 1 o'clock last night the Inhabitants of the village struggled to preserve their homes from destruction. Several buildings on the outskirts caught fire and were shortly reduced to ashes, but fortunately the fire was prevented from spreading to the others. The citizens were greatly excited at the prospect of losing their homes, nd prepartaions were made for a hurried flight in case the town fell a prey to the fire. Wagons loaded with household goods stayed In the streets and the scene was one of Indescribable confusion. At 10 o'clock last night the wind had abated In the Immediate vicinity of Cadott. and for the present tho village Is safe. About two miles away, in a dense forest which terminates at the limits of the town, the woods are In a vast blaze and the wind Is carrying the flames with great rapidity 1 toward the town. This is Caddo's greatV est danger, and If no rain falls before this evening It will certainly be wiped out." TIIKOKiH TUM FLAMES. A Pnsaeniter Trnln In Compelled to Make Rapid Time.' MINNEAPOLIS. Sept. 3. A Journal special from Turtle Lake, Wis., says: A Journal reporter reached here late last night. The Soo's evening train from Minneapolis is being detained by a forest fire at Joel, a small station about seven miles west. For two miles the train ran through a dense cloud of smoke, with fire on both sides of the track, sometimes so close as to scorch the faces of the passengers and train crews. The engineer was obliged to feel his way and keep a close watch on culverts and trestles. Turtle Lake was threatened all day yesterday and today. During the afternoon a bad fire approached the south side of the town, fanned by the brisk breeze which was Mowing1 all day. The entire male population turned out and succeeded in saving th town. At night the wind went down, and though the fires lit up the skies In all directions, the town was safe. A MOTHER'S GREAT LOVE, She Protects Her Fever-Strlckta Son When Others Flee. SPOONER. Wis., Sept, 3. The destruction of Barrolette was complete. One lone building is left of a city of 700 Inhabitants. One man was burned. The total loss is a quarter of a million. Shell Lake has fifty-two dwellings burned, with a total loss of $75,000. Three hundred and sixty people are homeless and many are without a dollar cf insurance. Deeds of heroism are plentiful. One widow drugc---! her typhoid-sick son from the houpe into a potato patch and there protected him from the flames while the rest of the inhabitants fled In terror. The files are now under control In this vicinity. Are All Heavy Losers. MILWAUKEE. Sept. 3. A special from Ashland, Wis., says: Smoke and dirt begrimed settlers have been stragging into town all morning with tales of losses of cattle and everything on their farms. They are taken in hand and everything possible is being done for their relief. Five incendiaries In Ashland have been arrested, three being caught In the act. When the first one was caught rumors of lynching were prevalent. A large number of deputies were placed on guard In different parts of the city with Instructions to guard the docks In particular. A straggler,

who walked in from Belolt this morning, eays everything is g-one there but the mill and lumber. Fires have raged around on all sides, but there is no more danger of the inhabitants being burned. At Ashland Junction passepgers got In the midst of the flames. It caused great consternation among the women and children, and It was almost impossible to quiet them. . News from Cable and Mason, along the Omaha line, canno be had. but it is thought they are unharmed. The bridge at Blbon has been repaired, but the Omaha will not on-

I deavor to start traffic again until all bridges are thoroughly repaired and tested. It will do no transferring. The Central is again running on schedule time. Makes Xnvlgatlon Dangerous. CHICAGO, Sept. 3. Smoke from forest fires is now making navigation dangerous on all the great lake3 except Lake Ontario. From Duluth to Buffalo reports are received of smoke fo thick that one could not see on the lake more inan a few hundred feet. Along the south shore of Lake Superior captains could not discern objects 100 yards away. At Sault Ste. Marie all boats were being seriously delayed, captains preferring to go slower rather than take the chances of fetching up on the rocks and reefs. Reports of stranding came In to the underwriters with too great rapidity to be enjoyable. The fires have destroyed to some extent teicgraphic communication with the dangers ashore near the straits, and it is feared that more wrecks have occurred than have been reported. The losses to lake vessels on account of tiie smoke already exceed $4'J,OoO. Want to Prevent Future Culnntltlea. ST. PAUL. Sept. 3. A relief train was sent to Hinckley at 9:10 with a force of men and supply of tents, those being most needed Just now. Additional supplies were picked up at every stathn along the road. Philip Martin of tha land department of the road, went in search of Thomas Fitzgerald, land examiner at Doll Grove, who, w.th a dozen workmen, was in the midst of the lire, and his not been heard frum. The chamber of commerce raised $3,000 for relief at Its meeting to-day and adopted resolutions favoring the securing of information from United States consular agents as to forestry management In foreign countries, with the object of preventing future forest fires. The Wires Down Everynliere. EAU CLAIRE, Wis., Sept. 3. Wires to points on the northern division of the Omaha road have been down since last night and information of the situation up north is lacking. The last train from the north on the Omaha reached here at 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon and no trains have gone out since, except a wrecking train sent from Eau Claire early this morning. Railroad men say the whole region from Cartwright to Bashaw and Haugen has been on fire since Saturday afternoaa. Bridges are burned and wires are dov n and no one knows when trains will run. Many people here are alarmed for the safoty of their friends and relatives who are blockaded at northern points. Hluh W inds to Do Fenred. CHICAGO, Sept. 3. Wisconsin Central railway officials were unable today to get satisfactory reports from the burnt district. The train service was interrupted and tho telegraph wires were down or working poorly. Agents at various points reported a heavy loss of life and property, but were unable to give figures or details. The reports showed that th1 fires were smouldering, and grave fears were expressed that fearful damage would ensue If the region should be visited by a high wind. The r.iln, the repjrts said, was not heavy enough to extinguish the flames, which might break out at any time. Town of Curtla Destroyed. MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. ,3. A special from Little Falls, Minn., says: Forest fires destroyed Curtis and Cashing, eighteen miles west of here, Saturday night. The loss at dishing is $35.000. Dower's saw mill and lumber yard were burned with a loss of $25.000; insurance, $16.0i0. The J. J. Howe Lumber company have $4,000 insurance. At Curtis W. N. Long's mill burned, together with all the houses In the town. Loss, $2.r.000; insurance, $4.000. A great dnl of timber was destroyed. One hundred people are homeless, but so far as known no lives are lost. OIL WliLLs IllRXING. Foreal Flrea Dolns; Great Damaste In Pen nay Ivan la. BRADFORD, Pa., Sept. 3. Forest fires are raging all along the line of the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg railroad. Reports from all points on the narrow gauge roads state that the woods are on fire for miles and the damage will be heavy unless rain should fall. The woods along the pike to Corydon are on fire for miles and oil property in the vicinity of the West Branch Is threatened. Should the fire spread to the oil field serious consequences would result. The woods along tho Bradford, Bordell & Kinzua railroad between here and Smethport are reported on fire and valuable property Is In danger of being destroyed. On the big level between Mt. Jewett and this city and the head of the West Branch the woods are ablaze and several oil well rigs are reported burnmg. At Song Bird and the Quintuple the woods are a roaring mass of flames and valuable oil property is being devoured by the flames. As yet no loss of life Is reported and the extent of damage cannot be estimated. - A report reached here this evening from Lewis Run stating that the woods are abiaze and people lighting the fire to save their property. The Woods ou Fire. RUSSELL CITY. Pa. Sept. 3. The woods are on fire .on both sides of this place and the fire extends over an area of twenty miles. A large gang of men are fighting the flames and digging trenches to prevent the fire from spreading to the oil and gas fie'.d in this vicinity. The Elk oil company has laid wa'ter lines in all directions from their pump station and has its large pump ready for any cYnergency. There are a number of saw-miHs and lumber camps In the woods south of here and nothing has been learned from them as to their condition. It Is feared the mills have been destroyed and that some loss of? life has occurred. Mnr Sweep I'vcry lliln. RUSSELL CITY, Pa., Sept 3. Word was received here at 7:30 o'clock to the effect that the forest fires have reached the Watson farm In Forest county and several oil wells are now burning. The loss will be heavy, as there are a large number of wells on this farm, and It Is feared the fire will spread to adjoining oil property. There are no Indication of rain and should the wind rise it would sweep the entire field. The Flrea in Mlchlgnn. LUDINGTON, Mich., Sept. 3. Forest fires are raging throughout the county. Acres of valuable timber and farm lands have been destroyed. Settlers are endeavoring to save their homes and help is being sent from this city. The lake Is continually covered by a cloud of smoke, making navigation dangerous. . Within a -Mite of the Town. KANE, Pa., Sept. 3. Forest fires are within a mile of town on all sides. Should no rain fall the damage and loss to property will be great. Men are watching the fire and are preparing to prevent It from reaching the oil wells and nitro-glycerlne magazines located close by. Keeley relapses cured. Guarantee to cure alcoholism, opium and tobacco disease. Board and treatment, $75.00. Home treatment at reduced rates. TIIE CONWAY INSTITUTE. " Dwlght. Hi.

A KENTUCKY MIRACLE. JIDGK Jmi M. UK 13 TELLS HOW 1II-J WAS l ItKIJ OF ItlliCl'-M.VTlsM.

Crippled f Mi Yeira with Scintlca In Ita Worat I'r u 1 1 - It pec-ted to Die. but Wna nted in a Marvelon Manner. From the Covington Ky.) Post. The Hon. John M. Rice of Iouisa, Lawrence county, Kentucky, has for the past two years retired from active life as criminal and circuit judce of the Sixteenth judicial district of Kentucky. He has for nuny years served his native county and state in the- legislature at Frankfort and at Washington, and, until his retirement was a noted f.gunj in political and judicial circles. The Judge is well knovn throughout the Plate and p. th" be-t qualiiha which g to make a Kentucky gentleman hor... red wh rever he is kr.uwn. Ab "ut six years ago th" lod!ljr troubles which finally caused his retirement at a tlm. when his mental faculties were In the zenith of their ttrength. began their encroachment upon his naturally strong constitution. A few diys ago a Kentucky Post reporter called upon Judge Rice, who In the fallowing words related the history of the causts that led to his I etlr. inent. "It is just about six years since I had an attack of rheumatism, sl'rht at first, but soon developing into Sciatic rheumatism, which 1k-k.hi Urst with a. -nie shooting pains in the hips, gradually extending downward to my feet. "My condition b-cu.'u s led that I eventually lost all power of my lees, and then the liver, kidneys and bladder and in faet, my whole system, becsnve deranged. I tried the treatment of manjr physicians, but receiving; no listing be m. fit from ihc-m. I had rccurse to pitent remedi's, trying one kh.d after another until I believe there were none I had not s-aniplvd. "In lSS. attended by my son John. I went to Hot Springs, Alk. 1 ws not much l-r.eiited by some moniL stay there when I returned 1; m-e. My liver was actually dead, ai d a dull jrsinterrt pain In Its region kept m on ;he rack all the time. In li0 I was reappointed Circuit Judfc but It was impossible f. ,r me to give attention t my duties, in, IStd, I went t the Silurian Spring?, Wakcshaw, Wis. I stayed tnere soiim tiim. but without Improvement. "Again I returned home, this time feeling no hopes of recovery. The muscles "f my limls were now reduced by atrophy to nu-re strings. sciatic iaLns torture! me terribly, but It was the disordered Condition of my liver that wvs I felt gradually wearing my life away. Doctors gave ni' up, all kluJj of n medics had been tried wiile-ut avail, and there was nothing more for me to do Lut resign myself to fate. "I lingered on iu this condition sustained almost entirely by stimulants until April, 1S'.'3. one day John t aw an account of Dr. Wlllltms' Pink mils for Pale People In the Kentucky Post. This was something new, and as ne more drug after so many othtrs could not do o much harm. J. din prevailed upon me to try the I'Lnk Pills. It was, I think, in the first wc k In May the pills arrived. I rimemlx-r I was nut cpe-td to live for more than time or f nir days at the time. Tho effect of tic Pills, however, was marvelous and I could so n cat heartily, a thing I had n-d done for years. The liver began almost instantaneously to perforin Its functions, and has done so ev.-r sin e. Without doubt the pills saved my life and while I do not crave notoriety I cannot refuse to testify to their worth. The reporter calb-d upon Mr. Hughe, the Louisa drurrgist. who informed him that Dr. Williams' Pink Pills have been very popular sin.-e Judg- R!- used them with such beiuüt. H i; ntion.il several who have fouri 1 lei. -f In tic lr U se. An nnalvsis of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale Pcpb shows that tlu-y contain. In a condensed form, all the ele-m.-n'is necessary to give new life und richness to the blood and restore bl attered nerves. They are an unfailing specific for such diseases s locomotor ataxia, partial paralysis St. Vitus' dance, fciatlca, neuralgia, rheumatism, nervous headache, tli - uf; r aff -ts ,f la sripie, palpitation of ih- heart, pale and sallow complexion, all forms of weakness either in male or female, and all llsease s resulting from vitiated humors in the blo.,d. Dr. Williams Pink Pills are sold by all dealers, or will be sent i .st pa id on n ipt of price, :,) cents a b.x, or 6 loxcs for $2..r.' they arj never sold in bulk or by th 1'V) by addressing Dr. Williams' Me Heine Co., Schenectady, N. Y. ADVOCATES OF SINGLE TAX. They Meet In mt York Hot Lender Georpve la Aboent. NEW YORK. Sept. 3 Single-laxer from all over the state of New York met at Cooper Union today to confer with reference to what political action should be ta-ken by them during the coining campaign. There were delegates from New York, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Albany, Troy and other large cities. Conspicuous among those present were Congressman Amies G. Magulre of California, the Rev. Edward McGlynn, Jams A. Hearn, the actor, Benjamin Doblier and Charles F. Adams, the political reformer of Brook1h. The single-tax movement's best known advocate, Henry George, was absent. It was said that Mr. George Is ; p. sed to any kind of political action by single-taxers this year and consequently did not approve of the conference. E. S. Purdy of Now York was made temporary chairman. Mr. Purdy said the conference was not to commit Itself in advance to any party, but to consider whether or not iiitlcal action during the coming campaign was advisable. About half a do.;en women wete piasent and one of their r.'imbi-r, Mrs. Rogers of Brooklyn, was appointed . n the committee on permanent organization. When so many people are taking and deriving benefit from Hood's Sarsaparilla, why don't you try it yourself? It will build you up. Hood's Sarsaparllla will make you strong. Hood's Pills cure nausea, sick headache, indigestion, biliousness. Try a box. 0B HOXTST M 1. Dear Editor: Plea.se Inform yr.cr readers that if written to confHetiiit.il . I uii mail In a seaJed 1-tter. the p,ea pursued by which I was permanently r-ic-reO to health and manly vigr. after yers of suffering from nervous weakness, night losses, and weak, shrunken parts. I have no scheme to extoVt money from anvone whomjever. 1 wa-s roblWd and swindled by the quacks until I nerly lost faith In mankind, but, thank heaven, I am now well, vigorous and strong. aw anxious to make thin certain means of cure known to all. Having nothing to sell or send C. O. D., I want no money. Address JAMES A. HARRIS. Box S3. Delray. Mlcla. A New S900. Upright Grand u eflered STEINWAY PIANO a premium to FREE!- ientt selling most CHRISTY KNIVtS by Drc 3t,'V4- Write leparticular. Christr KnilcCo..Frcaiont,0.,Box A3 MFOR ALL. J75 a month salary and expenses paid. If you want employment write st once to P. O. V1CKERY, Augusta. Maine. ISY PILLS! Dl't, llSrt HO fctlMl. MN0O.Hll"ai 1 6AI