Excerpts are from the Duluth Evening Herald evening edition, published Monday, September 3, 1894.
WAS A GREAT CALAMITY.
All Other Disasters Pale Into Insignificance.
The terrible wave of fire which swept over the country in the vicinity of Hinckley on Saturday afternoon leaving in its wake an awful loss of life and destruction of property was a calamity by the side of which the great Johnstown flood several years ago in Pennsylvania pales in to insignificance. Death by drowning is like falling into a sleep when compared with burning. Those who came through the tearful ordeal say they fairly breathed fire, their lungs being scorched and burned most painfully at every breath. Strong men buried their heads in the hot gravel vainly seeking relief. That any came through that awful furnace alive seems a marvel.
Long before any news was received, Duluth people felt that something terrible would be heard. Early in the afternoon the sky grew dark with smoke and the heavens were tinged with a dull blood red. At five o'clock it was dark as night. Ashes were falling all afternoon and by evening the sidewalks were covered, many likened the scene to the last days of Pompeii. Reports began to come in over the Omaha and Northern Pacific of burned bridges and then the wires went down one after the other, till there were only two wires left out of the city. The Northern Pacific had one to Ashland and the Omaha had one to Spooner.
The first information of the burning of the St. Paul & Duluth limited train which was the first news of the fire was given the people of Duluth in the Herald extra Saturday night. Owing to the breaking of telegraphic connections the reports were very meager. The first and only message came from Miller station from some of the refugees who reached there. They had barely time to send a few words when the station house caught fire and communication was shut off. The message said that the train had been wrecked and burned and that Engineer Root, the fireman and Conductor Sullivan and others had been killed.
Preparations were made at once to send out a relief train. Agent C. M. Vance, Dave Williams, the St. Paul & Duluth yardmaster, and others at once made preparations to send out a relief train. It left at 7:20 o'clock bearing several physicians, among them Drs. Magie, McCormick, Gilbert and Codding. A number of citizens went out with the train.
At 2:45 o'clock this train returned with twenty-one passengers who were on the limited and at that time these were supposed to be the only survivors. From them was learned the first authentic account of the terrible disaster.
The Run Through Fire.
The limited had nearly reached Hinckley when it was stopped by about 125 people who were flying for their lives. They convinced the train hands that they could not get through and it was decided to run back. Up to this time the fires had been burning quite fiercely on each side of the track but although they were hot they were not very dangerous. But as the train started back a tornado came up. Instantly the flames rose hight in the air. They swept across the track and the cars caught fire. The cab of the engine was burning, but Engineer Root stuck to his post. He knew the only chance was to reach a swampy lake, known as Skunk lake, nearly four miles distant, and the race began. The cars were on fire, the engine was blazing, and even Engineer Root's clothes were burning, but they finally reached the swamp. Just as they did so the air pipes burned off and instantly the air brakes set, stopping the train.
During the run the scene inside the cars was something awful. The heat was deathly and many of the passengers were frantic. Finally the windows crashed in, the glass being literally melted. The passengers got out as best they could, some through the windows. The train burned until there was nothing left but tangled iron.
The majority of them immediately leaped into the swamp, but a number - just how many is not known, although twenty-one were rescued - started up the track toward Miller station. Arriving there they sent a message to Duluth and pushed on through Finlayson and some even went further. It was from there that the first word was received.
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Copyright 2008 by Melissa Warner
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