44 Report of the Forest Commission. 



About 4 p.m. the wind changed, and the residents of the doomed town saw 

 the flames were bearing down upon them. As the alarm rang through the 

 streets, the people rushed from their homes, and when they caught sight of 

 the red, on-rushing sea of fire, they became panic stricken . 



The fire shot across the town and the people fled in all directions. They ran 

 wherever they thought they could find refuge. A large number ran to a pond 

 some three or four acres in extent and three or four feet deep. Women and 

 children ran side by side with cattle into the pond and crouched close to the 

 water, for the smoke hung low and the flames were dangerously close. 



The largest crowd of people rushed to Grindstone river, a small, shallow 

 stream which it was thought would afford protection from the flames. But 

 the water was too low, and all miserably perished. There the relief parties 

 found the bodies lying in the water and trampled by the fleeing cattle. 



Just as the flames were raging fiercest, a train arrived over the Eastern Min- 

 nesota, and 500 people clambered aboard . It was a godsend to the people, 

 who offered up prayers of thankfulness as the engineer sent the train at rapid 

 speed away from the burning town and back to safety in Superior. 



Another party had rushed for the limited on the St. Paul and Duluth, but as 

 the fire cut off their way in that direction, they ran to a shallow pond near 

 by. There, like rats in a trap, they perished, one and all. One hundred and 

 five bodies were removed from the miserable pond by the relief committee, 

 where they had been literally roasted to death. There was absolutely no 

 escape. 



East of the village there was a stagnant pool of rain water. Over 100 

 people sought refuge here, and of these only one man is known to have per- 

 ished. The immense plant of the Brennan Lumber Company, with saw-mills, 

 planing-mills, stables and 28,000,000 feet of pine lumber, was wiped out in 

 almost less time than it takes to write it. With the stables were consumed 

 90 head of splendid horses. The financial loss to the company alone will reach 

 $500,000, on which there is an insurance of about one-half. 



Terrors of Saturday Night. 



Those who remained in Hinckley will never forget the terrors of Saturday 

 night. As the flames subsided and the shadows of night closed down over the 

 ill-starred town, the people left their places of refuge and made their way over 

 the smouldering embers through the one street of the village. 



The fire had spent its force, but the ruins still glowed red through the dense 

 cloud of smoke, marking the spots where a few hours ago were the homes of a 

 prosperous and happy people. Guided by the weird light, men moved about 

 as if dazed, locating the spots where their homes had stood. The air was 

 filled with moanings of the wounded, for whom no assistance could be had, 

 and with sobbings of those who had lost friends or possessions, or both. When 

 the terrible night was ended, and the light of another day dawned upon the 

 scene of desolation, a few energetic spirits recovered from the blow and began 

 to organize for the work of recovering the bodies. 



Two hundred and twenty-three bodies have been buried here, only 23 of 

 which have been identified. 



