46 Report of the Forest Commission. 



"A mile north of Hinckley I saw an engine. The engineer helped me on and 

 a news agent carried me back to the baggage car. All the cars got on fire and 

 I saw men crazy with fear jump right through the windows into the flames. 

 The train backed up to Skunk Creek, where I remained in the swamp all night. 

 I put my face in the mud to cool it and someone plastered mud all over my 

 hair. Of course, I thought my mother and sister were lost, and you may 

 imagine my joy when I found them safe and sound in Pine City yesterday at 

 noon." 



A local searching party this morning found the body of Thomas Dunne, 

 aged 22, late operator at the St. Paul and Duluth station. When the fire 

 started he remained at his post and it was only when the advancing flames 

 drove him from the station that he left his key. He hurried over to the river 

 and perished there with numerous others. His brother was among the search- 

 ing party that found his body, and he secured his watch and ring, which was 

 the only means of identification. 



Robert Dowling, baggage agent at the Hinckley station of the St. Paul and 

 Duluth, was going about the streets with a badly scorched hand and face. He 

 says that there was a large crowd of people at the station waiting for the 

 Duluth limited, due at 4:20 P. M., when the fire came down upon the town. 

 Dowling started for home, but he could not get near the house. He ran up 

 the track, and fortunately got on the limited a mile north of town- In trying 

 to save a lad from jumping from the train he burned his hand. The boy 

 jumped into the flames alongside the track and perished. 



Some of the Dead. 



This evening there are 21 coffins containing charred and blackened remains 

 alongside the track at Hinckley. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 were unidentified 

 absolutely. No. 12, Mrs. Sherman and two children ; No. 13, two Sherman 

 children ; No. 14. Mrs. Hathen and youngest child ; No. 15, two children of 

 Mrs. Hathen ; No. 16, supposed to be children of Mrs. Hanson ; No. 17, Mrs. 

 Costigan and boy ; No. 18, two children, supposed to be Costigan's boy of seven 

 and girl of five years ; No. 19, unknown ; No. 20, Ole Nelson ; No. 21, boy 12 

 years old, supposed to be young Currie. These are in addition to the bodies 

 already deposited and awaiting burial in cemetery trenches. 



John Blanchard, a St. Paul and Duluth car repairer, who came up from Pine 

 City this morning, after escaping to that town Saturday, was looking for the 

 remains of his wife and children. He found them in coffins at the cemetery, 

 and had them removed for shipment to Pine City for burial. 



Lee Webster, president of the village council, reports that his wife is still 

 missing. He was at the cemetery this morning, but failed to identify his wife's 

 remains among the dead . 



It is now the generally accepted belief that many more people would have 

 been saved at Hinckley had they gone to the river or stayed in the gravel pits, 

 but every one was panic-stricken. Many who started for the gravel pits lost 

 heart when there and pressed onward to the river, and then many of the latter 

 pressed on beyond the river to a neighboring swamp. All these latter lost their 

 lives. Nels Anderson and family of six are missing. John Anderson, brother 

 of Nels, perished, together with his wife, daughter and son. 



