Excerpts are from the Duluth Evening Herald evening edition, published Monday, September 3, 1894.
The First Party Rescued.
Conductor Roper's way freight was at Willow River and when he heard of the wreck of the limited, he sidetracked the loaded cards and ran back with the empties. Among the first people whom he reached was Conductor Sullivan, and Brakeman John Monihan; with them was Miss May Wellman, a girl 15 years old, whom the brakeman had carried through. Conductor Sullivan was crazed and was unable to talk naturally. Superintendent Bell, of the union depot, and daughter were picked up soon afterward, and they with Churchill Martin, R.H. Wolf, D.N. Dellinger of St. Paul; J.C. Martin, Charles Soderling, D.H. Caldwell, J.G. Lanning, A.M. Harrison and C.B. Stevens of Minneapolis; Ed Schleip, of Milwaukee; C.N. Felson, Jr. of Cloquet; C.E. Peaslee, Yueng Gong, All Gee, Mrs. Musa Keniston and baby, of Duluth, were the first party brought back. The last people found were Agent Thompson, of Miller station, and his wife and two children, and D.N. Dellinger, of St. Paul.
These people when found declared that everyone else must vertainly have perished and the gravest of fears were aroused. The train pushed on but nothing further was heard until a message from Dave Williams came. It contained welcome news and was as follows:
"Have been to wreck with hand car. Could only get to Miller with train. Wreck is 1 1/2 miles south of Sandstone and is all burned up.
"Passengers all right, but exhausted. They are in a marsh. We go with timber to build a bridge.
"Tell everyone all are alive and as well as can be expected. Will arrive in Duluth at 9 a.m."
At 5:30 a.m. another special was made up and started out. President Greatsinger of the Iron Range road attached his private car and in the party were: Messrs. Greatsinger, Farrington, A.N. Carpenter, Ash, Fred Reynolds, E.S. Upham, Dr. Ritchie, Charles W. Leland, Dr. Sherwin, W.S. Clark, J.A. Boggs, and others.
Return of the Passengers.
This train returned at about 12:15 o'clock bearing the passengers. Long before it arrived the Union depot and shed were crowded, many hundreds of people being there waiting anxiously for news. It was a sad scene. Men and women were there hoping for the best and yet fearful of receiving bad news. When the train finally arrived and the intelligence that everyone was safe there was gladness everywhere. It had been rumored there were eight bodies on board and a dispatch saying so was received but it seems that none were picked up although a number supposed to be the remains of settlers who perished were found. There was handshaking and congratulations on every side.
A few injured people were brought on this train but none were seriously hurt. A.W. Speyers of, Alexander & Speyers, was badly burned and was probably the most severely injured. He got out of the car alright but dashed back to get a girl whom he heard screaming and was badly burned before he could get out again. Dr. F.C. Drenning had the calf of his right leg badly cut on some glass and several stiches were required to close the wound. He was exhausted from loss of blood. Ole Thurguson, of Hinckley, had a bad cut on his wrist that may stiffen his hand. Others who were burned were: Peter Skarp, John Vesterbernd, and Henry Lind. These were taken to St. Mary's hospital. Otheres taken there before were Conductor Sullivan and a Mrs. Brennan. The latter is an old lady who is suffering from paralysis and was expected to die several days ago.
The people who arrived on the relief train at noon brought back the first account of the sufferings of the people who took refuge in Skunk Lake. It is a low marshy place, containing about a foot and a half of muddy water. It proved a godsend to the scorched and parched victims and they threw themselves into it regardless of everything. Some were not content to remain there, though. Near by was a potato patch and in this some took refuge, among them F.B. Daugherty and son. After an hour or so had elapsed, the shock began to wear off and people looked around them to see what could be done. A rude camp was thrown together and some people were housed in this. These were few, however, for when relief arrived and a search was begun people were found lying around in every direction within several hundred feet.