C&T Publications Eye On Fine Art Photography - October 2014 | Page 57

Mid-morning on September 1st a slight breeze bought the nuisance fires to life turning them into a cyclonic
infernos as they came into contact with each other and unusually cooler air in the atmosphere. The result
were two rarely-seen, yet horrifying, walls of flame 200 feet high blowing temperatures of 1600 degrees
towards the town, incinerating all in its path.
By the time the people of Hinckley had realized what was about to happen there was no way out - except for
a train driven by a man who slammed his burning locomotive into reverse for six miles, saving the lives of
some 200 people.
The Saint Paul & Duluth Railroad between the Twin Cities to the south and Duluth to the north rattled through
the town several times a day.
On September 1st, engineer James Root was driving his train south from Duluth. As he approached Hinckley he was
confronted with a desperate crowd of hundreds of people running along the train tracks, being pursued by a wall of
flames. Realizing the train was their (and his) only hope he flung his engine into reverse as people clambered on board.
By the time they made it six miles to the north the fire storm had caught up with the train which by then had become
engulfed in flames. Mr Root's terror stricken passengers had to abandon their escape path and threw themselves into a
lake - Skunk Lake. It was about 4.30 pm.
On September 1st, 2014, the 120th anniversary of the fire, I drove to Hinckley, just over one hour north of
Minneapolis. I wanted to find Skunk Lake and stand on the railway line alongside the lake at exactly
4.30pm.
The old railway line is now part of the Willard-Munger State Trail, a series of paved biking trails between
Hinckley and Duluth and about six miles north was Skunk Lake. It's an average looking lake, not very big,
not very deep. A quiet country road about 500 feet away. There is an understated bench and a sign with a
brief history of what took place.
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