Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-11-26
A Mother and Two Children Burned
in q Prairie Fire.

A Mother and Two Children Burned
in Prairie Fire.
CAPTAIN Lakeland, recent citizen of
Lincoln, Neb., and gentleman well
known in this community, gives us the
details of the terrible calamity that over
took the family of Mr.. William S. Hern-
don, a well-known farmer of Gage Coun-
ty. He says he met Mr.. Herndon on
Monday night on his way to Lincoln,
where he has relations residing and
where he expects aid. From Mr.. Hern-
don's own lips he learned the story OF
his sufferings.
Some three years ago Herndon moved
to Gage County from Iowa and pur-
chased sixty acres of land nine miles
from the county seat. He prespered
and was succeeding well until the late
disaster, which not only destroyed his
property but left him alone in the world,
the fire having overtaken his family,
consisting of his wife and two children,
and burned them to death.
Herndon says he noticed the fire miles
away on Saturday night, but it was no
uncommon thing to see the grass burn
ing, and he paid but little attention to it,
although his wife seemed considerably
alarmed, and before bedtime she had
called his attention to it several times.
lie still thought nothing of it, or that it
was nothing more than the grass burn
| ing and would be out by morning I'm
| der this belief he with his family retired.
In the morning it was noticed that the
fire was even burning with mdfe vim and
had evidently come nearer to them. He
was still inclined TO believe that it would
pass around and leave him unmolested,
or that it would rain and thus put dan
ger out of the question.
A heavy wind springing up at noon,
however, and blowing directly from the
fire toward the house, warned him that
the danger was growing imminent. His
children were now crying through fear,
and his wife was importuning him to
make the best of time. Arrangements
were soon made for the journey, and in a
two-horse wagon they started more than
ten miles in advance of the fire, with
every probability of being able to get out
Of its reach.
Good time was made by the team, and
not until late in the evening, when the
wind increased in fury, was there any
apprehension of danger About dusk
the wind increased to hurricane and
the flames began to approach them with
terrible speed and awful grandeur. Faster
and faster they came, and Mr.. Herndon
says that it was evident they would over
take them in very few moments. What
to be done under the circumstances was
| a question that had to be decided quickly.
The horses had now become unmanagea-
BILE, and were as likely to overturn the
wagon and start for the flames as any
Inr A I,u Nta of nd
was some two miles distant, and near
this was a small branch of water from
which, he remembered, he had frequently
watered his horses. This was the only
chance for life, and, hastily leaving his
wagon and team to their fate, he started
for the marsh with his youngest child, a
lad of eight years, in his arms. 1t was a
struggle for life. Death was coming and
they made one grand effort to get out of
its reach, sbut alas! it was unayailing.
We will not undertake to depict the
anguish of that father as he was COM
PEELED to see the cherished ones
of his own heart, those whom he
loved even better than his own
life blood, sink down one after the other,
and become a prey to that most terrible
of all deaths-by fire. The little daugh-
ter was the first that was ovcrtaken, and
the mother was prone to stay and give
up her life with her darling, but she kept
on, while the flames were yet more than
hundred yards behind, and little Mary
was left upon her knees praying that her
Heavenly Father might take her to His
bosom, and save her mother, and father
and little brother from pershing. Death
soon came for her, and not long did it
wait for the little brother and mother.
In few moments the mothers clothes
were'on fire and she was unable to pro-
ceed The father, with desperate deter
mination to save his little son, pushed
on, but already his clothes were on fire
and the little boy, the pride Of his heart,
was struggling to free himself from the
tortures, and soon he was at rest in
death. His body but hindered the prog
ress of the father, and to save himself
he determined to abandon it. Thus freed
of all membranes he made greater
speed and succeeded in reaching the
stream.
After the fire had passed by he re.
traced his steps and gathered in one
place all that was earthly of his treas
ured ones. 1t was sight when that
poor father gathered the blackened and
charred remains of his late household in
the stiffness of night upon that lone and
desolate prairie which we hope the
world will never be called upon to wit
ness again. Next day the homes of sew
eral distant farmers were reached, and
they returned with Herndon and assisted
him in the burial Joseph MOI Her.
aid, Noo. IL.