, 1874-11-16

Whole Family Consumed
From tho st. Joscph ta'o.> Hsratd, Nor. Il.
Charles Leuahaw, who ea,no in On tho II o'clock
train Of the kauBas City, st. Joseph l. Council
Bluffs Railroad from Qago County, Nebraska,
brought tho uowB Of sad accident that oc-
Cured BY reason Of tho great prairio-aroa that
arc now raging In thnt section OF the State.
Those gont!emon claim that it is not altogether
Improbable that many other families lave SUI
fered in the same manner, and that it will DO
necessary to extend liberal aid, and that very
shortly.
Capt. Lakeland, recent citizen Of Lincoln,
Neb., and 4 gentleman we'll known in this COM
munlty, HnyB that ever Blnce Friday night ons
week ago tho tires on the prairie hayo been burn
ing With tau vim, swonptng everything that
nlent upon the prairies, Of courso, add fury to
tho nanlog, and those families TINT eau move arc
hasteulng to aroid it's wrath and save what little
Of their property they can. Many Of them are
leaving behind almost ail OF their worldly pos
aessiune. and aro travelling with nothing but their
OF these people are but poorly Glad and have al-
ready suffered much from tho pinchiug
wind. Ho aays that their suffering must
Of necessity be great. He gives US the details
OF Mr. William s. HoEndon. wcll-known farmer
Of Gago County. Ho says !ie mot Mr. Herntion
Gu Monday night. on his way to Lincoln, whoro
ho has relations reHiding and where he expects
MD. From Mr. Hefndon'e own lips ho learnod
the etory Of bis autlerings. 6omo threo years
ago Hefndop moved to Gage County from Iowa,
aud purchased GO acres OF land 0 nIlos from
tno county soat, He prospcred aud was doing
we'll until tho late disaster, which not only de-
st1oyed hiH property, but loft him alone in tho
world, tho ilro having oye1takep his family, oou-
sisting Of Ills vito aud two children, md burned
them to death.
Herptlon saye ho noticed the fire miles away
on Saturday night, but 1t WAS no uncommon
tx.kt E,41+
little attention to it, although hls wife sesuud
considerably alarmed, and. before bedtime, she
had called his attention to 1t soyeral times. lie
still Thought nothing Of it. or TINT it was uotl-
ing more than tho grass burning and would bo
out by morning. Uudor this belief he, with his
family. roti.ed. In tho morniug i WEB noticed
that tho fro was oVon burning with more Vim,
aud had evidently oomo nearer 70 them. Ho
was still Inclined to believe that 1t would pass
around aud leave him uunolosted Or that it
Eon.
heavy wind springing up at nooa, however,
and blowing directly from tho fro towards the
house. warnei hun tlat tho danger Waa growing
through fear, aud liB vito was importuning him
to mako the best Of time, Arrangements wara
soon made for tho journey. aud In . two.horso
wagon they started, moro thau 10 lnlos iu ad-
yacc Of tho lire, with every probability OF being
Ablo to got out Of ita roach. Good tirno Was 'lado
by the tuan, and not until late III tho evening,
Wien the wind Increased In fury. was there any
apprehension Of daugor. About dunk tho wlnd
Increased 10 hurricane, and tho tlalnca began t9
approach thom with terrible speed and awfut
grandeur Fastar aud fastcc they oano, and
Mr. Iorudon aayH that 1t was oyidont that they
would overtaIie thom in very lew lnomonts.
What wan to DO dono under tho CIRCUMSTANCES
was a question that lad to bo decided quickly.
Tho horses had now boco.no tlnnlnuaEeAIle aud
were NJ likely to oyorturn tho wagon ai1u start
for the lalneR ~ any otler way. 4 n,arshy pieca
ot ground was some mllea atan ard s11a nesr ,s
remembered Ao hal frequcutly waterd tie
horses. I!ls was tue only Chance t. tor ;as lfe aa
b, atartod for tho marsh with h!s youngost chsd
lad OF y9ars III hla ar,na' aa sa,,,s4 u was
and tflvy made one grand effort TO got out Of
isu rsacl,. but alas! u was nnavaillng, Wo w,tl
father as ho WAS comsiaea to 400 tho choslshod
ones Of his owu heart, those "hom 1's loved oven
alter tue other aud become proy 10 that moat
tontblo OF all deathu-by tiso. Tho litt!o
daughter waR the frat that was oyortakon. and
tho Mothor w&Q prone 10 sta1 &nl give up her