The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-11-20
A HEARr-RENDING STORY.
Family EBarned 40 Death
by a Prairie Fire.

eEtDS bld6 COfiiSS W AS tlOhA 4NC- /
Draska, caused by the scourges OF I
the drouth and grasshoppers, an
other story, still more horrible
and pitiful comes to us through
the st. Joe Herald. It seems that
some three years ago Herndon
moved to Gage county from Iowa
and purchased sixty acres of land
nine miles from the county seat.
He prospered and
HAS SUCCEEDED 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 AMI 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 burning, and he paid |
but little attention to it, although |
his wife seemed considerably
alarmed, and before bed time she
had called his attention to it sew
eral times. He still thought moth
ing of it, or that it was nothing
more than The grass burning and
would be out by morning. Under
this belief he with his family retir
ed. In the morning it was MOTTO
ed that the fire was even burning
with more vim and had evidently
| anV11n fn than
still inclined to believe that it
| would pass around and leave him
unmolested, or it would rain and
thus put danger out of the ques-
| ton.
A heavy wind springing up at
noon, however, and blowing direct
ly from the fire towards 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. Arrange
ments were soon made for the
Tourney, and in two horse wag-
on 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 apprehen
sion of danger. About dusk the
wind increased to a hurricane and
the flames began to approach
them with terrible speed aud awful
granduer. Faster and faster they
came, and Mr.. Herndon says
that it was evident they would
overtake them in a very few mo-
ments. What was to be done un-
der the circumstances was a ques-
ton that had to be decided quickly
J The horses had now become un.
. manageable, and were as likely to
overturn the wagon and start fol
J the flames as any other way. A
, marshy piece of ground was some
two miles distant, and near this
l was a small branch of water from
} which he remembered he had FIRE
1 quently watered his horses. This
L was the only chance for life, anG
D hastily leaying his wagon ant
4 team to their fate, he started fo
the marsh with his youngest child
8 a lad of eight years, in his arms
9 1t was a struggle for life. Dcatl
: was coming, and they made on,
: grand effort to get out of it's reach
but alas! it was unavailing. W.
:. will not undertake to depict til,
J. anguish of that father as he wa
g compelled to see the cherished
n ones of his own heart, thos
l. whom he loved even better thai
h his own life blood, sink down on
after the other and become a pre-,
to that most terrible of all death
by fire. The little daughte
a was the first that was overtakeG
and the mother was
O PRONE TO STAY
! and give up life with her darl
l. ing, but she kept on, while tn
2. flames were yet more than q hun
dred yards behind, and littl
i, Mary was left upon her knee
n praying that her Heavenly Fathe
4 might take her to His bosom an
q save the mother, and father an
% brother from perishing. Deaf
soon came to her, and net Ion
l. did it wait for the little brothe
n and mother. In a few moment
L the mothers clothing was on fir
% and she was unable to proceed
! The father, with desperate detel
y mination to save his little sol
Il pushed on, but already his clothe
- were en- fire and the little son, tn
II pride of his heart, was strugglin
= to free himself from the tortures
- and soon he was at rest in death
=. His body but hindered the!progres
of the father and to save himse
~ he determined to abandon il
. Thus freed of all encumbrances h
- made greater speed and succeede
, in reaching the stream.
AFTER THE FIRE
X had passed he retraced his STEP
,r and gathered in one place all tina
D was earthly of his treasured one:
8, 1t was q sight when that poor fail
1T er gathered the blackened an
Ie charred remains of his LAT
household in the stiffness c
d the night upon that Ion
Is and desOlate prairie whic
e. we hope the world will nev
1t er be called upon to witness agar
Is Next day the homes of some di:
Y tant farmers were reached an
st they returned with Herndon an
e, assisted him in the burial.
is
LI Gonnno NJ DnAho :. OIOol 1