The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-25

BURNED ON THE PRAIRIE.
Terrible Fate Of II Nebraska Family
Escape of the Father after a
Long Race from the Flames.

Captain Lakeland, a recent citizen of
Lincoln, Neb., and well known in this COM
munity, gives us the details of the terrible
calamity that overlook the family of Mr..
William 5. Herndon, a farmer of Gage
county, Neb. He says he met Mr.. Hern-
don on Monday night on his way to Lin
coin, where he has relations residing and
where he expects aid. From Mr.. Hern-
dons own lips he learned the story of his
sutferings. 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 prospered and was
succeeding well until the late disaster.
which not only destroyed his property but
left him alone in tic 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 I'M
common thing to see the grass burning,
AMI he paid but little attention to it, al
though his wife seemed considerably alarm
ed, and before bedtime she had called his
attention to it several times. In the morn
ing it was noticed that the fire was burning
with more vim, and had evidently come
nearer to them. He was still inclined to
believe that it would pass around and leave
him unmolesed, or that it would rain and
thus put danger out Of the question.
A heavy wind springing up at noon, how
ever, and blowing directly from the fire
toward the house, warned him that the
danger was 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 jour
ney, and in 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 n hurricane and the
flames began to approach them with ter
rible 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 unmanageablc
and were as ~ overturn the wagon
and start for tY.e HHthes any other way.
A marshy piece of ground was some two
miles distant, and near this was small
branch of water, from which, he remem-
bered, he had frequently watered his horses.
This was the only chance for life, and has
tily leaving his wagon and team to their
fate, he started for the marsh, with his
youngest child, lad of eight years. in his
arms. 1t was a struggle for life. Death
was coming, and they made one grand eff
fort to get out of its reach, but alas, it was
unavailing. We will not undertake TO de-
pict the anguish of that father as he was
compelled to see the cherished ones Of his
own heart, those whom he loved even bet
| ter than his own life blood, sink down, one
| after the other, and become prey to that
most terrible of all deaths, fire. The little
daughter was the first that was overtaken,
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 a
hundred yards behind, and little Mary was
left upon her knees, praying that her Heav
emily Father might take her to his bosom,
and save her mother and father and little
brother from perishing. Death soon came
for her, and not long did it wait for the lit
tie brother and mother. In a few moments
the mothers clothes were on fire, and she
was unable to proceed The father, with
desperate determination 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 pro-
gress of the father, and to save himself he
determined to abandon it. Thus freed
from all encumbrances, he succeeded in
reaching the stream.
After the fire had passed by he retraced
his steps, and gathered in one place the
blackened and charred remains of his late
household. Next day the homes of some
distant farmers were reached, and they re-
turned with Herndon and assisted him in
the bural.-[St. Joseph (Mo.) Herald,
Nov. H.