River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-11
WITH A RUSH AND RoAR.


The Flames Sweep Across the Broad, Rich
Plains of Dakota, Wiping Out Every
Thing In Their Path-Further Details of
the Losses by the Prairie TIres-Four
Persons Burned to Death.
HIGHNoRE, d. T., April IA destructive
and calamitous prairie fire started on the
evening of the 1st five miles from High
more, on the farm of James Ingram. While
he as smoking his pipe his barn caught
FIRE and was destroyed A fierce wind car
ried the fire TO the prairie, AMI the work
of destruction began. Houses barns
and some stock were burned Tues
day morning the wind reached a ter
rife gale. No ordinary fire-break made
an resistance to the sweeping flame At 8
p. m. the fire reached Rec Heights, fifteen
miles east OF Highmore, were thirteen
residences in the town were destroyed
The losses estimated in Hyde County
are $4,000. At shutdown Tuesday another
fire started in the northern part Of
this county. sweeping away six homes.
burning to death Miss Annie Sweeney and a
5-year-old baby Eugene Tibbs, Mr. and
Mrs Tibbs and Mr.. and Mrs Ruby are dan
gerously burned the two former fatally
Returns of losses are not f., but will reach
many thousand dollars
CHAMBERLAIN, d. T., April 5.-Prairie
| fires have been raging fearfully IN this
county for the last two days. So far two
lives are reported lost and fully 100 fam
flies have been deprived of absolutely
every thing. The loss will reach fully
$1,000
FARMERS LOSE ALL
SCOTLAND, ID. T., April st would take
s3Oo, eco to cover the loss in this county. The
Hutchinson Herald office was burned The
49, IN
insurance. David Ischettar and Howard
White, farmers near Olivet, were completely
burned out Another fire east of Scotland
destroyed every thing ON the farms of A O.
Fansky, Gus EvensOn and NJ Shook On
the stock farm of L. S Sweet three barns
were burned Loss, 5000 Twelve miles
west Of Scotland prairie fire ragged TWEEN
ty-fiYe farmers are known TO have lost
every thing
THE DESTRUCTION OF LEoLA
ABERDEEN. D. T., April 5.-The terrible
story of the complete destruction of Leola
the county seat Of Mcpherson County, IS
been brought in by couriers Leola was a
line little town of 800 inhabitants,
and the country for miles around was
well settled with an industrious and
thrifty people, 1t is twenty-five
miles from railroad and telegraph facili-
| ties, and it is difficult to get complete in
formation Out of thirty places Of business.
including two banks, two newspapers, two
churches, three or four hotels. and all
lines of business, but four are left standing,
and out of from thirty to forty
residences less than a dozen remain.
The loss is practically complete, and
will reach slJ0,000 The insurance was
very light C. W. Old and Thomas Wardell
were terribly burned and the cOuriers say
they can not live Parties who drove
across the country to Westport, the nearest
railroad station, say the surrounding cOun-
try is nearly devastated. Hundreds
of farm houses are in ashes, and
carcasses of burned stock are living along
the road The news continues TO come
in slowly and shows the details of a great
| disaster. Editors Herried and Beach, of
Leola, will publish their papers in Aberdeen
at present Nothing dc mite is known about
rebuilding. Citizens here will hold a meet
| ing to take measures for relief. Scores of
farmers are without seed wheat stock,
buildings or implements to commence
spring work
FLAMES IRRESISTABLE.
MITCHELL. d. r., April 5-The fires which
have brought so much loss and suffering to
Southwestern Dakota in the last few days
4
some instances leaped 100 feet of plowed
ground and rushed away again on
their career of destruction. All Ordi-
nary precautions We're vain. The spring
has been very dry, and the top of
the ground has been dusty or baked The
signal observer at Yankton says that the
humidity of the air was but : per cent
Tuesday. AS the mean annual humidity is
20 this shows that the atmosphere was prac-
tically devoid of moisture. Then thc wind
from the northeast blew between forty and
fifty miles an hour, tanning the flames
into fury. Under these conditions when
ever fire touched the grass it burst out with
a flash almost like powder and shot away
| across the prairie like an arrow, its course
ever widening. To extinguish it by water,
OF course, was ont of the question. Plow-
ing fire-breaks was slow work. and the
hgh winds often drove the flames across
them.
1t was o'clock in the afternoon when
the people of Mount Vernon saw the wide
spreading prairie northwest OF them break
out into a blaze. The smoke was dashed
into and through the town on the wings of
the wind The flames rushed after with
savage fury Mitchell was telegraphed to
for help, and 100 firemen with a hook and
ladder truck were sent at once. The
entire population of Mount Vernon and
the men from Mitchell met the furious
flames on the outskirts OF the town and
fought with desperation, but in vain. No
lives were lost but forty-five buildings were
burned and 100 families left homeless The
loss is put at $4,000
Outside of the town it is impossible yet
to say what the loss is. Lonely liJtle farm
houses scattered over the prairie are wiped
ouf Inv dnyauS Stories 0f losses of life NAV
come in later