Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-04-11

around was we'll settled with an indus
trious and thrifty people. 1t is twenty
five miles from railroad and telegraph
facilities. and Il is difficult 10 get COM
plete information.
Out Of thirty places Of business, in
Guiding two banks, two newspapers.
two churches, three or four hotels snd
all lines of business, but four are left
standing, and out of from thirty to
forty residences less than a dozen re-
main. The loss is practically complete
and will reach $l50,000. The insurance
was very light.
G. w. Old and Thomas Wardell were
they cannot live.
Parties who drove across the country
to Westport, the nearest railroad sta
ton, say the surrounding country is
nearly devastated. Hundreds of farm
houses are in ashes, and carcasses
of burned stock are lying along the
road.
The news continues to come in slowly
and shows the details of great disas-
ter. 1t is probable that One-tenth of
the damage is not reported.
The injured men, Old and Wardell,
at last accounts were very low. Edi-
tors Herried and Bach of Leola are in
the city. They will publish their pa
per in Aberdeen at present. Nothing
definite is known about rebuilding.
Citizens here will hold a meeting this
afternoon to take measures for relief.
Scores of farmers are without seed
wheat, stock, building or implements to
commence spring work.
THE WITIRLwIND OF PARTNERSHIPS
ST. PAUL, Minn., April A Lake
Benton, Mimi. special says: The most
devastating prairie fire ever known
ragged over the praires west and north
of Lake Benton Tuesday and Tuesday
night. The wind blew hurricane for
nearly twenty-four hours, and swept
the fire along with resistIess force,
passing the widest fire breaks as moth
ing and leaping plowed fields with
wild bound. 1t licked up houses, barns,
stock and in some place human lives.
The greatest destruction of property
and loss of life is in Dakota. Rec
Heights town west on the Northwest
ern road is almost destroyed. Demp-
ster, a station on the Watertown branch
is reported destroyed. Spaulding's
ranch near there is also reported con-
sumed.
Crossing into Lincoln county over a
tract of land comparatively little settled
and covered with heavy growth of
grass, it swept on with renewed We
locity.
1t is reported that Henry Curth, Mr..
Berg, G. M. Moon and G.. M. Moon and
others near here lost nearly all their
buildings with contents.
ADDITIONAL LOSSES.
A Jackson, Mimi, special says: The
prairie fires prove more general than at
first believed. Additional losses are re-
ported from all directions and messen-
gers bring news or stubborn fights to
save endangered property. Fires were
raging in every direction and each
seemed to pursue distinct courseaof its
own.
The fire which would have swept this
village from the face of the earth has
been traced to its origin. The search
eliminated yesterday afternoon in the
arrest of James Travnick. When ar
rested he pleaded guilty and was sem
fenced to pay $25 and costs, or in de-
fault thereof, ten days in Jail. Much
dissatisfaction is expressed about this
sentence. Public opinion is that JUS
tice has been too highly tempered with
mercy.
TERRIBLE LOSSES.
CHAMBERLAIN, Dak., April 4.-Prai-
rie fires have been raging fearfully in
this county for the past two days. So
far two lives are reported lost aud fully
100 families have been deprived of alb
solutely everything. The loss will
reach fully $4,000.
RAGING PRAIRIE FIRE.
HARTFORD, OAK, April A raging
prairie fire swept down on US this after
noon and would no doubt have swept
us out of existence but for the fore
thought and energy of the town peo-
pie yesterday in firing around the town
wherever unprotected. Heavy losses
are reported from every direction.
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