The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-04-11
Disastrous Prairie Fires.

The village of Mount Vernon Dakota wal
almost entirely consumed by fire. All ths
business part of the town is burned. Every
business house, and nearly all the residences
are destroyed The Chicago Milwaukee 4
ST. Paul depot, together with about fifteen
or twenty freight ears and four large eeva-
tors are gone. The loss will be nearly $780,
OOO with but very little insurance, and a
hundred families are left homeless and utter
ly destitute. 1t was caused by prairie fire,
which came in from the northwest. One hun
dred citizens from Mitchell went up to help
fight the fire, but raging wind prevailed,
and their efforts availed but little. A special
train, carrying provisions, was dispatched
from Mitchell.
Nolm u station on the Northwestern road
ten miles east of Iankton, was also burned.
The buildings burned were the station
agents residence, depot, two houses belong
ing to Louis Violin and n large Touring mill.
4 thousand tons of hay was destroyed, and
all the barns in the place. The fire invaded
Il large cattle corral, and forty or fifty cat
tie were badly burned, the rest breaking
through the enclosure and escaping. Loss
fully $40, 900. The destruction was caused
by prairie fire, which was burning at last
accounts.
prairie fire started one mile northeast of
Rapid City at noon, and was driven in
an hour Three houses were burned. The
first was unoccup;ed and owned by {. ii.
kingman ofChicago; loss. 81. 900. The sec
ond was occupied by Mrs. G. +. Bailey,
girl companion aged seventeen years, named
ElOise Madison, and hired man named
Ashton. The three left the house and ran
through the flames, Mrs. Bailey and Ashton
escaping with some severe burns. Miss Mad
isOn fell, and the fire catching her clothing
burned it completely from her body. She
was taken to a neighbours, and lies at the
point OF death. The house and household
goods are a total loss. George Hunts
house. barns and furniture were burned; loss,
81 800; insurance, $4,000. The family es-
capped.
The residence of A. E. Swan, about one
mile from A1Nover was burned together
with most of its contents. The inmates
were at dinner when prairie fire was dis
covered near the house, and all rushed for
he door barely in time to save their lives.
Mrs, A. E. Raynes, who was visiting there,
did not have time to get her wraps and her
two little children and self we're compelled
to face the fierce gale about mile, with but
little covering.
A prairie fire has ragged all day north of
Bro0kings, H. Fishback's farm dwelling oc-
cupied by Mrs Stephens, with all its contents,
was consumed. Messrs. Hobbs and Conrow
lost all their farm buildings and contents.
northwest and nothing could be done to
quell the flames.
A terrific wind storm has prevailed
throughout wide area in the vicinity of
Sioux Falls. Rumors come that the entire
population of Beaver Greek. Mimi. thirty
miles east. are fighting the fire; also that
extensive fires prevail in various parts of
Southwestern Minnesota. Grave fears OF a
widespread calamity are felt.
MORE PRAIRIE FIRES.
LeOla, the county seat OF Mcpherson
county, thirty five miles northwest of Aber
deen, Dakota, was destroyed by prairie
| fire. The fire came fran the west and was
not noticed until it struck the town. Sixty
| dwellings, and business houses were burned.
| Loss. S15O.00O. The only buildings re-
naming are the court house, two stores and
six dwellings,. c. W. Old and Thomas War
| dell were terribly burned, and couriers from
the demolished village say they cannot live.
| Parties who drove across the country to
WestpOrt, the nearest railroad station, say
| that the surrounding country is nearly de-
vastated. Hundreds OF farm houses are in
ashes and carcasses OF burned stock are
| lying along the road.
The most devasting prairie fire ever known
| ragged over the prairies west and north of
| Lake Benton. The wind was q hurricane
| for nearly twenty-four hours, and swept the
| fire along with a rpsistless force, passing the
plowed fields with u wild bound, it licked up
| houses, barns, stock and in different places
| human lives.
| Huron Specialize prairie fire in the his
| tory of this part of Dakota equals that of
| April 3rd. In this county the losses are
much less than in counties west. Half q
| dozen houses burned and many settlers lost
barns some stock and large quantity OF
| hay and grain. The wind was from fifty to
! sixty miles an hour, and sent the burning
| pmbars over the plOwed ground and fire
breaks several rods wide, setting fire to Oevery
| thing in their course The fire came up so
rapidly that settlers had only time to save
| themselves, leaving their property to the
mercy of the faucs. In Sully and Hughes
counties 100000 worth of property was
| destroyed Near Highmore Miss Sweeney
was burned, and near st. Lawrence Mr.. Bah
| cock pelished in the flames Reports from
| Millbank. Vermilion, Parker, Miller and 9th
| er places in Dakota, and from Marshall,
| Jackson, Faribault and Rochester, in Mime
| sofa give many details of losses by prairie
| fire.
The destruction by prairie fires proves to
| been much greater than was supposed, and
accounts are not all in yet. In Yankton
county not less than fifty farmers were burn
| ed out, losing buildings, stocks farm imple-
ments, and some stock. A conservative es-
| innate makes a loss in the county not less
| than 100000. The town of Oivet, in
| Hutchinson county, was partially destroyed,
the postoffice, two stores, printing office
and d residence burning. The strength of
| the gale was much greater out on the
| Draires than in Yankton, and the prevail
ing drouth made everything highly infam-
| mabe. so that spark was quickly kindled
| into Il blaze and fire, which moved on at
| the rate of mile minute before the furious
| wind. No loss of life is reported.