The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-05
Devastation.
PRAIRIE FIRES And WIND
Cause Great Destruction Of Life
aud Property in the Northwest.
Hundreds Of Families Rendered
Homeless and Millions Of
Dollars Lost.
ISDESCRIBABLE HORRORS,
Attempts Of tho Inhabitants ia
Check the Fury Of the
Destroyer
Are FutlIe-The TerrOrs Of the Fires
added to by a TOrnadO-TOwns,
Villages aud lIamlets Wiped
From the Face Ofthe Earth.

MlSSgAroLIs, MIMI, April4.-Durin
fine last two days South Dakota an,
Minnesota have been swept by serie
Of wind storms, which have caused hun
dreds Of thousands Of dollars damage t
property, and many lives have beel
lost, The storm started Monday nigh
andswept over u large area, south OF tn
Northern Pacific Road in Dakota, an,
extending in the southern tiers OF coun
ties in this State, The greatest damag
las not been caused by the wind alone
but in many places, fires, famed int,
fury by the storms, have wiped out o
existence several small villages and hun
drels Of farmers houses. The town
almost completely destroyed are Violin
C)liyet, Pukwana, Lesterville and Mt
Vernon, and three or four other villagel
were badly damaged. At Violin every
house in the place except three Ii
demolished and 100 people are without
homes tonight. Lesterville was flat
tened to the ground and two families
are without r0ol.
A terrible gale OF wind struck Mt.
Vernon and fire started from q small
house that was blown over early last
night. No human power could stop the
flames and in an hour the business por.
tion OF the place was ono great rigging
fire, Nearly two hundred families are
homeless and the loss will foot up $780,
OOO. 1t is reported that several persons
lost their lives in this fire, but no con-
tlrmatiOn has yet been received. Four
large elevators and the Milwaukee
depot were destroyed. Near Blunt one
man lost 500 head Of sheep, which were
caught in Il prairie fire. Several head OF
horses were saved by swimming the
river In many places the crops were
covered by tho loose sand and dust and
will have to be- replanted. Travel was
suspended OH some lines OF the road, so
great was the force OF the wind, the
ClOuls OF dust preventing the engineers
from seeing the track.
TERRIBLE DEVASTATION. $
Acport from Gary says that the sun
wa, almost totally obscured and the
supestitious thought the end Of the
world had come. Farm houses and
barns were swept away and horses and
cattle were burned to death by scores.
Near Milbank fifty head OF live stock are
reported lost and the fire has swept over
twenty miles OF the country, causing
immense loss. Tie storm has abated
somewhat, but the wind is yet high
enough to keep the fires burning
fefcely, and further heavy losses are
almost certain. The damage In Min
nesota is much less than in Dakota, as
tue force Of the storm was pretty well
spent before it reached the boundary.
A dispatch from Yankton, Dak., says:
"ThC records Of tho signal Office show
that during tho prevalence Of the fires In
thisrpgiOn the humidity was was but z
per cent, II condition Of dryness, Ser
geant Oswald says, never before attain
Gdin this region. The maximum hu'
midity is 100, tho mean humidity here
70. This shows TINT the atmosphere was
almost devoid Of moisture. The velocity
oil the wind wUs iOTty.six miles an hour.
The losses In South Dakota will foot up
@,VO,OOO at low calculation.
THE AWFUL ECENEs.
Nobody but II man who has stood be.
fore prairie fire and tried to stay It's
awful rush and roar when 1t is famed
byu fresh wind can appreciate It's almost
tesistless force. Tile fires that have
brought so much loss aud suffering Ia
Southeastern Dakota in the last few days
were practically irresistible. Flames In
some instances lCaped fifty feet over
pIOnghcd ground and rushed away again
on their career OF destruction. All ordi'
naryprGCautiOns were vain. Tho spring
has been very dry, and the top OF the
ground has been dusty or baked. Under
thCse conditions wherever fire touched
the grass, ii burst out with flash almosl
like powder and shot away across the
PairiO like IN arrow, It's course eYel
widening. To oxtlnguish 1t by water
Of course, was out Of the question
Flowing fire breaks was slow work and
the high wind often drove tho flames
actoS them.
MT. vERSoN's FATE.
twas o'clock In tho afternoon whor
the people Of Mt. Vernon saw til,
,preadinS prairie northwest Of then
break out into II blaze. The smoke wa
dashed into and through the town OF
the wings OF the wind: The flame
rushed alter with savage fury. Mitchell
vas tclcgraphed 10 for help and and 10
ttCmCn with u hook and ladder wer
sent al once. Tho entire population g
W.T. Vernon and the men from Mitchell
met the furious flames on the oulskirt
Of the town and fought With desperf
lon, but in vain. No lives were los
but u buildings werO burned and ~
llmilics left homeless, outside oil III
l9Nn II Is impossible yet 10 say whl
The loss is Lonely little farm house
scattered over the prairie are wiped OF
OydOzCns. Stories Of losses OF life ina
rome IN later,
wORsg AND WORSE.
Alhter dispatch from Yankton, D.
loIa, says The stories Of the tCrfibl
lossCsby the hurricanes Of Gro that swet
over the country north Of here, Contint
IocomC In. Columns might 10 write
oithc heroic struggles 10 save home al
Property that the farmers have Worko
10 hard to secure. Violin village. III
only three buildings standing. =,
Ia the vicinity Of GAINESVILLE, twel'
mites north Of Yanklon, eight iafmO
sustained losses running from q 700
5000 zach. sixty miles Of WeBtel
Union wires were blown down betWe,
Vthleiyille and Huron. n
A blunt, Dag., dispatch saysi ~
NOties Oi the fury Of the fire continue
By brought into town by atraggie
Houses aud barns were burned WhI
the fire was carried over 100 yards hcr'
new broken ground. Tie losses are
iimaleA nj S2llO. 900 In this vicinity,