Wichita eagle., 1889-04-05

| fury of the fire continue to be brought N
town by stragglers. They say the wind
| would gather up the loose finder, and
hurting it high in the air, carry it ahead
| of the surface fire, alighting on barns and
| houses and igniting the prairie fifty yards
| in advance Of the surface fire. Houses and
| barns were burned where the fire was car
ried over 100 yards across new broken
| ground Losses are estimated at sou, uOO
| in this vicinity.
A SWEEPING WALL OF FLAME.
HIGHMoRE, OAK. April "A 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 was smoking his pipe his barn
caught fire and was destroyed. A fierce
wind carried the fire to the prairie and the
| work of distraction began. Houses, barns
and some stock were burned. Tuesday the
wind reached terrific gale. No ordinary
| fire break made any resistance to the
sweeping wall of flames. AT 3 p. m. the
fire reached Rec Heights, fifteen miles east
of Highmore, where thirteen residences
were destroyed. The losses estimated IN
Hyde county are $780, 900.
At shutdown Tuesday evening another
fire started in the northern part of this
county, sweeping away six homes and
burning to death Miss Annie Sweeny and
5-year-old baby. Eugene Tlbbs, Mr..
and Mrs. Tibbs. Mrs. and Miss Ruby are
dangerously burned. the two former IA
tally. Returns of losses are not in, but
will reach many thousand dollars.
DOZENS LOST EVERYTHING.
SCOTLAND, Oak, April At would take
500, 900 to cover the loss in this county.
The Hutchinson Herald office was burned.
The losses amount to S35, 900. with less than
Sc, 600 insurance. David Ischettar and
Howard White, farmers near Olivet, were
completely burned out. Another fire east
Of Scotland destroyed everything on the
farms of A O. Fansky, Gus Evans and NJ.
Shook On the stock farm of Z. 5. Sweet
three barns were burned; loss S3.OOo.
Twelve miles west of Scotland prairie
fire ragged. Twenty-Five farmers are known
to have lost everything.
LEOLA ENTIRELY WIPED OUT
ABERDEEN, Oak, April 4.-The terrible
story of the complete destruction OF Leola,
county seat of Mcpherson county, has
been brought in by courier. Leola was d
fine little town of 300 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 facilities and it is difficult
to get complete information. 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 practi-
cally complete and will reach Sl50,0O
The insurance was very light. c. 0. Old
and Thomas Wordell are terribly burned
aud the couriers say they can not live.
Parties who drove across the country to
Westport, the nearest railroad station. say
the surrounding country is nearly devas-
tated. 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 details of a
great disaster. 1t is probable that one
tenth of the damage is not yet reported.
The in ured men, Old and Wardell, at
last accounts were very low.
Editors Herried and Beach, of Leola, are
in the city. They will publish their paper
in Aberdeen at present. Nothing definite
is known about rebuilding. Citizens will
hold a meeting this afternoon to take
measures of relief Scores of farmers are
without seed wheat, stock, buildings or
implements to commence spring work.