Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1889-04-10
A CYCLONE OF FIRE.
TERRIBLE RESULTS OF BURNING
FRAIRlEs IN THE NORTHWEST.

Soath Dakota the Chief SufIerer-Loss o.
IAls AdaeA to Loss Of Property -Towns
Alnest Oblitsrstsal-l Relief Nesssd-s Some
of The Particulars.
Over a.o0o. 600 Damass In Dakota.
During the two days Of April LIST and
and South Dakota and Minnesota were
swept by series Of windstorms which
caused thousands OF dollars damage and
the loss Of several lives. The storm start
cd Monday night and swept over large
area south Of the Northern Pacific railway
tn Dakots and extending ON to the southern
tisr Of counties in Min. .esota. The great
est damage was not caused By wind alone,
Out In many places Ares, famed into fury
By the storm, wiped out Of existence sever
= smaa villages and bsndreas u fafnsss'
houses. rendering hundreds of families
homeless. The towns elmost completely de-
ssroyed were Volin, Leola, Olivet, Pukwana,
Lestervills and Mt. Vernon. and three or
four other villages were badly damaged.
Many head Of cattle, sheep and hogs
perished. In many places crops were COW
cred by loose sand aud dust aud viii have
TO be replanted. Travel was suspended on
some lines OF road, SO great was the force
Of the wind. The damage in Minnesota is
much less than in Dakota, a. the force Of
the storm was pretty we'll spent before it
reached the border. The losses in South
Dakota will foot up $2,O0O, 1000 at q low
calculation.
How One Flre started.
One destructive prairie Are was started
on the evening Of the 1st inst. Ave miles
from Highmore on the farm Of James In
gram. While he was smoking his pipe his
barn caught fre and was destroyed. The
Arce wind carried the fire to the prairie aud
the work Of destruction began. Houses,
barns and stock were burned. Tuesday
morning the wind reached terrific gale.
No ordinary fire breaks made any resistance
to the sweeping flames. The fire reached
Rec Heights, fifteen miles east Of High
more, where thirteen residences were de-
stroyed. At sundown Tuesday another
fire started In the northern part of Hyde
county. sweepinR away six homes and
burning TO death Miss Anna Sweeney
and tho 5-year-old baby Of Eugene Tipbs.
Tho Dsstruc,son VI Mt Vernon.
1t was 3 O'Clock in the afternoon of the
ID when the people Of Mt. Vernon saw the
widespresding prairie northwest of then
break out into blaze. Smoke was dashed
into and through the town on wings of the
wind and the flames rushed after with
savage fury. Mitchell was telegraphed to
for help and 100 firemen with hook and
ladder truck were sent at once. The Gu.
tire population Of Mt. Vernon and the
men from Mitchell met the furious flames
on the outskirts Of the town aud fought
with desperation, but in vain. No iiyes
were lost, but forty five buildings were
burned and 100 families left homeless.
The loss is e3O,OOO. The farm houses
scattered over the prairies we're wiped out
by the dozens.
Olivss IN AshsA
The psairis IRE swspA into Olivss, county
seat Of Hutchinson county. during the
terrific wind storm on tho 2ud, and ne !, ,
wiped out the whole town. s. NJ. Dabol
lost stables; Anna Dickmann, saloon build
ing. dwelling, stable and ice house, loss
about 1850; q. p. Harlem, stable; w. b.
White, store building. contents, two sta
bles and old store building. loss $l2,UOO to
u.s. 900: Samuel George, drug store and
stock; Hutchinson Herald Office and build
ing, total loss: Christian church building
total loss. The fire jumped the Jim river
and burned farmers dwelling and barns,
loss about 81, 900 Another prairie fire
started In east Of Scotland, jumped the
river aud burned the barns and sheds OF E.
I. Sweet. an extensive stock raiser and
dealer, four miles south of Menno; loss,
200.
Osly Four lsslsainss Left in L-o,a.
Leola, the county seat Of Mcpherson
county, was literally wiped out and scarce
y vsstige Of the once prominent town
remains. Out Of thirty place OF business,
including two banks, two newspapers. two
churches, three or four hotels. and all
lines Of business found in the average
town, but four are left standing, aud out
Of thirty TO forty residences less than
dozen remain. The loss il practically
complete. Leola was fine little town Of
800 tnhahltsnts aud the country for miles
around we'll settled with industrious and
thrifty people. It Is twenty-five miles
from railroad and telegraph facilities. The
insursnce oa everything was very low aud
only triAing compared with the great loss,
Tbs following bu,ldlngs in the business
portion are complete loss: Mcpherson
county bank, Leola Blade. the Northeast,
4cEowan house, Chapman house, John-
son 4 Richards, hardx are: Fox 4 shanu,
general merchandise: p. d. Kiles, notions;
Chapman and Murphy, meat market; w.
r. Hills, meat market; Paul Standt, black
smith shop; Flint's livery stable, Nc
EOwan's livery stable, the postOhice, John
Retsera billiard hall. Aorgan's drug store,
G.. w. Lane, loan once; German Lutheran
church, n. Z. chuech, John Murphy, bar
Der shop; Haynes h Cavanaugh, general
unsschandise; Cavanaugh's carpenter shop.
G. w. Old and Tom Wardell. Living near
Leola, vsrs fatally burned. All the
country northwest ana southeast 10 COM
pletely burned over and scarcsiy . building
remains.
Il ssanssy Sse Oss Cesaty.
The following Il the loss Of property IN
Hyde county. Oak, BY prairie Asss on
Monday. April l: James Ingram, barn,
hay. grain, machinery; herman B. Young,
sams; L. L. Hatch, barn, hogs, grain;
John Cunningham, barns, horses and
grain; L. MORSE, barns aud cattle: II.
NeGlinchy, stacks of hay; A. E. Camp,
sams; George Crss. III but his house.
Ths following ass losers BY the Ars and
cyclone Of TuesdAy, April 2: Jsmss
Sweeney, everything; ". 4. Swssnsy,
same; UsiAA !essup: svssything: =. 3.