The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-13

are $5OOO -At shutdown Tuesday another
TIRE started in the northern part Of
this county, sweeping away six homes,
burning to death Miss Annie Sweeney and q
5-year-old baby. Eugene Tibbs, Mr. and
Mrs. Mbbs and Mr.. and Mrs. Ruby are dan
$gerously burned, the two former fatally.
Returns of losses are not in, but will reach
many thousand dollars.
CHAMBERLAIN, D. T., April 5-Prairie
fires have been raging fearfully in this
county for the last two days SO far two
lives are reported lost and fully 100 fam
lies have been deprived OF absolutely
every thing. The loss will reach fully
$50, 600.
SCOTLAND, D. T., April SIT would take
$2O0, 600 to cover the loss in this county The
Hutchinson Herald Office was burned. The
losses amount to $35, 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 every thing on the farms of A. O.
Fansky, Gus Eyenson and M. Shook On
the stock farm of E. s. Sweet three barns
were burned. Loss, $1,000. Twelve miles
west of Scotland a prairie fire ragged TWEEN
ty-hve farmers are known to have lost
every thing.
THE DESTRUCTION OF LEoLA
ABERDEEN, D. T., April 5-The terrible
story of the complete destruction of Leola,
the county seat of MCPHERSON County, has
been brought in by couriers. Leola was
fine little town of 800 inhabitants,
and the country for miles around was
well settled with an industrious and
thrifty people, It is twenty-five
miles from railroad and telegraph facili-
ties, and it is difficult to get complete in
formation. 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 dozen remain.
The loss is practically complete, and
will reach $150,OOO The insurance was
very light G. W. Old and Thomas Wardell
were terribly burned, and the couriers say
they can not live. Parties who drove
across the country to Westport the nearest
railroad station, say the surrounding coun-
try is nearly devastated Hundreds
carcasses of burned stock are lying along
the road. The news continues to come
IN slowly and shows the details of a great
disaster. Editors Herried and Beach, of
Leola, will publish their papers in Aberdeen
at present Nothing definite is known about
rebuilding. Citizens here will hold meet
Ing to take measures for relief. Scores of
farmers are without seed wheat, stock,
buildings or implements to commence
spring work
FLAMES IRREsIsTABLE.
MITCHELL, D. T., April 5.-The fires which
have brought SO much loss and suffering to
Southwestern Dakota in the last few DAYS
We're practically irresistible Flames in
some instances leaped 100 feet of plowed
ground and rushed away again on
their career Of destruction. All ordi-
nary precautions were vain. The spring
has been very dry, and the top of
the ground has been dusty or baked The
signal observer at Yankton says that the
humidity of the air was but per cent.
Tuesday. AS the mean annual humidity is
20 this shows that the atmosphere was prac-
tically devoid of moisture. Then the wind
from the northeast blew between forty and
fifty miles an hour. tanning the flames
into fury. Under these conditions when
ever fire touched the grass it burst out with
flash almost like powder and shot away
across the prairie like an arrow, its course
ever widening. To extinguish it by water,
OF course, was out of the question Plow-
ing fre-breaks was slow work, and the
high winds often drove the flames across
them.
1t was o'clock in the afternoon when
the people OF Mount Vernon saw the wide
spreading prairie northwest of them break
out into a blaze. The smoke was dashed
Into and through the town on the wings of
the wind. The flames rushed after with
savage fury Mitchell was photographed to
for help, and 100 fremen with hook and
ladder truck were sent at once The
entire population of Mount Vernon and
the men from Mitchell met the furious
flames on the outskirts Of the town and
fought with desperation, but in vain. No
lives were lost but forty five buildings were
burned and 100 families left homeless The
loss isput at $50 coo.
Outside Of the town it is impossible vet
to say what the loss is. Lonely, little farm
houses scattered over the prairie are wiped
out by dozens. Stories of losses of life may
come In later