, 1889-04-11

many places the crops are covered by
loose sand and dust and will have to b.
replanted. Travel was suspended OF
some lines of road, so great was the fore,
OF the wind. The storm has abateC
somewhat, but the wind is high enou
to keep the fires burning fiercely, a.
further heavy losses are almost certai
The damage in Minnesota is much lie
than in Dakota, as the force of the stor
was pretty well spent before reaching Il
border. Losses in South Dakota amou
to $1,000, 900 at the lowest calculation.
MITCHELL, Dakota, April 4-Nobot
but one who has stood before prair
fire and tried to stay its awful rush al
roar when it is famed by fresh wiz
can appreciate its almost resistle
forces. The fires that have brought
much loss and suffering TO southeastei
Dakota in the last few days were pra
tically ''unfghtable." Flames in son
instances leaped 100 feet of plowe
ground and rushed away on their care,
of destruction, and all ordinary preca
tons were IN VAIN. This spring has bee
very dry and the top ground has bee
dusty and baked. and an extremely hig
wind prevailed during the fire. Unde
these conditions. wherever the fame
touched grass it burnt, and with f1asl
almost like powder, shot away across tn
prairie like an arrow; its course eve
widending. To extihguish it by water
course was out of the question. Plowin
fire breaks was slow work, and the hig
wind often drove the flames across then
1t was O'Clock IL the afternoon whe
people OF Mount Vernon saw the wild
spreading prairie northwest of theI
break into blaze. The smoke was blow
into and through town on wings of wind !;
flames rushed after with savage fury,
and Mitchell was telegraphed to for help
and hundred men with hook and lad
ders were sent out. The entire popula-
ton OF Mount Vernon and many from
Mitchell met the furious flames on the
outskirts of town and fought with the
burning fires. Hundreds of families are
left homeless. The loss here is $50, 900,
outside OF town it is impossible yet to say
what the loss is. The lonely little farm
houses scattered over the prairie are
wiped out by dozens. Stories of loss Of
life may come later.
YORKTOWN, Dakota, April 4.-S:ories
OF terrible losses by fires that swept over
the country north of here continue to
come in; Naline Village has only three
buildings standing, Oiivett was burned,
Pukwanna was wiped out. In Yankton
county nearly all the farmers were
burned out. In the vicinity OF James
vile, II miles north of Yankton, eight
farmers sustained losses running from
from $1,000 to $4,000 each around Jack
sonville the losses will foot UP to $40, 600.
One man lost $1,000 in money which he
had in his coat; in piece of plowed
ground 800 feet from grass two new
wagons were burned 100 feet from the
fire. Sixty miles OF telegraph wire was
blown down between Centeryille and
Huron.
BLUNT, Dakota, April 4.-Stories of
the fire continue to be brought into town
by stragglers, they say the wind would
gather up loose timber and haul it high
in the air and carry it ahead of the fire,
allighting on barns and houses and ig-
hitting the prairie 80 yards in advance of
the flames. Surface houses snd barns
were burned. The fire was carried over
100 yards across new broken ground.
Losses 10000 in this vicinity.
HIGHMoRE, Dakota, April 4.-The de-
struction by prairie fire started on the
evening OF the list, five miles from High
more, on the farm of James Ingram,
While he was smoking his pipe. His
barn caught fire and was DESTROYED.
The wind carried the fire to the prairie
and the work of destruction began:
houses and barns and stock were burned.
On Tuesday morning the wind reached a
terrific gale, and no ordinary fire. break
made was any obstacle to the sweeping
names. At $50 the fire reached the
heights fifteen miles west of Highmore,
where thirteen residences in the town
were destroyed. At sundown Tuesday
another lire started in the northern part
Oh hyde county, sweeping away six
homes, and burning to death Miss Annie
sweeny and five-year-old Eugene Tibbs.
Mr. and Mrs. Tibbs and Mr.. and Mrs.
Resby are dangerously burned, the two