Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-04-12
THE DAKOTA FIRES.
THRILLING STORIES OF HAIR
BREADTH ESCAPES FROM THE
PRAIRIE FLAMES.

4
BREADTH ESCAPES FROM THE
PRAIRIE FLAMES.
ST. PAUL, April 6.-As the list
of losses by prairie fire In Dakota
increases the descriptions of hair
breadth escapes are very thrilling.
In YanktOn County alone the dam
age is placed at $4,000. Near
Rapid City Professor G. NJ. Bailey's
ranch was destroyed. When a par.
ty of neighbors drove through the
binding smoke to the rear of the
house an appalling sight met their
gaze. Standing in a little hollow
beneath the ruins of the house was
Eloise Madison, blistered and
scorched and burned, with hardly
a shred of clothing upon her.
The poor girl must have been In
the conditions in which she was
found for at least quarter of an
hour. Her clothing, save the col
lar of her dress, part OF the stock
ing on her right foot and her right
shoe, had been completely burned
from her body, which presented an
awful appearance, hardly a spot
upon her escaping unburned.
Standing unaided and conscious OF
her terrible condition, she greeted
the first person to her assistance
with the ejaculation "My God,
can't you do something for me ?"
Strong men shuddered, and for a
moment turned away, but with
ready hands did everything that
could be done tor her.
Mrs. G.. f. Bailey, in whose EN-
ploy the young girl was, and Will
liam Ashton the hired man, had a
very narrow escape, and suffered
painful injuries. Mrs. Bailey says
when the fire caught the dwelling
house it blazed up like finder and
allowed them no alternative but to
run for their lives. This they did,
Mr.. Ashton taking each of the
women by the arm and starting
with them through smoke and
flames. They had gone bnt a
short distance when Miss Madison
fell. The smoke was so thick that
when they stopped to look for her
she could not be seen, and think
ing she had gone in another direc-
they resumed their efforts to escape.
After severe struggle they sue
ceeded in getting to the windward
side of the fire and made their way
to a nelghboriDg ranch.
At George Hunts place the fam
/ lily had just seated themselves at
the dinner table, when Mrs. Hunt
saw sparks flying in the kitchen.
/ Selling a blanket apiece the people
in the house threw them over their
heads and started from the build
ing. BY good fortune all succeeded
in reaching a place OF safety. For
twenty feet their path was through
a sheet of flames fifty feet high.
Many of the other farms on Rapid
/ Valley barely escaped the flames
which sped across the ground like
a flash of lightning. The wind was
blowing at the ra'e Of sixty miles
an hour. Had the velocity of the
wind been less more damage would
have undoubtedly resulted. AS 1t
was, the fire was confined TO a mar
row strip of country, enabling those
from the city to beat out the flames
by wet sacks.
Thousands Of dollars worth OF
property was destroyed within ten
miles of Freeman. Thirty-two tam
| lies lost their homes, only escaping
partly clothed. Machinery, grain,
/ hay and a great amount OF stock
were burned. The unfortunate
farmers are entirely destitute and
without food or shelter. In Doug.
lass county the fire was one of the
worst eyer known. Many farmers
lost everything and are homeless
and destitute. The house OF Will
liam Cline was burned, Mrs. Cline
perishing IN the flames. She was
20 years old and was the mother OF
f. w. Cline, prosecuting attorney
of Douglass county.
Near Oakland Lake lives Frank
Goodfellow. He was away from
home when the fire came. Mrs.
/ Goodfellow and three children hero
ically fought the flames for several
hours and then were forced to get
down on their knees while the
flames passed over them. Mrs.
Goodiellow is so badly burned that
she will probably die.
In Brule county casualties are
being reported daily. Fully 100
/ families have lost everything, the
loss reaching Sl5O,OOO. Two
women we're burned to death near
Chamberlain. 1t is reported at the
latter place that the fire was started
by Indians on reservation. The
/ Crow Creek Agency had a narrow
escape.