The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-04-11
FIRE AND WIND.
South Dakota Swept by CODfagra-
tion and Hurricane.
WHOLE TOWNS DESTROYED
Hundreds of Families Left Without
a Home.
SEVERAL LIVES LOST |
Millions of Dollars Worth of Prop
erty in Utter Ruin.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, April A.
During the last two days South Dako-
ia and Minnesota have been swept by
a series of wind storms which lave
caused hundreds of thousands of
dollars damage to property and sew
eral lives have been lost. The storm
started Monday night and swept over
large area south of the Northern
Pacific road in Dakota and extending
into the southern tiers of counties in
this state. The greatest damage has
not been caused by the winds alone.
but in many places fire famed into
fury by the storms have wiped out of
existence several small villages and
hundreds of farm houses. The towns
almost completely destroyed are Violin.
Olivet, Pukwana. Lesterville and Mt.
Vernon and three or four other villages
were badly damaged.
At Violin every house in the place
except three is demolished and one
hundred people are without homes to-
night. Lesterville was fiateened to the
ground and twenty families are with
out q roof. y terrible gale OF wind
struck Mount Vernon and fire started
from a small hOnse that was blown
over. No human power could stop the
flames, and in an hour the business
portion of the place was one great rag
ing fire. Nearly 200 families are home
less and the loss will foot up Sl00, 900.
1t is reported that several persons lost
their lives in this fire, but no coniirma-
tion has yet been received.
a dispatch from Yanktou, Dakota,
says the records of the signal office
show that during the prevalence OF the
fires in this region the humidity was
but seven per cent, a condition of dry
ness, Sergeant Oswell says, meyer be-
fore attained in this region. The max
imum humidity Is 100, the mean annual
the atmosphere was almost devoid of
moisture. The velocity of the wind
was forty-six miles an hour. The losses
in South Dakota will toto up $1,000 900
at the lowest calculation.
sMoLDERING RUINS.
SCOTLAND, Dakota, April s.
Another terrible prairie fire swept over
the country south of Scotland yester-
day afternoon and its path Is marked
by the smouldering embers of many
homes. A very high wind prevailed
all day and with the grass as dry as
finder the terrific force of the fire is
beyond description. Ats o'clock word
was brought to town that the prairia
was attire north of West town and i'm
mediately hundred men started in
teams toward the approaching fire,
armed some with brooms and sacks. Ar
arriving at Fred Browns farm two
miles north, all his barns, diaries and
cattle sheds were one blazing mass and
the efforts of the crowd were directed
to saving his residence and beating the
lire out that would in short time
have swept down upon the town.
Browns residence was saved but all
his household goods that had been car
ried out by tue family were burned.
One mile north of Browns the fire
burned Henry Hagelfey out of every
earthly possession, his house, barns
and stock were consumed and he
barely escaped with his family.
Across from Hagelfey lived ID. K
everything about his place except his
house was swept away. Five houses
and several head of live stock were
among his losses. His wife was al
home alone when the fire broke out anC
could do nothing to save the property
BY evening the fire in the west haC
been extinguished but it is still raging
the county seat of Hutchinson county
eight miles north, is reported to b.
more than half burned up. The
bridges on the railroad west of TIN
town were burned. The loss during
the last two days will be fully $780, 900
MORE PRAIRIE FIRES.
ST. PAUL, April 3.-A Pioneer Pres
special from Aberdeen, Dakota, says
Leona, county seat of Mcpherson
county, fifteen miles northwest o
hxr af,.i
fire during yesterdays whirlwind
The fire came from the west and wa
not noticed until it struck the town, o
account of the dust. Eight dwelling
and business houses were buried, en-
failing a loss of $4,000. The onl
buildings remaining are tn
court house, two stores an
six dwellings,. C.. w. Old
and Thomas Wardwell were burne
and will die. Leona is an inteTio
town without railroad or telegraph an
further particulars cannot be obtained
Many farm houses are i'll ashes an
carcasses of dead animals are see
along the roads.
A Vermillion, Dakota, special to til
Pioneer Press says: Word reached her
to-day of very destructive prairie fire
north and west of here. Gillett's sa'
mill and 800 cords of wood were entir,
buildings. y number of casualties III
reported.
PLOTTING THE FLAMES.
MITCHELL, OAK, Apri! 4.-Nobod
but a man who has stood before
prairie fire and tried to stop ITS awfl
roar when it is fed by fierce winds ca
realize the great amount of sufferin
brought to Dakota the last few day
Flames leaped 100 feet of plOwe
ground and rushed away aga
on their career of destruction
All ordinary precautions wei
vain. Spring has been very dry an
the top of the ground has been dust
OF baked. The signal observer
Yankton says the humidity of the a
was but Z per cent Tuesday, a cond
tion of dryness never before attaine
The wind from the northeast blew b
tween forty and fifty miles an hou
tanning the flames into fury. u
der these circumstances wherey
the fire touched the grass
burst out with a flash almo
like powder and shot over the prair
like an arrow, its course ever widenin
To extinguish i: by water, of cours
was out of the question. 1t was
O'Clock in the afternoon when the ne
pie of Mount Vernon saw the wild
spreading prairie northwest of the
break out into a blaze. Smoke W
dashed into and through the town
the wings of the wind. The fam
rushed after with savage fury. Mite
ell was telegraphed to for help a
one hundred iremen with hook a
ladder were sent ut once. The emit
population of Mount Vernon aud FRI
Mitchell met furious flames on the Ol
skirts of the town and fought WI
desperation but in vain No liy
were lost but torty-five buildings w,
burned and 100 families left homele
The loss is put at $500, 900. Outside
the town it is impossible TO saw wi
the loss is. Lonely little farm hou
scattered over the prairie are wiz