New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-04-10
Disastrous Prairie Fires.

Disastrous Prairie Fires.
The village of Mount Vernon Dakota was
almost entirely consumed by fire. All thu
business part of the town is burned. Every
business house, and nearly all the residences
are destroyed. The Chicago Milwaukee &
st. Paul depot, together with about fifteen
or twenty freight cars and four large eleva-
tors are gone. The loss will benearly $500,
900, with but very little Insurance. and q
hundred families are left homeless and utter.
ly destitute 1t was caused by prairie fire
which came in from the northwest. One hun.
dred citizens from Mitchell went up to helI
fight the fire, but a raging wind prevailed.
and their efforts availed but little. A special
train, carrying provisions, was dispatched
from Mitchell.
Violin, a station on the Northwestern road
ten miles east OF Yankton. was also burned.
The buildings burned We're the station
agents residence, depot, two houses belong
thousand tons of hay was destroyed, and
all the barns in the place. The fire invaded
O large cattle corral, and forty or fifty cat,
tie were badly burned, the rest breaking
through the enclosure and escaping. Loss
fully $4,000. The destruction was caused
by a prairie fire. which was burning at last
accounts.
A prairie fire started one mile northeast OF
Rapid City at noon, and was driven in a
southeasterly course by a gale OF sixty miles
an hour. Three houses were burned. The
first was unoccupied and owned by c. III.
Kingman ofChicago; loss. -. 900. The sec.
ond was occupied by Mrs. G. E. Bailey, a
girl companion aged seventeen years, named
Eloise Madison, and a hired man named
Ashton. The three left the house and ran
through the flames, Mrs. Bailey and Ashton
oca MIN h13 q n,
ison fell, and the fire catching her clothing
burned it completely from her body. She
was taken to neighbours, and lies at the
point of DEATH The house and household
goods are a total loss. George Hunts
house, barns and furniture were burned; loss,
81, 800; insurance, S. 900. The family es-
capped.
The residence of A. E. Swan, about one
mile from Andover was burned, together
with most Of it's contents. The inmates
were at dinner when a prairie fire was dis
covered near the house, and all rushed tor
the door barely in time to save their lives.
Mrs, A. g. Raynes, who was visiting there,
did not have time to get her wraps and her
two little children and self were compelled
little covering.
A prairie fire has ragged all day north OF
Bookings H. Fishback's farm dwelling, oc-
cupied by Mrs Stephens, with all its contents,
was consumed. Messrs. Hobbs and Conrow
lost all their farm buildings and contents.
A terrible gale has been blowing from the
northwest and nothing could be done to
quell the flames
A terrific wind storm has prevailed
throughout wide area in the vicinity OF
Sioux Falls. Rumors come that the entire
population of Beaver Creek Mimi. thirty
miles east. are fighting the fire; also that
extensive fires prevail in various parts OF
Southwestern Minnesota. Grave fears of Q
widespread calamity are felt.
b ID. @ MORE PRAIRIE FIRES
Leola, the county seat Of McPher son
county, thirtyf five miles northwest of Aber-
deem, Dakota, was destroyed by prairie
fire. The fire came fran the west and was
not noticed until it struck the town. Sixty
dwellings, and business houses were. burned.
Loss, $15O,OO0. The only buildings re.
naming are the court house, two stores and
six dwellings,. c. W. Old and Thomas War
dell were terribly burned, and couriers from
the demolished village say they cannot live.
Parties who drove across the country to
Westpolt, the nearest railroad station, say
that the surrounding country is nearly de-
vastated. Hundreds OF farm houses are in
ashes and carcasses OF burned stock are
lying along the road.
The most devasting prairie fire ever known
ragged over the prairies west and north OF
Lake Benton. The wind was hurricane
for nearly twenty-four hours, and swept the
fire along with a resistless force, passing the
widest fire breaks as nothing; and, leaping
plowed fields with a wild bound, it licked up
houses, barns, stock and in different places
human lives.
Huron Specialize prairie fire in the his
tory Of this part of Dakota equals that OF
April 3rd In this county the losses are
much less than in counties west. Half a
dozen houses burned and many settlers lost
barns, some stock and large quantity oil
hay and grain. The wind was from fl ty to
sixty miles an hour, and sent the burning
embers over the plowed ground and fire
breaks several rods wide. setting fire to every,
rapidly that settlers had only time to save
themselves, leaving their property to the
mercy Of the flames. In Sully and Hughes
counties 100000 worth of property was
destroyed. Near Highmore Miss Sweeney
was burned, and near St. Lawrence Mr.. Bah.
cock persisted in the flames Reports from
Millbank. Vermillon, Parker, Miller and 9th
Jackson, Faribault and Rochester, in Mime
sofa give many details Of losses by prairie
fire.
The destruction by prairie fires proves to
been much greater than was supposed, and
accounts are not all in yet In Yankton
county not less than fifty farmers were burn
ed out, losing buildings, stocks farm nipple
ments, and some stock. A conservative es-
innate makes a loss in the county not less
than 100000. The town of Olivet, in
Hutchinson county, was partially destroyed,
the postoffice, two stores, a printing office
and a residence burning. The strength OF
the gale was much greater out on the
prairies than in Yankton, and the prevail
ing drouth made everything highly infam-
into a blaze and a fire, which moved on a.
the rate of q mile n minute before the furious
wind. No loss of lie is reported.
Minnesota Swamp Lands.
The secretary of the interior has rendered
another decision affecting the validity of the
field notes of SURVEYS OfDublic lands in Min