Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-07
pAkoTA,s AWFUL FIRE.

OAkOTAS AWFUL FIRE.
HIGHMoRE, April 6-The prairie fire
was more destructive and calamitious than
| first supposed. A revised list Of deaths Is
as follows: Miss Annie Wigs, Mrs.
| Thomas Bibbs and baby Of years, Mrs.
Jessup, Mrs. Ruby and two boys, names
not known. Several others are severely
burned. Fifteen families are left home
less and penniless and over fifty have suff-
cred serious losses. Several persons are
missing and it is feared they are burned.
The stories Of farmers who suffered by
the flames Tuesday show that 1t was no
ordinary prairie fire. 1t licked up every
thing combustible, and grass and stubble
and wood broke into flames, seemingly
without coming in contact with fire. The
combustion was almost spon infamous In the
dry and heated condition of the atmos-
phere set. in motion by the terrific gale.
The conditions seemed similar to those ex-
isting at the time of the great Chicago nre
and the fires in the Wisconsin woods. when
be atmosphere was almost ready to ignite
and burn. An intense electrical condition
also prevailed All things considered. the
visitation was a, remarkable as it was cal
amitous. In Yankton county alone the
damage is placed at $150, 900.
Near Rapid City Prof. 6. F. Baileys
ranch was destroyed. When a party of
neighbors drove through the binding
smoke to their house an appalling sight
met their gaze. Standing in little hol-
low below the ruins of the house was
Eloise Madison, blistered and scorched and
burned, with hardly shred OF clothing
upon her. The poor girl must have been
in the condition in which she was found
for at least quarter of an hour. Her
clothing, save the collar of her dress, part
# the stocking on her right foot and the
right shoe had been completely burned
from her body, which presented an awful
appearance, hardly spot upon
her escaping unburned. Standing I'M
aided and conscious of her terrible condi-
assistance with: "My God, can't you do
something for me?" Strong men shud
dered and for moment turned away, but
ready hands did everything that could be
done for her.
Mrs. G. E. Bailey, in whose employ the
young girl was, and William Ashton, the
hired man, had very narrow escape, and,
Gus injuries. Mrs. Bailey says when the
fire caught the dwelling house it blazed
like tinder'a allowed them no alterna-
tive but TO run for their lives. This they
did, Ashton taking each OF them and
starting through the smoke and flames
lance when Miss Madison fell. The smoke
was so thick that when they stopped to
look for her she could not be seen, and
thinking that she had gone in another di-
rccJion, they resumed their efforts to es-
cape. After a severe struggle they sue
ceeded in getting to the windward side of
the fire and made their way to neighbor-
ing ranch.
At George Huut's place the family had
just seated themselves at the dinner table
when Mrs Hunt saw sparks flying through
a crack in the partition. She seized
blanket and threw it over her head and
started from the building. By good for
tune all succeeded in reaching place OF
safety. For twenty feet their path was
through sheet of fame thirty feet wide
Many of the other farms in Rapid valley
barely escaped the flames, which spread
across the ground like fash of lightning.
The wind was blowing at the rate of sixty
miles an hour The fire was confined to
narrow strip of country. enabling those
from the city to beat out the flames with
wet sacks.
Thousands of dollars worth of property
was destroyed within ten miles of Free
man. Thirty-two families lost their
homes, only escaping partly clothed. Ma
chinery, grain. hay and a great amount of
stock were burned The unfortunate far
mers are entirely destitute and without
food.
In Douglas county many of the farmers
IOSb every CnlnS anu dfe HouieieoS 6uu
destitute The house of William Cline
was burned, Mrs. Cline perishing in the
flames. She was 0years old and was the
mother OF E. w. Cline, prosecuting at
torney of Douglas county.
Near Oak wood lake lives Frank Good
fellow. He was away from home when
the fire came. Mrs, Goodfellow and her
three children heroically fought the flames
for several hours and then were forced to
get down on their knees while the flames
badly burned that she will probably die.
In Brule county fully 100 families lost
everything, the loss reaching $4,000.
Two women were burned to death near
Chamberlain