The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-04-11
Dakota Disasters.

Yankton telegram, April 4.-The list OF
losses by Tues days prairie fires in this vcin-
ity increases and the visitation assumes the
form of a widespread calamity. iankton
county alone has suffered to the probable
extent of $3.50, 900, and as many asseventy-
Ave families ase homeless, most of them los
ing everything except their lives and the
lives of their families Farmers hereabouts
are generally possessed of valuable improve
ments, and individual losses range from
81, 900 to SO, 900 in buildings and machinery.
The GAINESVILLE neighborhood has suffered
most severely. 1t is peopled by Russians
who had covered their farms with timber
fne buildings and fences. These are now
blackened waste, and the losses are general
ly without insurance. 1t was no ordinary
prairie fire In its fearful force it
licked up everything combustible, and grass
and stubble and wood broke into fame
seemingly without coming in contract with
fire. The combustion was almost spontane-
GUS in the dry and heated condition OF the
atmosphere set in motion by the terrific gale
that prevailed. The conditions seemed
great Chicago fire and the fires in tae Wis
conSln woods, when the atmosphere was al
most ready to ignite and burn. An illustra-
ton is given in the case of q Yankton county
farmer who placed his valuable papers and
money in woOd-box and deposited the box
in the middle OF a plowed field with it's con-
tents The box was reduced to ashes, though
there was no way for the fire to cross the
plOwed surroundings
ASHTON, April 4.-Tuesday was the worst
day on record in Dakota except perhaps,
the famous blizzard OfJanuary, 1888. The
wind blew from the northwest furious gale
all day. The air was so full OF dust that
person could not see hundred yards dis
tant. Several buildings in this town were
stripped of their tin roofs while numerous
small buildings and fences were blown down.
To-day news comes in from Faux county,
west of Athol that furious prairie fire
ragged all the afternoon and evening and the
light from the fires could be plainly seen
from this place. The whole heavens
seemed afame. Numerous farmers lost all
they had.
WoONs NsoCKET-April 4.-The most disas-
trous wind srorm ever known visited thissec
ton Tuesday and was q perfect hurricane.
1t blew of nearly the whole south side of the
Bank of Woonsocket, a brick veneered
building: outhouses were tipped over, side
walks torn up and cornice taken off of sew
eral business houses. Themost destruction.
however, was from prairie fires. The large
cattle sheds. barns, etc, of W. M. POsey,
tour miles northwest of here, with six head
of oxen and a large number of cattle, were
entirely destroyed; also barns and one horse
of r. Eastmen and residence with all out
buildings James Eastman. Nearly q
dozen settlers are known to have been burned
out, with more to hear from. During the
afternoon the smoke and cinders were so
dense in town one could hardly see across
the street, and great fear was entertained
least the fire might get in town.
ARMOUR, April 4.-Douglas county was
visited Ly one of the worst prairie fires ever
known. Many farmers lost everything, and
are homeless and destitute.
A. r. Cornwall of Aberdeen writes the PiO-
neer Press:
A terrible fate has be:allen the village of
Leola, Mcpherson county, South Dakota.
prairie fire came down from the COteau
mountains like q cyclone, and the entire viii
lage is in ashes. The court house. two stores
one bank and school house are all that are
left out of twenty business places Forty to
fifty families are entirely destitute. Both
printing offices, one bank, six stores, in
Guiding drug stores, hardware, etc, are all
swept away. Nothing was saved. The men
fought to save the town, and neglected their
household goods. No lives were lost in the
village, but one or two from farm houses are
reported. | came by one farmer who had
seven horses and twice as many cattle, to-
gether with house and barn, all lost. The
family have nothing left but the clothing
they wore. How many farm houses are
gone cannot now be ascertained. Will not
friends send clothing, bedding and anything
to Westport for Leola? A committee will
receive them.