The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-04-12

MinNBAroLls, April 4--SIs-e ~. 49,.
suo aays South Dakota and mAnne.oss n
been swept By series st VIM sssnds
which have caused hundreds Of tnGussna
~ dol,ars damage TO property and the loss
e several lives. The storm started mon
dsv nirht and swept ever large area seu.n
Err. Northern Pacific Railroad In Dskoss
Ard sxteniipr In the southern tiers OF coun-
s,ss In stbis State. The greatest damage
~. not been caused BY the wind alone, out
n manv places fires famed into. fury Dy
shs .,orms have wiped out OF existence
several small villages and hapdrsdss p 1is. sse
pFsce except three was demolished and 100
people are without homes. Lesterville ID
hattened to the ground, aud twenty families
are without roof A terrible gale of
wind struck Mount Vernon and FIRE started
from small house that IVES blown over
early last night. Ne human power could
stop the flames, and in an hour the best
portion OF the place was one great raging
FIRE. Nearly two hundred families are
homeless, and the loss will foot up $500, COO.
Four large elevators and the Milwaukee de-
pot were destroyed. Near Blunt one man
lost five hundred head ofsheep which were
caught In prairie fire. Several head of
horses were saved by swimming river. In
many places the crops were covered by loose
sand and dust and will have to be repisnted.
Travel was suspended on some lines of
road. So great was the force of the wind
that clouds Of dust prevented the engineers
from seeing the track. A report from Gary
Gays the sun was almost totally obscured
and the superstitious thought the end of
the world had come. Farm houses and
barns were swept away and horses and cate
tie were burned 70 death by scarss---~>--
Near Millbauk so head-0f live stocl are
reported lost and the fire swspt over tventv
miles OF country, causing immense losses.
The Storm has abated somewhat but the wind
is yet high enough 10 keep the fires burning
dercely. dispatch from Yantou, Oak,
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, condition of dryness, Sergeant Os-
valid says, never before attained in this re-
gion. The maximum humidity is 100: mean
annual here 70. This shows that the at
mospherc was almost devoid of moisture.
The velocity ofthe wind was foriy-six miles
an hour. The losses in South Dakota will
foot up S2,OO0.OO at low calculation"
st. Paul, Mimi, April A Pioneer
fress lake Benton, Mimi, special says:
"The most devastating prairie FIRE ever
known ragged over the prairies west and
north Of Lake Benton Tuesday. The wind
was hurricane for nearly tweniy-fcur
hours and swept the fire along with resist
less force, passing the widest fire breaks as
nothing and lcaping plowed fields with n
bound. 1t licked up houses: barns, stock
and in some places human lives. The
greatest destruction of property aad loss of
nfe is in Dakota. Rec Heights, town west
on the Northwestern road, is almost de.
stroyed. Dempster Station, on the Water
town. branch, is reported destroyed. Spaul-
dings Rancho, near there, is also reported
consumed. Crossing into Lincoln county,
over tract OF land comparatively little set
tied aud covered with heavy growth of
grass 1t swept on with renewed severity.
AJackson. Minnesota, special says The
prairie fires prove more general than at
hrs: believed. Additional losses are report
ed from oil directions and messengers bring
news of stubborn fights TO save endanperei
property. Fires were raging in every direc-
tion, and each seemed to pursue distinct
course its own. A fire which would have
swept this village from the face of the earth
has been traced to its origin. The search
eliminated in the arrest of James Travpick.
When nrraigned he pleaded guilty and was
sentenced TO pay $25 and costs or in default
thereof 20 days in Jail. Much dissatisfac-
lion is felt ut this sentence. Public opinion
is that justice hss been TOO highly tempered
with mercy.
No prairie fire In the history Of this part
OF Dakota equals that Of Tuesday. In this
county the lesses are much less than in the
counties in the west.