The Delta independent., 1889-04-09
TERRIBLE TALES FROM DAKOTA
Villages in Ashes, Farmers Rendered
Destitute and Life Destroyed by
the Resistless Tornado Of
Eirn

Fire.
5MITcHELL. Oak, April 5.-Nobody
but q man who has stood before a prairie
fire and tried to stay it's awful rush and
roar when it is fanred by fresh wind, can
appreciate its almost resistless force. The
fires that have brought SO much loss and
suffering to southeastern Dakota in the
last few days were practically irresistible.
The flames in some instances leaped 100
feet Of plowed ground, and rushed away
again on their career of destruction. All
precautions were vain. The spring had
been very dry and the top of the ground
had been dusty or aked, and an extreme
ly high wind prevailed during the fires.
Under these conditions when fire touched
the grass it burst out with flash almost
like powder and shot away across
the prairie like an arrow, its course ever
widening. To extinguish it with
water, Of course, was cut Of the ques-
tion. Flowing fire breaks was slow work
and the high wind often drove the flames
across them.
1t was o'clock in the afternoon when
the people of Mount Vernon saw the wide
out into blaze. The smoke dashed into
and through the town on the wings of the
wind, and the flames rushed after with say
age fury. Mitchell was telegraphed to for
help, and 100 fremen with hooks and lad
ders were sent, and the entire population
Of Mount Vernon and the men from Mitch
ell met the flames on the outskirts of the
town and fought with desperation, but
nearly the entire village burned and 100
families are left homeless. The loss is
$4,000.
Outside Of town 1t is impossible yet to
say what the loss is. Little farm houses
scattered over the prairie are wiped out by
dozens. Stories of losses of life may come
later.
YANKToS, Oak, April 5.-Stories of ter
rible losses by the hurricane of fire that
swept over the country north Of here con
tinue to come in.
Violin, little village, has only three
buildings standing.
Olivit, Hutchinson County, was burned.
Pukwana was wiped out
In Yanktou County about twenty farm.
ers were burned out
In the vicinity of Jonesville, IL miles
north Of Yankton, eight farmers sustained
losses running from 81 900 to s, 600 each.
Around Jonesville the loss will foot up
| to 10000
One man lost 81 coo in money which he
had in his coat on piece of plowed ground
800 feet from the grass, and two wagons
were burned 100 feet from the fire
Giyfx off y,
down between Centreville and Huron.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, April 5.-Duriug
the past two days South Dahota and Mime
sofa have been swept by series of wind
| storms which have caused millions of dol
lars Of damages TO property. Several lives
have been lost
The storm started Monday night and
swept over a large area south of the North
ern Pacific in Dakota, extending into the
southern counties of this State.
The greatest damage has been caused by
the wind alone, but in many places, fires
famed into fury by the storm have wiped
out of existence several small villages and
hundreds of farm houses, rendering hun
dreds Of families homeless.
The towns almost completely destroyed
are Violin, Olivet, Pukwana, Lesterville
and Mount Vernon. Three or four other
villages are badly damaged.
Many head Of cattle, sheep and hogs have
also persisted. In many places crops We're
covered by loose sand and dust and will
have TO be replanted.
Travel was suspended on some Of the
roads, so great was the force of the wind.
The storm has abated somewhat but Tho
wind is yot high enough to keep fires burn
ing fercely, and further heavy losses are
expected.
The damage in Minnesota is much less
than in Dakota, as the force of the storm
was pretty well spent before it reached the
border. The losses in South Dakota are
e, ,0oO, 600 at q low calculation.