The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-04-11
A FIERY FATE.
More Victims Of the Blazing Prairi0s-
scenes Of HOrrUr In tho burned District
Terrible Plight Of Young Girl.


More Victims Of the Blazing Prairios-
Scenes ~ HOrrur In the Burned District
Terrible Plight Of Young Girl
ST. PAUL. Mimi, April G-The list Of
losses by prairie fires In Dakota increases
and the descriptions OF hair-breadth escapes
are very thrilling. In Yankton County alone
the damage Is placed at 9lJO,WO. Near
Rapid City Prof q. T. Bailcy's ranch
was destroyed When party Of neigh
bors drove through the binding smoke
to the rear Of the house an appalling
sight met their gaze. Standing In .
little hollow 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 a quarter of All hour Her clothing,
save the collar of her dress, part Of 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 unaided and conscious OF her ter
rible condition, she greeted the first per-
son who came to her assistance with the
ejaculation:
MY God! Can't you do something for
me!"
Strong men shuddered, and for moment
turned away, but for moment only, when
ready hands did every thing that could be
done for her.
Mrs G. E. Bailey. in whose employ tho
young girl was. and William Ashton. the
hired man, had very narrow escape, and,
as it was, suffered painful but not danger
ous injuries Mrs. Bailey says when the ire
caught the dwelling house it blazed up like
fin6op oil n. ofi bapt
to run for their lives This they did, Mr..
Ashton taking each OF the women by the
arm and starting with them through
the smoke and flames They had gone but
short distance 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 direction, they resumed their ef-
forts to escape. After q severe struggle
they succeeded in getting to the windward
side of the fire and made their way to q
neighboring ranch.
At George Hunts place the family had
just seated themselves at the dinner table
when Mrs Hunt saw sparks flying in
through q crack In the kitchen
Seizing blanket apiece the people
In the house threw them over their
heads and started from the building
By good fortune all succeeded in reaching o
place of safety. For twenty feet their path
was through a sheet of fame fifty feet high.
| Thousands Of dollars worth OF property
was destroyed within ten miles Of Freeman.
Thirty-two families lost their homes, only
escaping partly clothed Machinery. grain,
hay and great amount of stock were
burned. The unfortunate farmers are en-
tirely destitute and without food or shelter,
\ Tnn rkvv$ $h~,E Een - <6A
worst ever known Many farmers lost every
thing and are homeless and destitute. The
house of William Cline was burned, Mrs.
Cline perishing in the flames. She was ~
years old, and was the mother OF +. w.
Cline. prosecuting attorney Of Douglas
County.
At Ashton the air was so full Of dust that
q person could not see 100 yards distant.
Several buildings in this town were stripped
Of their tin roofs, while numerous small
buildings and fences were blown down.
Near Oakwood lake lives Frank Goodfel-
low. He was away from home when the
fire came. Mrs. Goodfellow and her three
children herocially fought the flames for
several hours, and then were forced to get
down on their knees while the flames passed
over them. Mrs GoSdfellow is 80 badly
burned that she will probably die.
In Brule County casualties are being re-
ported daily Fully 100 families have lost
everything, the loss reaching $lJO,O0O. Two
women were burned to death near Cham
berlain. 1t is reported at the latter place
that the fire was started by Indians on the
reservation Crow Creek agency had .
narrow escape.
YANKToN, D. T., April 6-The stories Of
the farmers who suffered by the fiamei
Tuesday show that it was no ordinary
prairie fire. 1t licked up. every thing com.
bustible, and grass and stubble and wood
broke into flame seemingly without com
ing in contact with fire. The combustion
was almost spontaneous I'm the dry ant
heated condition of the atmosphere se
In motion by the terrible gale. The condi
tions seemed similar to those existing at the
time Of the great Chicago fire and the fire.
in the Wisconsin woods, when the atmos
phere was almost ready to ignite and burn
An intense electrical condition also pre-
vailed All things considered, the vista
tion was as remarkable as 1t was calam