The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-04-12
Dlsastrou, rrairIs Fires,

almost entirely consumed by fire. All the
business part of the town is burned. Every
business house, and nearly all the residences
are destroyed. The Chicago Milwaukee &
st. Paul depot, together with about fifteen
or twenty freight cars and four large eleva-
tors are gone. The loss will benearly $780,.
600, with but very little insurance, and q
hundred families are left homeless and utter.
destitute. 1t wns cnused by a prairie fire,
which came In from tho northwest. One hun
dred citizens from Mitchell went up to help
hight the fire, but raging wind prevailed,
and theit efforts availed but little. A special
train, carrying provisions, wus dispatched
from Mitchell.
Violin, IL station on the Northwestern road
ten miles enst of Yankton. was also burned.
Ile buildings burned werc the station
agents residence, depot, two houses l,elong-
ing to Louis Violin and largo Touring mill.
thousand tons Ofhay WIS destroyed, and
al! tile barns in the place. The fire invaded
large cattle corral, and forty or fifty cat
tie were badly burned the rest breaking
fully $4,000. The destruction was caused
BY prairiefire, which was burning ut lust
accounts.
prairie fire started one mile northeast of
Rapid City at noon, and was driven in
southeasterly course by guile OF sixty miles
an hour Three houses were burned. The
first was unoceupied and owned by c. II.
Kingman ofChicago; loss. $4,000. The scc-
ond was occupied hy Mrs. q. L. Bailey, a
girl companion aged seventeen years, named
Eioise Madison, and hired man named
Ashton. The three lett the house and ran
through the flames, Mrs. Bailey and Ashton
escaping with some severe burns. Miss Mad
ison fell, and the fire catching her clothing
burned it completely from her body. She
was taken to IL neighl,or's, and lies MT the
point of death. The house and household
goods are total loss. George Hunts
house, barns and furniture were burned; loss,
IL 800; insurance, $4,000. The family es-
eagsd. Rsa r,.,,,,,. ,,. s,,,, .,,. 49,
mile from Andover was burned, together
with most of its contents Tho inmates
we're at dinner when IL prairie fire was dis
covered near the house, and oil rushed tor
he door barely in time to snve their lives
Mrs. A. l.. Raynes, who WIS visiting there,
did not have time to get her wraps and her
two little children and self were compelled
to face The fierce gale about u mile, with hut
little covering.
A prairie fire has rngcd nll dny north of
Brookings, II. Fishhack's farm dwelling, oc-
cupied by Mrs Stephens, with NIL it's contents,
was consumed. Messrs. Hobbs and Conrow
lost all their fnrm buildings and contents
A terrible gale has l,een blowing from the
northwest and nothing could be done to
Quell the flames.
A terrific wind storm has prevailed
throughout wide area in tho vicinity Of
Sioux Falls. Rumors come that tho entire
population of Beaver Creek, Mimi. thirty
miles east. are fighting the fire; also TINT
extensive fires prevail in various parts of
Southwestern Minnesota. Grave fears OF o
widespread calamity are felt.
MORE PRAIRIE FIRES
Ieoia, the county seat of McPhcrs0n
county, thirty-fve miles northwest of Abei-
deem, Dakota, WIS destroyed by n prairie
fire. The fire came fran the west and was
not noticed until it struck tho town. Sixty
dwellings and business houses were burned.
Loss, $15O,OO0. The only buildings re-
naming are the court house, two stores and
six dwellings, G. W. Old and Thomas War.
dell were terribly burned, and couricrs from
the demolished village sny they cannot Iiv"
Parties who drove across tho country to
WcstpoIt, the nearest railroad station. say
that the surrounding country is ncarly de
vastated. Hundreds Oi farm houses are In
ashes md carcusscs OF burned stock are
lying along the road.
The most devasting prairie fireever known
ragged over the prairies west and north OF
Lake Benton. The wind was n hurricane
for nearly twrnty-four hours, and swept the
fire along with II resistless force, passing thn
widest fire brenks us nothing; and, lenpng
plowctl fields with II wild hound, it licked up
houses, barns, stock and in different places
human lives.
Huron Specnl:-No prairie fire in tho his
tory Of this part of Dakota equals that of
April 3rd. III this county tho losses are
much less than in counties west. Half IL
dozen houses burned aud mnny settlers lost
t.,.,
hny and grain. The wind was from fifty to
sixty miles an hour, and sent the burning
embrrs over the plowed ground and fire
breaks several rods wide. rttng fire to every.
thing in their course. The fire came up so
rapidly that settlers had only time to save
themselves, leaving their property TO the
mercy OF the flames. In sully and Hughes
destroyed. Near Highmore Miss Sweeney
was burned, and near st. l.nwrcnrc Mr.. Bah.
cock perished in the flames. Reports from
Millbnnk. Fermil.om, Parker, Millcrnnd 9TH
cr places in Dnkota. md from Marshall,
Jackson, Faribault and l.orhcster. in Mime
sofa give many details oflosscs by prairie
fire.
The destruction by prairie fires proves to
been much greater than was supposed, aud
accounts are not all in yet In Ynnkton
county not less than fifty farmers were burn
cd out losing buildings, stocks farm implc-
nlents, and some stock. A conservative cs-
innate makes loss in the county not less
than S1O0.OOO. The town OF Olivet. in
hutchinson county, was partially ,lest roycd.
the pOstoffice. two stores, II printing Office
md residence burning The strength of
the gale was much greater ont on the
prairies than in fankton, md the prevail
ing drouth made everything highly ininm-
mablc. so that n spark was quickly klndle'l
into a blaze and n fire, which moved on Al.
the rate OF mile n minute before the furious
wind. No loss of life is reported.