Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-05
FROM ALL QUARTERS. THE BIG PRAIRIE FIRE. Tremendous Losses Sus-
 tained In The Northwest. BOULANGER'S FLIGHT. Stanley Reported To Be
 Marching To Zanzibar. TIE NIPsIC IS FL0ATED. Mir. Booth May Be Able To
 Fill His Engagements.
TIE kIPsIc IS FL0ATED.
,..r,.. VILLAGES DESTROYED.

ENTIRE VILLAGES DEST0x ED. xa..e. .r south Dakota by Prairie refres VIII Foot up s2,O0O,0 COG Several Lives Lost-Destttutton 1n the Burned Section.
 YAskToN. Dak., April 4.-The disasters wrought by prairie fires in this vicinity Tues day night prove to be greater than thought possible. Seven buildings were destroyed in Yankton. The village of Oivet, Hutchinson county, was almost totally destroyed. The village of Violin was entirely destroyed ex- cept three buildings. At Wakonda three buildings were burned, serious loss was sus- tained at Scott and Mitchell, and the town of Puckwana was nearly entirely destroyed. The damage is reported at $100, ,000, and 100 families are homeless. One man lost $1 ,OOO in money which he had in his coat on piece of ploughed ground. Sixty miles of Western Union wire was blown down be- tween Oentreville and Huron. The loss in South Dakota will foot up $2,0OO, 900 at low calculation.
 MITCHELL, Dak., April 4.-The town of Mount Vernon, twelve miles west of here, was almost entirely destroyed by the fire of Tuesday. The loss will be $200,000. It is estimated that there were 12, 900 bushels of wheat in the burned elevators, all of which is total loss.
 JACKSON, Minn., April "A terrific prai- rie fire swept through Jackson county Tues day night. The loss will exceed $10,0o0. VERMIIIoN, Dak., April 4.-Word reached town yesterday of destructive prairie fires northwest of here. Gillette's sawmill and 800 cords of wood were entirely destroyed. Several other buildings were burned and sev- eral narrow escapes are reported.
 H1onMoRE, Dak., April IA destructive and calamitous prairie fire started on the evening of the 1st five miles from here on AL oe ha vUa smoking his pipe his barn caught fire and was destroyed. A fierce wind carried the fire to the prairie and the work of destruc- ton began. Houses, barns, and some stock were burned. Tuesday the wind reached 6 terrific gale. No ordinary fire break made any resistance to the sweeping wall of flame. At evening 1t reached Rhee Heights, fifteen miles east, where thirteen residences in the town were destroyed. At sundown Tuesday another fire started in the northern part of | this county, sweeping away six homes burn \ ing to death Miss Annie Sweeney and five year old baby and dangerously burning Eu- gene Tibbits. Returns of losses are not in \ full. but will reach many thousand dollars. MITCHELL, Dak, April 4.-The fires that | have brought such loss and suffering to the ! territory in the last few days were practical ! Iy irrisistible. Flames in some instances \ leaped one hundred feet of plowed ground \ and rushed away again on their career of de- ! struction. All ordinary precautions we1e | in vain. To extinguish the fire by water was | out of the question. Flowing frebreaks was | slow work, and the high wind drove the fire \ across them. The smoke was dashed into ! and through the town on the wings of the wind. The flames rushed after with savage fury. Mitchell was telegraphed to \ for help, and one hundred fremen with hook \ and ladder were sent at once. The entire population of Mt. Vernon and the men from Mitchell met the furious flames on the out skirts of the town and fought with despera- | ton, but in vain. No lives were lost, but \ forty-fve buildings were burned and one hundred families left homeless. The loss is \ put at $30, ,O0O. Outside of the town 1t is ! impossible yet to say what the loss is. Lone- \ ly little farmhouses, scattered on the prairie, are wiped out by dozens. Stories of losses of life may come later. As near as can be estimated the losses in South Dakota will reach $2,O00;000.
 \ YANKroN, Dak, April 5.-Stories of the
 losses by the hurricanes of fire that swept over
 Che country north of here have ben brought in I Violin village has only three buildings stand. ! ing; Olivet, Hutchinson county, was burned :; Putwanna was wiped out. In the vicinity of | Jamesville, 12 miles north of Yankton, eight farmers sustained losses running from $1 ,000 | to $3 0000 each. Around Jsmesville the loss \ will foot up $10, 900. One man lost $1 ,000 | in money which he had in his coat on piece ! of plowed ground. Two new wagons were | burned 100 feet from the fire. Sixty miles
 of Western Union wires were blown down between Centreville and Huron.
 BLUNT, Dak., April 4.-The stories of the fire continue to be brought into town by
 strsgglers. They say that the wind would gather up the loose cinder and hurling it high in the air carry it ahead of the surface fre causing it to ignite the prairie in ad- vance of the surface fire. Houses and barns ! were burned where the fire was carried over
 one hundred yards across newly broken ground. The losses are estimated at $200, 900 \ in this vicinity.