Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-05
DAKOTA AND xINNEsoTA STORM
Millions of Dollars worth or Pro-
perty Destroyed.

DA u ~ = n y - " " Est$O n ~ Sse'as
Millions of Dollars worth OF Pro-
perty Destroyed.
IBy telegraph to tho Dispatch.l
MINNEAP0IIs, April 4.-Duriug the last
two DAYS south Dakota and Minnesota have
been swept by 3 series OF wind-stoTms Whlch
have caused hundreds OF thousands OF dol
lars damage 10 property, aud several lives
have been lost. The storm started Monday
night and swept over large area south OF
the Northern Pacific railroad IN Dakota ana
extending into the southern tiers OF the
counties In tlis State. The greatest damage
has been caused by the wind alone, but
in mauy places ires, famed into fury
bv The storms. have wiped out OF exist
euce several smau villages and hundreds
OF farmers houses. The towns almost COM
peicy destroyed are NiohO, OliFet, Puka'
vans. Lestrryllle. and MI. vernon, ana
three or four other villages were badly
damaged. AZ Violin every house IN the
place exccDt three were demolished and 100
people are without homes. Lesie-yile Is
ilsuencd 10 the ground and twenty families
are without roof. The terrible gale OF wind
struck Mt. Vernon and the fire started from
n small house thgt was blown over early last
NIGHT No human power could stop the
flames, aud In an hour the best portion oil
the place was one great raging lire. Near
" 900 families are homeless, and the loss
will foot up 100000.
Il s reported that several persons lost
! their lives in this fire. but no confirmation
| has vet been received. Four large eleYatOrs
and the Milwaukee depot were DESTROYED.
| Near Blunt one man lost 500 bead OF sheep,
which were caught in the prairie tire seVe-
raj head Of horses were saved by swimming
| the river. In many places the crops were
covered by loose sand aud dust and VIII
have TO be replanted. Travel was suspended
on some lines OF road, so great was the torce
of the wind. Clouds Of dust prevented the
engineers from seeing the track. A report
| from Gary SAYS the sun was almost totally
obscured, and the supersttious thought the
end OF the world had come. Farm-houSes
and barns were swept away and horses and
cattle were burned to death by scores. Near
| Milbark fifty head OF live stock are reported
lost. and the fire has swept over twenty miles
OF country. causing an immense loss The
| storm has absted somewhat, but the Wind IS
vet high enough TO Keep the fire burning
! ficrcely, and further heavy losses are almost
certain. The damage in Minnesota Is much
| less than In DaGota, as the force Of the storm
was pretty well spent before 1t reached the
| boundary.
A dispatch from Yankton. OAK, says:
| The records Of the signal Oalce show that
during the prevalence Of fires in tins region
the humidity was but per cent. This con-
| dition or dryuess, Sergeant Oswald says,
| WAS never before attained in this region.
| The maximum humidity is 100; the Eean an
! nual humidity here ~ 10. This shows that
! the atmosphere was almost devoid OF moist
ure. The velocity Of the wind was forty
six miles per hour. The losses In Sonth
Dakota will foot up 100000 at a low CAL
culaiiOn.
TIE HURRICANE AND FIRE.
ST. PAIL, April "A Pioneer. Press Lake
! Benton Mimi SPECIAL saws: The most de-
yastating prairie fire ever known ragged over
the prairies west aud north OF Lake Benton
| Tuesday. The wind was a hurricane for
nearly twenty-iOur hours and swept the fire
s0ng with rcsisiless force, passlng the widest
ire breaks as nothing. Leaping ploughed
fields. with d bound IL hcked up houses.
barns. stocks. aud in some places human
lives. The greatest destruction OF property
and loss OF life is in Dakota.
Rec Heights, town west on the North
western road, is almost destroyed. Demp-
stet. n station on the Walertown branch. is
/ ltDOFtEu utrlIN1kNs NlhhlAAh- 1AehNh " ~t
there il also reported consumed. Crossing
into Lincoln county over tract OF land
| comparatIyely little settled and covered with
a heavy growth OF grass, It la. swept on with
renewed velocity. It is reported that Henry
| Kourth. Mr.. Berg, G.. 81. Moon, and others
near here lost nearly all their buildings with
tier contents.
A Jackson (Minn.) special says the prairie
| fires DfOye more general than at first be-
| heyed. Additional losses are reported from
! all directions and messengers bring news OF
stubborn fights to save endangered property.
/ The dses we're raging Ia every direction,
4 and each seemed 10 pursue dslinet
course OF ITS own. The fire which would
have swept this village from the face Of the
earth ba, been traced TO u origin. a search
eliminated I'm the arrest OF james Traynick.
| when arraigned he plead guilty, and was
sentenced 10 pay S25 and costs, or In default
thereof sixty days in jail. Much dssatisiae-
ton is expressed about this sentence. Public
opinion Is that Justice has been too highly
tempered with mercy.
A Miller (Dak.) correspondent OK The Pio-
neer Press telegraphs: The prairie 1res
! Tuesday destroyed about forty houses and
many barns, a large number OF horses and
cattle, and left about forty families destitute
I
/ Gale of wind added to the lerrors Of the situ-
alton. The loss is estimsted at $4,000. The
county commissioners are in session, and
! will see that no one suffers for the necessa-
| ries OF life.
From Huron, Dak., comes the following :
[ No prarIe fire in the history OF this part OF
| Dakota equals that OF Tuesday. In this
county the losses are much less than 10 the
counties west. Hall dozen houses were
burned and many settlers lost their barns.
some stock, and large quantity OF hay and
grain.
The wind was from fifty to sixty miles an
hour aud sent burning embers over the
| poughed ground and tire-breaks several
rods wide, setting fire TO everything in their
course. Toe fire came up so rapidly that
the settlers had only time to save themselves,
leaving their property TO the mercy OF tue
flames. In Sully aud Hughes counties $780,
900 worth OF property has been destroyed.
Near Highmore MISS Sweeny was burned TO
death, aud near ~. Lawrence Mr. Babcock
perished ia the flames.
THE WINDS CONDUCT.
BLUNT, OAK, April 4.-Stories OF the fire
continue to be brought into town by strsg-
glers. They say that the wind would gather
up loose tinder and. hurting II high In the air,
carry It ahead OF the surface fire, alightiDe
on barns aud houses and ignIting the prairie
iifty yards in advance Of the surface IRE,
Houses and barUs were burned where the
Gre was carried over 100 wards across new
broken ground. The losses are estimated al
S20O, 900 in this vicinity.
HOUSES AND PEOPLE BURNED.
HIGHMoRE, DAK., April A destruc
tive and calamitous prairie-nfes started or
the evening OF the lst five miles from High
more on the farm OF James Ingram. While
he was smoking his pipe bls barn caugh
fre and was destroyed. The fierce VINO
carried tho fire 20 the prairie, and the worl
OF destruction began. Houses. barns. ans
some stock were burned. Tuesday mofnins
tue wind reached terrific gale. No ordinary
fire-break made any resistance to the sweepin.
wall OF flames. AZ 3 p. N. the IRE Tesehes