The Progress., 1889-04-13
FIERY FATE.

4 j 8 d r s
More Victims Of the Blazing Prairies-
scenes Of Horror In the Burned District
Terrible Plight Of q Young Girl.
ST PAUL, Minn., April 6.-The list Of
losses by prairie fires in Dakota increases
ana the descriptions Of hair breadth escapes
are very thrilling In Yankton County alone
6he damage is placed at $15O, 600 Near
Rapid City Prof. G. E. Bailey's ranch
was destroyed. When party Of neigh
Dors drove through the binding smoke
sight met their gaze. Standing in q
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 an 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
r1ble 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 a moment only, when
ready hands did every thing that could be
done for her.
Mrs g. p Bailey, in whose employ the
young girl was, and William Ashton, the
hired man, had very narrow escape, and,
as 1t was, suffered painful but not danger
GUS injuries. Mrs. Bailey says when the fire
caught the dwelling house it blazed up like
/ Under and allowed them no alternative but
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 severe struggle
they succeeded in getting to the wirdward
side OF the fire and made their way to a
neighboring ranch.
At George Hunts place the family had
Just seated themselves at the dinner table
when Mrs Hunt saw sparks flying In
through crack in the kitchen
Selling blanket apiece the people
In the house threw them over their
heads and started from the building.
By good fortune all succeeded in reaching a
place OF safety. For twenty feet their path
was through a sheet of flame fifty feet high.
Thousands of dollars worth of property
was destroyed within ten miles Of freeman.
Thirty-tw families lost their homes, only
escaping partly clothed. Machinery, grain
hay and great amount of stock wer
burned. The unfortunate farmers are en-
tirely destitute and without food or shelter.
In Douglas County the fire was one of the
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 70
years old, and was the mother of E. W.
Cline, prosecuting attorney of Douglas
County.
At Ashton the air was so full of dust that
person could not see 100 yards distant.
Several buildings in this town were stripped
or 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 9 on their knees while the flames passed
over them. Mrs. Goodfellow is SO badly
In Brule County casualties are being re-
ported daily. Fully 100 families have lost
everything the loss reaching $150,OOO 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 a
narrow escape
YANKToN, D. T., April g. 6-The stories of
the farmers who suffered by the flames
Tuesday show that it was no ordinary
prairie fire. It licked up every thing com
bustible, and grass and stubble and wood
broke into flame seemingly without CON-
ing in contact with fire. The combustion
was almost spontaneous in the dry and
heated condition of the atmosphere set
in motion by the terrible gale. The condi-
tions seemed similar to those existing at the
time OF the great Chicago fire and the fires
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 it was calam-
itOuA