The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-05
DAKOTA'S STORM OF FIRE.
FEARFUL FURY OF THE FLAMES
AS THEY SWEPT THE PRARIES.

as Yet as to the Total Number of
Lives Lost
MINNEAPOLIS, April 4.-During the last
two days South Dakota and Minnesota have
been swept by a series Of wind storms which
have caused hundreds of thousands of dol
lars damage to property and the loss of sew
eral lives. The storm sta ted Monday night
and swept over large area south of the
Northern Pacific railroad in Dakota and
extended into the southern tiers of counties
in this state The grea test damage has not
been caused by the wind alone, but in many
places fires, famed into fury by the storms,
have wiped out of existence several small
villages and hundreds of farmers houses.
BURNED TOWNS.
The towns almost completely destroyed
are Violin, Olivia, Pukawana, Lesterville
and Mount Vernon. Three or four other
villages were badly damaged.
At Violin, every house in the place, ex-
cept three, was demolished, and 100 people
are without homes
LeStervile is fiattened to the ground, and
twenty families are without roofs.
A terrible gale of wird struck Mount
Vernon, and the fire started from a small
house that was blown over early last night
ana in ar hour the best portion of
the place was one raging fire. Nearly 200
families are homeless and the loss will foot
up $500, 900. II is reported that several
persons lost their lives in this fire, but no
confirmation has yet been received. Four
large elevators and the Milwaukee depot
were destroyed.
SHEEP BURNED TO DEATH.
Near Blunt one man lost 500 head of
sheep, which were caught in a praire fire,
and several head of horses were saved by
swimming river
~ In many places crops were covered by
loose sand and dust, and will bavesto be re-
planted. Travel was suspended on some
lines of road, SO great was the force of the
wind. Clouds of dust prevented the en-
ginears from seeing the track.
A report from Gary says the sun was
almost totally obscured, and the supersti-
tious 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 Milbank fifty head of live stock are
reported lost, and the fire has swept over
twenty miles of country causing immense
loss
THE WIND STILL HIGH.
The storm has abated somewhat but the
wind is vet high enough to keep the fire
burning ssrcely. Further heavy losses are
almost certain
The damage in Minnesota is much less than
in Dakota, as the force of the storm was
pretty well spent before it reached the
boundary.
A dispatch from Yankton, OAK,
says: THE records Of the signal office show
that during the prevalence of the fires in
this region, the humidity was but Z per
cent. condition of dryness, Sergeant
Oswald SAYS, never before attained in this
section. The maximum humidity is 100,
and the mean annual humidity here TO-
This shows that the atmosphere was almost
devoid of moisture The velocity Of the
wind was forty-six miles an hour. The
losses in South Dakota will foot up s., 600,
600 at a low calculation.
SWEEPING BY LAKE BENTON.
ST. PAUL, April 4-The Pioneer Press
Lake Benton, (Minn.,) special says: "rhe
most devastating prairie fire ever known
ragged over the prairies west and north of
Lake Benton Tuesday. The wind was "A
hurricane for nearly "A hours and swept the
fire along with resIstless force, passing the
widest fire-breaks as nothing, and leaping
plowed fields which bound it. licked up
houses, barns, stocks, and in some places
human lives. The greatest destruction of
property and loss Of life is in Dakota. Rec
flights. a town west of here on the North
west road, is almost destroyed.
"Dempster, "A station on tine Waterloo
branch, is reported destroyed. Spaulding's
ranch, near there, is also reported con
sumed.
Crossing into Lincoln county. over
track Of land comparatively little settled and
covered with heavy growth Of grass, the fire
swept on with renewed velocity. 1t il re-
ported that Henry Kourth, Mr.. Berg, G.
l.. Moon and others near here lost nearly all
their buildings, with their contents"
MORE GENERAL THAN FIRST BELIEVED.
A jackson Mimi special says: "The
prairie fires prove more general than at
first believed Additional losses are reported
from all directions, and messengers bring
news of stubborn fights to save endangered
property. Fires we're raging in every
direction, and each seemed TO pursue a
distinct course of its own. The fire
which would have swept this village
from the face Of the earth
has been traced to its origin. The search
eliminated in the arrest of James Trav-
nick. When arraigned he pleaded guilty,
and was sentenced TO pay S25 and costs, or
in default thereof, serve sixty days in jail
Much dissatisfaction is EXPRESSED about this
sentence. Public opinion is that justice
has been too highly tempered witt mercy"
FORTY HOUSES GONE.
The Miller, Dak.,) correspondent Of the
Pioneer Press telegraphS prairie fires
Tuesday night destroyed about forty houses,
many barns, large number Of horses and
cattle, and left about forty families desi-
tute in the southern part Of this county. A
terrible gale of wind added to the terrors
of the situation. The loss rs estimated at
$4,000. The county commissioners are in
session and will see that no one suffers for
the necessaries Of life"
BEATS THE RECORD
From Huron, Oak, comes the following:
Ono prairie fire in the history Of this part
OF Dakota equals that Of Tuesday. In this
county the losses are much less than in
counties west Of here. Half dozsn houses
burned ard many settlers lost their barns,
some stock and "A large quantity Of hay and
grain. The wind was from fifty 10 sixty
miles an hour, and sent burning embers
over plowed ground and fre-breaks several
rods wide, setting fire TO everything in their
course. The fire came up so rapidly
that the settlers had only time to save en-
selves, leaving their property to the mercy
OF the flames In Sully and Hughes coun-
ties 100000 worth Of property has been
destroyed. Near Highmore, Miss Sweeney
was burned 10 death, and near st. Law
renee, Mr.. Babcock perished in the flames"
TISDER ABLAzE IN THE AIR.
BLUNT. OAK, April 4,--Stories Of the fire
continue 10 be brought into town by strag-
glers. They say that the wind would
gather up loose tinder, and, hurling r. high
ia the air, carry IL ahead Of tho surface
Ara aIfphtfuty uu harms and houuae aud