Telegram-herald., 1891-09-24
SURROUNDED By FIRE
FORMING 4 yERIIlDLE SEA OF FLAME
Heavy Losses Already Sustained and the
Holocaust Continues 10 Esgs-M@ny
CITY aud Tow ns ia Great Danger
OF Destruetios.


IN the vicinity of Villas. $. D.. town
OF SEQ inhabitants about 40 miles south
OF Huron. on the Chicago & North
western railway. Great damage was
done To crops and farm property, and
the town itself barely escaped
destruction The FIRE was driven
rapidly by the wind which blew *
miles an hour The grass ard
stubble is very dry, and the intens.
heat OF the last seven days has fairly
parched the earth. SO that fire breaks
were little protection. There is
great fear at Huron for
the safety of Villas and towns
in that vicinity. After the
ire had passed the town the
wind changed and drove it back. when
il destroyed everything in its coarse. A
telegram says the entire populace are
fighting the fire and it is hoped the
worst is over. No estimate OF the
damage can be given. The town of
Bradley. on the Milwaukee line, is
also reported badly scorched, but this
is not confirmed.
Reports from the Dalotas show that
prairie fires are still raging in Steele
and Stutsman counties, and that new
one has started with great fury near
BartletG, in Ramsey county, and has
already destroyed great quantity OF
stacked wheat. In Traverse and Big
Stone counties. Mimi, the fires are
still in progress, though efforts to sto5
them were partially successful. Spe-
cials from Duluth say fires have broken
ont in the Vermillion country and the
air is sitting with the hot smoke.
Reports from down the Omaha road
state that the damage viii be the heav-
lest ever known unless the fame. are
checked soon. Over hundred acres
: are said to be mass Of flames about
miles from Cable. Telegraph wires are
down to a considerable extent. 1t is
feared the devastation VIII sbe even
more serious than that of last spring.
Forest fires are raging all around
HinclSley, Mimi, which would certain
" have been swept out of existence
but for the heroic and untiring efforts
OF the fire company which has been on
duty continually for the last thirty -six
hours. The dense smoke and heat
drove many citizens from their homes
on the outskirts.
Reports from Fort Yates, n. d., and
other points along the Sioux reserva-
ton say everything north of Grand
River is burned. The Indians made no
preparations in the way of fire breaks,
and the flames once started swept
everything before them. Farmers west
OF the Missouri are building miles Of
fire guards. The Northern Pacific has
interested itself and plowcd fire guards
on both sides of its track from the Mis-
souri, river to the Montana line, and
through Montana as far as Glendive.
Farmers through North Dakota have
suspended thrashing operations and all
are busy forming fire breaks to protect
their property. They protect the grain
or buildings by blowing two strips of
ground some rods apart, and then
burn the grass between the two
plowed strips. In some instances farm
ers have been careless and in trying
to protect their own property have
started fires which have done great
damage to others. Most of the fires so
far started have been from this cause.
The farmers have attempted to burn
around their premises, but have mis-
judged their ability to keep the flames
| in control. As q result the fires have
| escaped from them and swept with re-
| sistless fury over the prairies-
The Great Northern and other roads
are also taking every precaution to
prevent the spreading OF fires. Fur
\ ,,1nt~-oI ofnnrr ha hNr,la,., Of
| the right of way, and between these
| burrows and the track the grass is all
burned. This serves the double pur-
pose of protecting the bridges and cul-
verts of the road and preventing
the lighting of fires by sparks from
| the engines. Those who have wit
messed these vast prairie confagrations
! describe them as furious caldrons
sweeping over the country, which can
| not be stopped unless well-prcpared
| fire breaks are previously made, and
which destroy every unprotected in
fiammable object in their cours. The
| Northern Pacific is taking extraordina-
| ry precautions TO prevent the spread of
| fire by placing at every available spot
for 900 miles along its line barrels of
water for the u-e of section men and
| farmers.
PINE CRY, Mimi, Sept %. Terrific
fires are now raging in northwestern
| Minnesota, over $1,000 worth OF
timber land having been destroyed.
The loss to farmers will be high.
Several homes and farm buildings
have been burned and the owners
obliged TO leave the devasted district.
Two school houses were destroyed
Tuesday. the pupils barely escaping
with their lives. The teachers brayely
lei their little bands to places of safety
MILWAUKEE. Sept. 23.-Forest fires
are raging TO an alarming extent In the
heavily wooded districts in the north
ern and central portions of Wisconsin.
| Reports from the northern part of the
state are 10 the effect that many new
forest fircs have started. and that in
| places where there are as yet no fires
the sun has dried everything so thor
oughly that q spark would set the
woods on fire.
At Ashland the weather for the
last few days has been intensely hot
and dry. Early Monday evening
il was noticed that forest fires had
got under way again and seemed to
sweep along almost with the velocity
Of prairie fires Several homeste aders
toward the reservation lost their shan
ties and barely escaped with their