Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-08
Prairie Fires Raging in Nebraska
and South Dakota.
HEt0ISK OF A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER.
Confession Of One Of the Morgan
fed Murderers.
OTHER TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
FLAME-swErr PRAIRrEs.
Fire Causes Great Dsmag. On Nebraska ana
South Dakota.

South Dakota.
OMAHA, Neb.. April s.-A gale swept over
Nebraska yesterday which bore before IL great
bil.ows Of fame. sweeping from thousands az
fertile acres every vestige of vegetation.
The limits Of the fire. which has ragged during
the last ten DAYS, have become almost state
wide. and the destruction that Was thought
might be small has become enormous. IL
is too soon TO get any idea Of how
much the exact damage is. for the places
most affected are remote from telegraph Inca
IL Is known, though. that much grain aud hay
In store. together with many barns and other
outbuildings, miles ~ fsnces. duzens of dxell-
ings and many bridges have been licked up.
whether any hives have been lost is not 70
ported, though 1t seems almost beyond doubt
that some settlers who are located away from
easy assistance must have perl-hed.
asHNoRE. MFR. DESTROYED.
In Banner county the village Of Ashmore 10
supposed to have been completely DESTROYED
Word was brought to Harrisburg last night by
the driver Of the stage that that town was sii-
recily IN the path of the fire at 4 O'Clock
and that the entire population of the village
was engaged in bai,lr.to save their homes
The stage driver reported haVlug seen several
dwelling houses in flames aid the settlers fiee-
ing for their lives. lie crossed the line of the
fire and received n severe scorchirg. although hs
Is not seriously burned
Meager details received last night from
OcallS. Harrisburg, Duniug, Iuverton, Kear-
ney. Grand Island. Lexington and Hastings
gave accounts of great losses to property. A
Burlington railroad bridge at nuning and an
other at Hastings on the Elkhorn we're de-
stroyed, delaying trans some what.
At hearnev the fire burned rear enough 20
the town TO DESTROY n brewery located jass at
the edge. At DuEILg an old lady named Bart
lett whs burned 50 badly she may die.
The GRAZING REGION BURNED OVER.
The gale subsidized by ni-htfall but the fires
have scarcely abated. and in the threatened
sections the inhabitants have spent long hours
in combating the fire. The region burned
over Is the chief grazing section Of the state
and the destruction OF the grass means n great
loss TO stockuaen in this respect rs Jhev will lie
compelled TO seek Eew pastures. Their feed IN
store being DESTROYED and their stock stAmpeded
by the fire 1t will take them many weeks TO
figure up what their loss really is.
DESTRUCTION IL SOUTH DAKOTA
A Yankton, :. j. special saws Reports of
destruction from prairie fires continue to bs
received here. Sparks from a Chicago, Mil
waukee and 81. Paul locomotive set FIRE 60 the
grass few miles north Of lauktou Yesterday
The fire swept through two of the finest farms
in the country. other losses sustained hv
prairie fires during the past few days aggregate
A Hot Springs, ;. n. special saws: Sparks
from locomotive on the Burlington and Mis-
souri, set fire to grass near Minnekhata station,
twelve miles west Of here, and the
wind. which had been blowing hur-
ricane all day. swiftly carried
the fire to timber. The fire has burned over
an expanse OF country msnv miles IN width,
and is now burning OF the timber Immediately
south Of here.
The damage will prove the greatest done by
q fire in this part OF the Black Hills. ~ many
settlers have been burned out besides DESTROY
ing timber covering an area now twelve miles
long and probably half AS wide.
Sioux Falls, :. D.. special says: This city
yesterday afternoon narrowly escaped "A most
disastrous fire. While gale of wind was blow
ing from the west the prarie west of the town
caught fire and the blaze swept rapidly
toward the outskirts. burning several small
buildings and a considerable amount of grain
Ii rushed through large grove with flames
thirty feet high and was only ten minutes dis
tance from a street containing a number Of
handsome houses occupied bv the wealthiest
people IN the town. The flames were subdued
after burning one of those houses and scorch-
ing others.