The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-11-08
TORNADO OF FLAME.
WHOLE COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA
SWEPT BY FIRE.
Homes, Stock and Crops of Ranchmen
Ruined-Burnlng in Many Directions
Homeless Persons Seek Safety Along
Water Courses.
May BE Many Deaths.

The prairie fires which have pc.
vailed in Grant. Cherry. Sheridan and
Thomas Counties, Nebraska, since
Tuesday have assumed vast proper
tions. They started in Sheridan COun-
ty and have thus far burned over a
section of country forty miles in width.
The damage to hay, ranch property
n cattle is enormous, but nothing
like an accurate estimate is yet posi-
Bile. Many lives a:e supposed to have
been lost, and thousands of tons Of
hay have been burned, leaving the
cattlemen destitute. Homes and stock
were also burned, and the cattle ang
are ruined. The list of known victims
at present is:
bliss -, ranchman.
IA2HER, f. L., ranchman.
W names unknown.
RANCHMAN. at Mullen.
The two first-named were attempt
ing to ave their property by back
burning, but the high wind drove the
flames on them and cut off all escape
before they were aware of their dan
ger. Lacher lived long enough to tell
his story to ranchmen who came to his
rescue after the flames had passed.
Thousands of Cattle Perish.
Iluu0I Ouo vi UllUUSulluo w uSUu VI
cattle are grazing in Cherry, Thomas,
the fires are raging. These cattle
we're sent the. Q from the southern part
OF the State. where the drought las
been felt 20 heavily, to Craze for the
winter. 1t is feared a large propor-
ton Of these cattle have persisted.
Several ranch houses are reported to
have been destroyed, and there is
probability of a large loss of human
life.
The fires began several days ago and
the line OF the railroad for several
counties is Obscured by the dense
smoke. Farmers and stock growers
from Custer and parts of neighboring
counties, where crop failure was com
plete of both grain and hay. moved
into Cherry, Thomas, Grant and Hook
er Counties this fall and took hay
lands. mostly on lease. They cut hay
enough to carry their stock through
the part of the winter when it could
not range, and moved their cattle and
horses up to Cherry and the ether
sand hill" counties, where the fires
are now raging.
Nothing like the present disaster
has hapr ened for years. AS there are
numerous streams in the AFT icted Sec
ton it is presumed many of the ranch
men have succeeded in taking their
families to these water courses and
thus avoided danger. The flames are
not driven high, since the grass is not
tall, consequently anyone reaching a
stream can escape death unless over
come By the dense smoke.
Thursday night was a direful one in
a large portion Of the sand hills. De-
vastating fires swept through the
western part of Cherry and Grant
Counties all dav. burning on the north
side of the Burlington Railroad track
to within about four miles of Hyannis.
Lashed on by a furious wind, the fires
travelled at a pace that carried con
s~ternation and destruction. The fire
on the railroad was started the fir t OF
the week by a nan and his pipe about
ten miles northwest of Alliance. The
man was drunk, and in filling and
lighting his pipe threw the burning
match to the ground, where it
ignited the grass. In an instant a fire
started, which, famed by the north
west wind, at once set out on its mis-
sion If destruction.