The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-26

omaha, Neb., Oct 25.-A special to
the Bee from Hyanris, Neb., says: This
week has been direful one in a. large
portion of the Sand Hills Devastating
fires swept through the western part of
Cherry and Grant counties, burning on
the north side of the B. & M. R. r.
track to within four miles of Hyannis.
- Dashed on by a furious wind, the
fires Travelled at a pace that carried
CONSERVATION as well as destruction
The fire north of the railroad was set
the first of the week by a. man and his
pipe about ten miles northwest Of Ali
ance. The man was drunk, and in fill
ing his pipe threw the burning match
on the ground. where 1T ignited the
grass.
In an instant a fire started, which,
famed by the northwest wind, at orce
set out on its mission of destruction.
Specific reports of damage done on
the ranches of some Of the sufferers are
not in yet. The losses in hay, so ear as
known. are as follows: Bartlett Rich
ard, 1900 tons; NJ. A. Graves, 800 tons;
Pat Moore. loo tons: -- West, 100
tons: H Woodruff, 600 tons; Stanby
Brothers. Loco tons; j. H. Miner, 1000
tons; Mason Brothers, 1,200 tons and
also their barns.
1t is reported that two men were
burned at Mullen. One is dead and the
other lying in critical condition and
will die.
Burned Everything Clear.
About the same time another fire
started on the south side of the track,
burning everything clean from the
track side to the Blue river. AT pres
> emit the fire is largely confined to the
ISOLATED districts of Sheridan, Grant,
Thomas and Cherry counties. Little in
formation is obtainable, as the fire is
swept by a high wino. first in one ii-
rectlon and then in another, but the
loss is known 10 be heavy. The fatali-
ties known are as follows, though
MANY ranchmen were lost.
u. Il. Iocher. ranchman; caught by
flames while trying TO save his home
Bliss, brother-in-law of Locher.
Two unknown men.
In Sheridan county, the fire has burn
ed over q, country forty miles in width
and is still burning. Thousands of tons
of hay have been DESTROYED. leaving
cattlemen destitute. The homes ard
stock of two men were burned and the
cattle range is ruined. 1t will require
thousands Of dollars to repair the great
damage of the fire. Nothing like the
ruin has happened for years. At Thed-
,ENCd, ten miles south, citizens were out
until a late hour last night building fire
guards, and at this time the town is
considered safe unless the fire should
come IN north of the strip burned over
yesterday. The wind is blowing at the
rate of sixty miles an hour, and grave
fears OF destruction are expressed, as
the air is full of smoke and cinders. So
far no Fatalities are reported in that
local5ty.
Losses viii BE Enormous.
Hundreds of thousands of head of
cattle are grazing in Cherry. Thomas.
Grant and other counties where these
tires are raging. These cattle were sent
there from the southern part of the
stare, where the drouth has been felt
SO heav1ly and were taken to the north
ern counties TO Craze for the winter. II
is feared a, large proportion of these
cattle have persisted in the flames. IT
is almost impossible to get any definite
information concerning the fires. as
they are at some distance from the
railroad stations The loss to the farm
eHlS and stock raiserS will be enormous
and, coming as it does on the drollth
the situation will be particularly hard
no bear this winter 1t viii be several
DAYS before any definite details as 10
the loss Of life and property will be
known since those who have fed fs,on
Their homes 10 the water courses TO /
avoid the flames will not leave them
while the fires are being consfa r1+ly- |
6l11ted by the high winds.