Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1895-09-19
SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS.
Farmers Wednesday Have a
TuSsle With the Fire
Flend.
Over 100 Tons of Hay Lost
for Morris Crops and
Others.
n. B. Aliens Crop in the Hills
Almost MiraCulously
Saved.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
A big prairie fire yesterday during the
high wind burned off big area of
country about Is miles west of the J. &
N. track In this county. Considerable
hay was destroyed by the flames and
several narrow escapes from loss to grain
stacks and wheat shocks.
Sheriff EDDY and Auditor Vennum
drove out to the scene and aided in fight
ing fire at several critical points. The hay
put up by Eddy and Singler was we'll
guarded by fire break, else about $50
tons OF it would have gone up in smoke
IN short order. A narrow strip of plow-
ing only saved the Phillips wheat by
hard fighting and the stubble around
several stacks Of II. B. Allen was burned
clear up to narrow fire guard and the
stacks saved.
Fire jumped the road several times and
destroyed large amount Of pasturage.
The wind created by the fire was very
strong, and carried the flames as fast as
a horse could trot in many places.
Another fire started yesterday after
noon IN stublbe from srnouldering straw
left by Esterbrook's machine near the
old Wade tree claim south of Bloom. It
ran over large space of country through
fields that hau fortunately been threshed,
and jumped the river in several places.
Fletcber's crew worked hard and helped
extlnguish the fire and save unprotected
gram on the Baldwin place that was ID
great danger. A section crew boarded q
hand car and helped put out fire. Grain
on Steve Corwin's farm was just saved,
as there were no fire guards, 1t is said.
The wind was strong and the stubble
burned rapidly. 1t was lucky that 60
unthreshed grain was IN the direct path
of the fire as 1t spread SO fast that moth
ing could have stopped it.
The fire burned about five tons of hay
for Geo. BALDWIN. Will Fletcher's crew
worked like beavers and saved the Sears
barn which was in danger at the time.
The head wind blew the fire so fast that
1t was Impossible to stop it ID many
places. The railroad fire break helped,
and the threshers used the water tank
and made spray out OF the nozzle of
the hose. 1t was thought by some that
fire would not run on stubble, but yes
terday's wind proved to the contrary.
Side fires were easy to extinguish, but
neither the road nor plowed guards would
have stopped the fire yesterday after it
had got started. Green grass IN low
places was burned up almost as quickly
as straw
There was considerable excitement at
Steele yesterday and for time it looked
as though the loss would be considerable.
One building was burned; also about 200
trees belonging to the Northern Pacific
railroad. Hills are we'll burned off.
Superintendent Wilson says, in regard
TO prairie fires, that the necessity and
wisdom Of proper fire break precautions
can not be over estimated, IN view of
the losses which have occurred this fall
and which occur every fall. 1t will not
take long to properly protect grain and
farm buildings and with the present
extreme dry weather 1t is self evident
that without extreme carefulness fires
will be numerous and severe. Thresh-
ing engines, locomotives, campers and
hunting parties, in addition to careless
ness in the handling of matches and
lanterns menace the farmers and ranch
men. Grass is SO green that it will not
burn except on windy days when it is
dangerous to start a fire. Very little
adequate protection has been noticed
a few furrovs only are of no consequence
in stopping fires during high winds.
The destruction of the ranges IN the
hills. together with large quantities of
hay will prove serious losses to the stock
Of the county.
1t is reported that other losses OF hay
in the fire west of the jamestown 4
Norther we're Hsney & ODonnell, Geo.
Nash, L. w. Smith and Fred Anderson.
Building Granaries.