The herald., 1897-10-08
DROUGHT
AND FIRE
Afflict the Farmers of the
Middle West
CROPS WITHER IN THE FIELD
CATTLE ARE DYING FOR LACK
OF WATER
The Remnant of Feed Left Is Licked
UP By Prairie Fires-Towns
in Danger
CATTLE ARE DYING FOR LACK
OF WATER
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
MASCOUTAH, Ills. Oct. I'm the
experience of the oldest settler in st
Clair and adjoining counties, the present
drought is without a parallel For two
months there has been practically no
rainfall in this section and the tempera-
ture has ranged above 80 degrees in the
shade almost daily during all that time.
The damage done by the drought in
Southern Illinois cannot be accurately
estimated but it has been great. Ths
heaviest loss to the farmers is on the
corn crop, which has been cut down 5G
to 60 per cent by the dry weather. 1t has
also done great damage to all late vege-
tation and to the fruit crop generally.
Hundreds of wells, cisterns and creeks
have entirely failed and wafer famine
is threatened over a large area Of the
country.
Many farmers residing east of Mas
coutah are hauling water distance of
six miles. The water in the Kaskaskia
river has reached the lowest stage in
years.
In addition to the severe loss on crops
of various kinds, the farmers will have
to provide an unusually large quantity
of feed for their stock, owing to the
parched condition of all the pastures.
The stock feeding season begins fully
two months earlier than usual as a re-
suit Of the continued drought.
MARSH FIRES
VALPARAISO, Ind, Oct THE
Kankakee marsh fires are rapidly spread
ing in this county although the farmers
have given up all other work and are
fighting it all the time. Several more
houses We're destroyed last night.
The big marsh fire near Tassinong
caught fire again last night and the
flames swept over acres of land, de-
stroying everything in their path.
| The residents Of Hebron, Koutz and
Kinman are badly frightened, as 1t is
feared the fire may sweep across the
heavy bitches which have been dug near
these places.
NEARLY A WHOLE COUNTY.
DECATUR, Ind, Oct. 7.-Forest fires
are raging over the entire northwestern
part Of this county. Entire fields OF
shocked corn have been swept away BY
| the flames.
|
LA GRANGE, Ind, Oct. 7.-The
drought is without precendence in
Northern Indiana but has been par
TALLY broken by light rain. The fire
in the Tamarack swamp has increased.
but the farmers are now so we'll organ
lied that they anticipate no great dam
age unless the winds suddenly change
| Great fires are burning in the marshes
rear Rochester, Ind.
DRYEST FOR YEARS.
| KENOSHA, Wis, Oct. 7.-Old settlers
| of Kenosha say this has been the dryest
season for years in this part of the coun-
| try. Vegetation has been parched and
crops blasted. Wells and springs have
dried up and as result of scarcity of
water stock has suffered greatly Prai-
rie fires in Somers and Bristol, caused
by sparks from passing engines, de-
stroyed considerable property belorging
to the farmers. All kinds of means have
been adopted to stay the advance of the
flames. In some cases where the fire
was apparently extinguished it contin-
ues to burn beneath the surface.
IN MICHIGAN
NILES. Mich. Oct. East and north
of here the terrible marsh fires still con-
tinue. The farmers have fought the
flames night and day for a week and
are utterly exhausted. They have
moved their household goods to places
of safety and have sacrificed their
| homes.
| Game which inhabited the marshes
has been driven to the city Near Ber-
rein Springs, on what is known as the
ba fire. boc
prairie fire and hundreds of acres of
| potatoes have been roasted in the hills.
| The fire is the worst that has occurred
in this vicinity since 1871.
IN TENNESSEE
| CHATTANOOGA. Tenn, Oct. THE
drought in this section is unprecedented
Late crops have been lite rally burned up
Ordinarily large streams Of water have
gone dry and complaints are numer-
Gus and mournful from all points in
the territory adjacent to Chattanooga
Since August 23d, the rainfall has
amounted to oriy seven hundre dths of
an inch. The Tennessee river at this
point, ordinarily at a good boating stage
at this season, shows depth Of orIy five
tenths of foot.
IN ARKANSAS
LITTLE ROCK, Oct. drought and
forest fires are playing considerable hav-
oc in Arkansas, and the situation is grow
ing worse every day. Thousands of dol
lars worth of valuable timber and other
property, fences, sawmills and cabins
have been destroyed by fire, and stock
in nearly all sections is suffering from a
scarcity of water while in many places
not enough is obtainabe for drinking
purposes. No general rain has fallen for
sixty days.
SOUTH DAKOTA
DEADWOOD,S.D., Oct. AT Ragged
Top a. destructive forest fire is raging
and the town of Preston is in imminent
danger. Tonight the fire was within
forty rods of the .postoffice of Preston.
IN MANITOBA.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Oct. THE