The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-07
CHICAGO IS A WARM PLACE
UNUSUALLY HOT OCTOBER Wealth
FIR, AND ADJACENT PRAIRIE
FIRES MAXIM EN- SWEAT
HOTTEST IN .TWENIY-SEVEN YEARS
For OctOber-The Drought Has Dried
Up Pastures and Prairie Fires
Are Threatening the Suburbs.
Damage to Farmers.

Chicago. Oct. 5.-Extrcmely hot wealth
vailing in this section. During the past
twenty-four hours the thermometer in
this city went up to S6 degrees and the
signal service say this is the highest
point that has been registered for the
month of October in twcnty-Sevcn years.
Dense smoke aggravated the conditions.
On account of the drought of the last two
months, everything is rs dry Us finder
and forest and prairie fires are numer-
Gus. Lake Michigan has been made al
most unnavigable on account of the smoke
and fog Captains on incoming vessels
have reported most alarming state Of
affairs Many had not slept for forty
eight hours on account of the Watchfll!-
ness that was necessary. Boats knock
ing their way through the straits of
Mackinaw were particularly hampered.
Landmarks were utterly oblitcrated and
lights rendered indistinct at II distance
of the length of the steamer. The smoke
was attributed to excessive forest fires
Hunting parties, careless in their camp
ing, are thought to have started the
broad contlagratiOns.
are surrounded by prairie fires and dense
smoke overhangs large portion of the
city south of Seventy-tifth street
Hundreds of acres of prairie have bcea
burned over and thousands of feet of
sidewalks and fences have been con-
snmcd. Fircmen in this division Of the
city are completely exhausted. fighting
fires by day and night. Most of the
fires are started by sparks from locOmo-
FrpnIIantlV ~ sci hny
who set the grass on fire for the excite
mcnt.
a dispatch from Bremen. Ind. says
the most disastrous prairie fire known i'm
the history of Marshall county is now
raging. Hundreds Of acres of land in
the northern portion of the county. com
prising what is known us the Big
Marsha" is one vast smoldering waste
At times when famed by breeze the
heat bursts into Il blaze and darting
across clover meadows, cornfelds and
pastures, sets fire to and lays waste
everything in its path, only stopping
when headed off by plowed fields or
hideaways. The drought of the last sixty
days has made the pastures brown. com
pelling stock to seek the low lands for
grazing. where the fire is smo,dering I'M
derneath. Many instances are reported
where cattle, in passing over the treach-
erous ground, have broken through into
the burning area and persisted. Farmers
are kept busy day and night fighting the
flames and preventing destruction of their
homes, but the lack of water makes the
battle almost hopeless. Just west of
WalkertOn, more than 1000 acres have
been swept of every vestige of vegetation.
Many thousands of tons of hay have
been consumed. The large barn of Jo-
seph Kirkley was in the path of the
flames and together with IFS contents
composed of hay, grain and farm ma
chinery. was burned With fire on every
side, great anxiety is being felt for the
safety of towns without fire protection
Nothing short of drenching rain can
possibly check the progress of the flames.