The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-06
WAGON WHEAT, 91C
ACME MILLING CO.,
Old 352 West Washington st.
GRASS AND TREES AFIRE
NAVIGATION ON THE LAKES HAZ-
ARDOUS ON ACCOUNT OF SMOKE.
Prairies Burning on the Outskirts of
Chicago, and Marshes in Indi-
ana and Ohio Ablaze.

CHICAGO, Oct 5.-Extremely hot wealth
er for the month of October is now pre-
vailing in this section During the past
twenty-four hours the thermometer in this
city went up to S6 degrees and, according
to the signal service records this is the
highest point that has been registered for
the month of October in twenty-seven
years. Dense smoke aggravated the condi-
tons On account of the drought the last
two months everything is as dry as tinder
and forest and prairie fires are numer-
Gus. Lake Michigan has been made almost
unnavigable on account of the smoke and
fog. Captains on incoming vessels have re-
ported most alarming state Of affairs.
Many had not slept for forty-eight hours
on account of the watchfulness that was
necessary. Boats knocking their way
through the Straits of Mackinaw were par
ticularly hampered Landmarks were utter
ly obliterated and lights rendered indstinct
at distance the length of the steamer.
The smoke was attributed to excessive for
est fires. Hunting parties careless i'll their
camping are thought to have started the
fires.
Firemen in all the outlying suburbs of
the city were kept busy to-day fighting
paririe fires. The most serious was one
noon near the Grand Trunk tracks at For
ty-third street and Ashland avenue. Near
the starting point were several stacks of
hay and these were soon ablaze. The high
wind famed the blaze ana it spread rapidly
in Southerly direction. One hundred pu-
pills of the Elsdon school, Archer avenue
and RidgeWay street, were dismissed as
precaution as the flames advanced. me
children carried water in pals and with
brooms assisted the firemen. The Ire
burned until evening, when 1t was eXtln-
guished one mile south of the starting
point. No buildings were damaged, but
several hundred feet of sidewalk ana
number of fences were destroyed. Other
sections of the city in which more or less
damage was done by prairie fires are: Sew
enty-ninth street and the Belt line tracks,
Clarkdale; Hoyne avenue, between seventy
fourth and Seventy-fifth streets; Ninety
third and Indiana streets; West torty-nith
street. between Madison ana Monroe M%ine- %
tv-third street and Saginaw avenue west
Forty-sixth and Congress streets. me
fires in each instance are supposed TO nave
been caused by sparks from passing en-
gines, and in many places sidewalks ana
fences were entirely destroyed.
In northern Indiana the marshes are
ablaze. Vast stretches OF swamp Iahp l Io1
ing forcing the wild fowl Whlch d plseud
there to seek new quarters. a CORE
snondent at Bremen, Ind. says that nun
dreds Of acres of land in the northern por-
tion of Marshall county, comprising What
is locally known as the big MARSH, IS
one vast smolderinS waste. Al tlnhes' Wueh
famed by a breeze, the heat bursts into a
blaze and darting across clover fields corn
fields or meadows lays waste everything N
its path only stopping when headed on
nv plowed fields or highways. The drought
Of the last sixty DAYS has made the pas
lures brown, compelling stock to seek the
smoldering underneath Many instances are
reported where cattle, in passing over the
treacherous ground, have broken through
into the burning peat and perished. Farm
ers eirso are kept busy day and night lighting
the flames and preventing destruction OF
their homes. but the lack of water makes
The battle almost hopeless. Just west or
Walkerton more than one thousand acres
have been swept of every Nesuge or Negeta55
miles of fences have been consumed. The
large barn Of Joseph Kirkley, was IN the
contents composed of hay, grain and farm
machinery. was burned With fire on every
side. great anxiety is being felt for the
"a afetv of towns without fire protection
Nothing short of drenching rain can pos
sibly check the progress of the flames.