The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-04-14
FIRE SWEPT HHRD.
Disastrous Prairie Fires Lay Waste
to rIany Homes.
Buildings, Grain and Live Stock Observation-Disclosures
Fight for Life and Home Against Big Odds.

the residents of n prairie country,
wind and fire, has once more laid
waste to a considerable portion OF
Hand county, and gloom and dis
enlargement hangs over homes of a
number of our citizens. The wind,
which blows where it listeth on this
treeless and waterless plain; takes
up the spark carelessly dropped by
the thoughtless or overconident,
and quicker than fash, almost, the
little flame is roaring torrent OF
fire, sweeping oyer the prairie with
the speed OF the deer and the buffalo
that once shifted the smoke and flew
60 safety. But the modern inhabi-
tants have no such escape; they
must face the fire, fight for their
homes and even their lives with q
desperation born of natures first
law-too often only to see their loved
homes and the result OF years of pa
tient toll go up in smoke.
Thursday April It'll came very
close to being a repetition of April
End, 1889, when southwestern Hand
county, including Rec Heights, was
swept by a disastrous fire. On last
Thursday the wind reached one of
those terrific gales for which the
open prairie county is occasionally
noted, the dust flying in clouds.
Everything was dry as finder, hay
and straw stacks were plentifuld
about barns and graneries, and the
tumble weeds formed professions as
they rolled ahead of the wind until
they lodged against some obstruc-
ton.
IN I'll is condition the dread of in
habitants il the awful prairie fire
that leaves desolation in its track
And Thursday was not amiss.
THE ST. LAWRENCE FIRE.
A fire got started in Jerauld coun-
ty, to the southeast, originating
from smoldering stack. The ter
rife wind carried it north striking
Hand county in Spring Lake town
ship, going like race horse through
Spring Lake, Hiland, Pearl. st. Law
renee and York townships. Theloss-
ca SO far as could be learned were:
Spring Lake-A. Stout, barn and
100 tons OF hay; Arch Burns, hay.
Hiland-Luther Perry, barn; Clark
Anderson, barn: Mr.. Travis, house,
barn, feed and hay; Mr.. Choate,
barns; school house was also
burned near Cho ate's.
Pearl-Mr. Inlay, barn and house;
Gus Smith, house, barn. grain and
hay, in fact about everything; j.
Nelson, barn and hay, was some
what burned himself, but not serious
ly; Mrs. Johnson, barn, hay and
feed; Doren house on Sutphen place;
Holland house and Wood house.
Hulbert-The fire also spread east
along the edge of Rose Hill and HUI
bert townships, burning b. Long
necker's barn and one horse in HUI
bert Also burned hay and pasture
for j. w. Mallory. and Others.
st. Lawrence-M. y. Strickling,
barns, grain, hogs, chickens, ETC.,
about $500 loss; j. III. Baldwin,
barn, grain, etc.; b. III. Douglass,
wagons, clothing, seed grain; John
Ice, house, barns, seed grain, feed,
hay and some cattle; T. Brundidge,
house and barn.
York.. G. McCool, barn, feed, and
$50 head Of sheep that were in the
barn, owned by Mr.. McCool and j. II.
Van Loon; John Kelley, barn, grain,
hay, and everything but house.
AT one time this fire threatened the
town Of st. Lawrence. but was fortu-
NO talv ho,, dol DH hx, II u sonv:il.,