The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-04
 FIVE DIE IN PRAIRIE FIRE Entire Town of LaWtOn Endangered. CITIZENS FIGHT:MANFULLY As Result, Only $lO,Oo0 Dam age is Sustained. Many Thousands of Acres Swept by Flames and the Total Financial Loss Is Placed at
 $2oo,ooo. f T t7 FI
CITIZENS FIGHT.MANFULLY

Lawton, ok.,s Mach 3.-Five persons were burned to death and 5000 square miles of territory in Kiowa ana Conanche Counties were swept by prairie fires yesterday, according to reports re- ceived here today. Hundreds of people are homeless and It is impossible to esti- mate accurately the financial loss owing to the wide extent of the country at- fected.
 ; At Hobert, the county. seat of Kiowa, ths fire approached from the east. des- troying the stables on fifteen ranches, fourteen residences. two business houses and various small buildings. Spreading to the southwest, the ire swept 6.ooe acres of government military and tim Der reserves. and the Indian school re- serves. destroying several Indian houses and forty head of government cattle.
 Spreading westward, the flames covered s miles of the homestead district. destroy ing houses, barns and stock. It was In this district that five persons are reported to have perished in attempting to pro- tect their property. The names of three E have been learned. They are Dock and John Harmon, brothers. and a man named Fisher, The other two were wo- men. and their names have not yet been learned.
 
 Late at night the fire began moving soutward toward this city. At mid night 5000 people of the city were up to battle with the approaching monster of destruction The advance lines of the fire was fully two miles in length, and came in a semi-circular form. A thou sand men turned their efforts to checking tf flames In the grass borders of the relgervaticn at the city. limits. Water from every source carried in every con sceivabia way was distributed along this line and carried all around the city limits.
 This served the purpose of checking the advance lines og thp fire. but was oi little avail In hinderIns the continual rolling of the fire brands into the streets of the city. Tn more than Q hundred places flames arose from dwellings, barns and outhouses, but wherever a blaze grew men were present to quench 1t with water. As result of the cool Judgment of the fighters. the city's loss was only $1O,0Oe
 Stories are coming in tonight of how families lay out on the prairie through. out the freezing nigbt after the storm had passed with only thin clothes on theii backs as reminders of the once prosper ous homes. Hundreds are destitute and are suffering intensely from the cold and with excruciating pans occasionet by their burns. Clothes. medicine and physicians are being sent out from all cities and towns of the district to re lieve the suffering.
 Soldiers Battle With Blaze.
 Cavalry from Fort Sill and officers from this city are searching for missing men women and children. The names of six persons dangerously burned have been learned and reports persistentiy continue from various districts to the effect that a large number of persons were injured In lighting the flames.
 I. C. Strickland, the sexton of the Lawler Cemetery, and his wife and two children were seriously burned. The mother and one little daughter may die. J. Denny, a farmer, seriously injured; R. F. Prosper, living three miles out of IAwton lost all his property, herd of ! cattle and was burned seriously but with his entire family m night clothing es- eaped to plowed ground and remained In the cold night air until dawn. A report has been received at Fort Sill that an entire Apache Indian village was swept clean. The report has not been verified
 The soldiers at Fort Sill were ordered out to fight the flames and rendered great 1 assistance
 At Anadarko many buildings were burned. No lives are reported lost but there were numerous escapes. Women and children scantily clad fled to plowed ground while the men remained in an ep- deaYor to save property.