The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-27
BIG PRAIRIE FIRE.
Covered an Area of Two Hun
drsd Square Miles.
Was in the Sand Hills Near
Garden City.
HARD WORK STOPS 1T:
Not Much Valuable Property
Was Destroyed.
Damage Was Limited to Crops
and Pastures.
HARD WORK STOPS 1T:

Garden City. Kan, March 27.-
There have been a number of prairie
nres in the territory south of the sand
hills in the past week, but one of the
largest in the immediate territory Of
Garden City occurred Saturday after
noon and Sunday, the area burned over
IN that time amounting to over two
hundred square miles. The damage
done by the fire was confined almost
entirely to the retarding of the grass
IN the pastures and the destruction of
hay and forage. The fire when first
noticed Sunday was burning south OF
the government forest reserve in the
sand hills. The wind swept it north
and east across the sand hill road and
IL was finally stopped on the edge of
the Menke meadow. On the west side
the fre was still burning Monday
morning and it was thought it would
pc stopped when 1t reached the dis
Irlct burned by the fire starting at
Lakin about the middle of last week
The blaze of Sunday started several
miles south of the Stone ranch and
MADE rapid progress toward the north
east The Stone pasture, the Evans
pasture and one or two other large
pastures were burned by the flames
which swept along over the sand hills
destroying nearly all the vegetation in
its path. fire guard had been plow-
ed around the trees which were plant
ed last season ia the government forest
reserve but this failed to stop the fire
which went through the young trees at
a rapid rate. Many of the pines were
destroyed by the flames but Ii is
thought that the broad leaf trees will
suffer less damage.
There are few houses in this terri
tory and the damage was limited to
the crops and pastures. Fortunately
no cattle had been turned on the range
as yet and so far as has been learned
stock suffered -afF
of the flames.
1t was thought that the fire would
be checked at the sand hills road.
which is quite wide, and with the ex-
ception of one or two places this sur
mise was correct.
Smouldering chips were carried
across, however, and from 3 O'Clock on
until IL Sunday night, the main part
OF the fire was on the east side of the
road. A company Of fire fighters went
out in the afternoon to check the
flames and after long fight succeed
ed in putting out the fire at the edge
of the Menke meadow. The fire
fighters used plow and made fire
guards as close to the line of fire as
shovels and brooms and wet sacks
fought the back fire. For stretch OF
eight miles they worked and at IL
o'clock they were rewarded by seeing
the flames extinguished.
On the east side of the road four
large stacks of hay were destroyed for
Milton Marshall and four large stacks
for S. A. Bullard. 1t has been esti-
mated that probably over three hun
dred square miles of range were burn
ed by this fire. 1t is thought that the
fire was started by a burning chip
blown from the fire in Kearny county
of last week.
The members of the party whose
effective work checked the flames
were: Raymond Stotts. Joe Holmes
Ross Holmes, John Hill, Jack Ed
minston. John Rice, Mr. West Ellis
Titus Allen Rowe. Charles Crow.
Homer Marshall Mr.. Pierce, Ora
Deck, s. A. Bullard. Mr.. Guthrie Gil
Horace Evans, one Of Mar
shalls men. one of Burnside's men and
1 homesteader living south of Mar
.halFs place whose name was not
earned.