The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-03-27
PRAIRIE FIRE.
Terrible Experience of the
Yokum Family of Gregory
County.

Bonesteel, Marcn 26.-The most des
tructive prairie fire known in the lat,
history of Gregory county occurred OF
the newly opened Rosebud reservation
west of Bonesteel Thursday The fire
started about two miles east of tn,
abandoned townsite of Dallas, near th,
west boundary of the county -s.and
swept by twenty mile an hour gale
destroyed everything in its path II
the neighborhood of 1000 tons cf bay
| were destroyed and number of cattle
and horses, as well as numerous farm
houses, barns and farming implements
About O'Clock in the afternoon the
| fire swept directly down upon the
town of Herrick, twelve miles west oi
here, but fortunately the wind changed
to the northwest which fact alone saw
ed the town from desti uction. The
fire was then driven by the fierce north.
west wind down through the Ponca
valley, which is dotted here and there
with recently erected farm buildings,
nearly all of which were destroyed,
particularly barns and out buildings,
and in some cases dwelling houses were
consumed and the inmates had very
narrow escapes from death.
The only fatality SO far reported oc-
CURED about seven miles southwest OF
Bonesteel at the home of c. b. Yokum
renter who had moved in only three
days previous Mr. Yokum lost a
daughter IA years of age in the fire and
his wife is so badly burnt that little
hope is held out by the attending ply
ssicians of her recovery Your cores
pondent accompanied by A. E Kull OF
Bonesteel visited the Yokum home and
the conditions here were ptiable in the
extreme. The dwelling is a small claim
shanty about 15x15 in size made OF
pine lumber in its roughness. In the
northeast corner lying upon small
bed was the dead and charred body of
Daisy Yokum, aged Id. burned almost
beyond recognition. In the southeast
corner Upon another bed with ner body
horribly burned lay the mother, while
in the northwest corner sitting in q
chair with his reason almost gone sat
the father, his ears nearly burned from
his head
The family consisted of the father,
mother and five children. the Oldest
Daisy, aged ID. who met death in the
flames.
Mr.. Yokum was just returning from
farm he had rented last season, with
a load of hogs when the fire swept
down upon them. He Immediately
hiched his team to breaking plow in
order to piow few burrows around the
house so that he might back fire, The
children We're all in the house while
the mother was assisting the husband
with the plowing The fire swept
down upon them with such force that
it was impossible for them to avoid it,
and two older children coming to the
door at that instant become frightened
and ran out directly in the path OF the
flames. The mother almost crazed ran
after the Ii year old girl, but the smoke
become so dense that it was impossible
for her to overtake the child and she
returned to the house to see how the
other children were faring She then
thought of $2,0l7 which they had been
saving for years and which was in the
house and fearing it's destruction she
put the money, all in bills, into her
pocket and again went out to see what
had become of the little boy and girl
and was caught in the fire and he1
clothing entirely burned from her cody,
the fire also consuming the entire saw
ings of number of years. The father
succeeded in over taking the little boy
and took him to plowea field nearby
and laying him on the ground he Gov
cred the child body with his own,
thus saving him from serious injury,
while he himself was f1ightfully burn
ed. The yard around the Yokum home
for distance of hundred feet OF
more was dotted here and there with
the dead carcasses of chickens, and
among the few that were not DESTROYED
by the fire were a number having one
or both feet burned Off, and also num-
ber were entirely devoid of sight. Mr..
Yokum lost his barn, nay, harness,
one horse and two horses badly burned,
and f2,017 in cash.