Fire And Drought

FIQHTINQ RED RUIN. Joliet, 111., Aug. 6.- The lires around through the country in this locality have done a vast amount of damage. The country is parched up with the long drought and the pastures, stubble-fields and woods brn easily and the flro spreads rapidly. The country in the vicinity of Dresden Heights caught tire Thursday morning from sparks from a locomotive, and the farmers ior miles around turned out to light it. All the people about Channahan and Minooka helped to üght the fire. They let the flolds go and dlrected their efforu to saving homes and farm buildings. Two hundred cords of wood belonglng to T. H. Patterson burned and miles of fences were damaged or destroyed. Near Manhattan the pasture lands were set on fire by the same cause, and hundreds of acres were burned over in meadow_s and stubble. Serious damage was done to the farm of Oeorge Buck, and forty acres of oats belonging to Clark Baker were destroyed. The various creeks and small streama are all dried up, and most of the wells in the elevated section b.ave gone dry. The farm of H. H. Stevens, near New Lennox, known as "Wood Lawn," was burned over and much damage done. Milwaukeb, Wis., Aug. 6.- Advices from Green Bay state that f ores t lires havo been raging along the line of the Green Bax, Winona & 8t Paul road, and have caused considerable damage at various points. The Sherwood forest, a few miles this side of Merrillan Junction, sufíered from extensivo lires, and thousands of dollars' worth of property in that vicinity was destroyed. A brisk breeze fanned the flre and it swept a pathway clean. At Lynn, Barber's saw-mill was burned to the ground, with considerable stock. Kansas City, Ho., Aug. 7.- Keports received from 5,000,000 acres of growingcorn along the lines of the Missouri Pacific, Wabash, Burlington & Qulncy, Atchi6on, Topeka & Santa Fe, Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf, Southern Kansas, Kansas Pacific and Union I'aciflo railroads in Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri show tbat material damage has been done to the crops by drought and hot winds in Kansas and Southwestern Missouri. In Nebraska, Northern and Central Missouri and Arkansas the acreage is as large as any erop in the last Uve years. Chbboyoan, Mich., Aug. 9.- Forest fires are again raging in this section and are destroying much valuable pine and standing timoer in this county and burning fences and barns. Grand Haven, Mich., Aug. 9. - Heavy forest fires have been raging throughout tnis section for the past two weeks, doing considerable damage. The fire department was called out to fight fire in an adjoining forest south of the city, back of Lake Forest Cemetery. About 1,400 acres burned in that vicinity, and the fire encroached upon the cemetery, where it burned the grass off from about thirty lots, badly bleaching tombstones, etc. The flre is now under control south of here, but it is raging flercely to the southeast of the city. Manto, Mich., Aug. 9. - Fire in the woods on the Mamstee river are destroying fences and valuable timber. Rain is badly needed. Cedab Springs, Mich., Aug. 9.- Fires continue to spread, and large parties are out lighting the flames. No rain has lallen since the middle of June. ïhe fires are very bad around Burche's milL Spencer, Wis., Aug. 9.- The people of Romeo are flghting fire, assistod by many eitizens of this place. II the dry weather continúes much damage will be done to standing timber and to farmers. Depere, Wis., Aug. 9.- Fires are raging in the country hereabouts, and news was received yesterday of the burning of several barns and out-building. Nearly 2,000 cords of wood at Lathamsville, twelve miles south of here, belonging to the National Furnace Company of this place, were burned. Michigan City, Ind., Aug. 9.- The extended drought has made every thing inflammable, and frequent fires are the result. A large area of whortleberry marsh east of the town has been on fire for several days, doing much damage. All the farmers in the vicinity are fighting the flames to save their houses, wheat stacks, etc. Palmy3a, Wis., Aug. 9.- The Whitewater marsh was set on fire yesterday by a passing locomotive Twenty acres of hay has already been burned and the flre is stlll spreading. Tuscola, 111., Aug. 9. - A spark from a locomotive on the Indianapolis, Decatur & Springfield railway Sunday set fire to tha fields of H. P. Perkins, living west of this city, and a large area was burned over. A great deal of railroad fencing was destroyed, also. Bt. Cloud, Minn., Aug. 9.- Two meadows northwest ot this city, in Le Sauk township, are on fire and being rapidly destroyed. There is also a fine meadow three miles east of this city that has been burn. ing rapidly and all meadows connected with it will be ruined. Nothing but heavy and continuous rains will put out the fires in these beds of peat. When once burned over these meadows are f orever worthless. Every thing is drying up. Waterloo, Wis., Aug. 9.- Tbe barn, granery and other utbuildings of a farmer named Duessler, in the town of Portland, Dodge County, were burned to the ground yesterday, with all of his grain, a span of horses and twelve hogs. His sec ond son, aged ton years, was lost in the flames while trying to rescue the horses.