Wind And Flame

MIIXIONB SWEPT AWAT. Minxkapolik. Minn., April 4.- During the last two days South Dakota and Minnesota have been swept by a series of wind-storms which have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars' damage to property, and several Uves have been lost. The storm startod Monday night and swept ever a large area south of the Northern Pacific road in Dakota and extendlng into the southern tiers of counties in this State. The greatest damage has not been caused by the wind alone, but in many places lires, fanned into fury by the storms, have wiped out of existence sevoral small villages and hundreds of farmers' houses. The towns almost complete!; destroyed are Yolin, Lesterville and Hount Vernon, and three or four other villages were badly dumaged. At Volin every house in the place exeept three Is demolished, and 100 people are without homes. Lesterville was flattened to the ground and twenty families are without a roof. A terrible gale of wind struck Mount Vernon and flre started froni a small house that was blown over early Tuesday night No human power could stop the íianies, and in a hour the business portion of the place was one great raging flre. Nearly 200 families are homeless and the loss will foot up ÍÜUO.OOO. It is reported that several persons lost their lives in this flre, but no confirmation has yet been received. Four large elevators and the Milwaukee depot were destroyed. Near lilunt oue man lost 500 head of Bheep which were caught in a prairie ftre. Several head of horses were saved by gwimming the river. In many places the crops were covered by the loose sand and dust and will have to be replanted. Travel was suspended on some lines of road, so great was the force of the ■wind. The clouds of dust prevented engineers from seeing the track. A report from Garry says the sun was almost totally obscured and the superstitious thought the end of the world had come. Farmhouses and barns were swept away, and horses and cattle were burned to death by scores. Near Millbank flfty head of live stock ure reported lost, and the fire has swept over twenty miles of the country, causing immense loss. The storm has ubated somewhat, but the wind is yet high enough to keep the tires burning flercely, and further heavy losses are almost certain. The damage in Minnesota is much less han in Dakota, as the force of the storm was pretty well spent before it reached the boundary. Leola, April 4. - This little villaje is but a mass of smoking ruins. The prairie fire which originatad near here Tuesday after. noon was swept iuto town by a wind blowing sixty-iive miles an hour, and nothing could staud before it. Every business place is burned, includinjr two Ij-niks, two newspaper otilces, two churches and four hotela AU residences were also reduced to ashes except half a dozen north of a small stream, aeross whicli the fire did uot leap. C. W. Old and Torn Wardell, living near Leola, are fatally burned. AU the country northwest and southeast is completely burned over, and Boarcety a faun building remains. 'I'hn loss wiü foot up about $00,000. The Jos is practically total There was alinost no insurauce either in Leola or the country rnundabout. Leola is the county seat of AfcPherson County. Jackron, Miun., April 4. - A terrino prairie flre swept throuijh Jackson County ïuesda.v nigut. The loss WÜi excoed $10,000. Lucas Haing lost hLs house, barn and hay; Lewls N. Larson nis baru and machinery; Michael Mickleson his barn, hay anda number of cattle ; Frank Bailey, barn, iiay and three hoad of cattle; William Kpiceard hls barn, hay and cight head of cattle. A great many losses havo not been reported. Wednesday James Traveuiek wan arrested for setting prairie tires. Ho pleadid guilty and was tined 9 and cost-i. Mabshall., Minn., April 4.- The ppreat wind-storm Tuesday nifht was aocompanied by flre vhicli consumed ten buildiiiijs in the county. Wealey Keith lost two farm-houses. rain and stock, Henry Farnliam hts houfe and George Fostor bis household ireoda, erraiu and machinery. ïha losses in this cour.tj' wil! aggregate $."j0,000. CHAMEEr.i.AiN, D. T., April 5.- Prairie tires have been raging fcarl'ully in this county for tho last two days. Ho f ar two lives are reported lost and fully 100 familiea have been ' deprived ot' absolutely every thinjr Tlie losa will reaoh fully flK.OOO. Scotlaxu, D. T. , April V - lt would take t'200,000 to cover the loss in this county. The Hutchinsou Herald otiico was burnoi Tho losses amouutto $05,000, with lessthan $0,00C Insurance. David Ischettar and Howard White, farmers uear Ulivet, were coinpletely burned out Another fire east oï Scotlanu destroyed every thing on tho farms of A. O. FanRky, Gus Evenson and M. Shook. On the stock farm of E, 8. Sweet three barna were burned. Lohk, ?:.(hki. Tvvulve milea west of Scotland a praaie üre raged. Twenty-flve farmers aro known to have lost every thinir. St. Paui., Minn., April (. -The list of losses by prairie lires iu Daknta increases and the descriptions of bair-breadth eRcapes are very thrillintr. In Yaukton County alono the damacro 1s placed at $1"0,000. Near Rapid City Prof. d. E. Bailey's ranch was destroyed and Elolse iladison was (atally burned, Thousands of dollars' worth of was destroyed wfthin ten miles of Freeiuan. Thirty-two families lost their homes, only BMaplng partly clothed. la Doufflas ('ouuty many farmers lost every thing and are homelesü and destitute. The house of William Clino was burned, Mrs. CUne, afred 71, perishinjf in the flamea At Ashton and Woonsocket houses were leveled by tho wind. In Frank Connty numerous farmers lost their all, and at Oakwood Mrs. Goodfellow was burnod to death. In Brule Countv fully 100 families lost every thing, the loss roachiuif 3ir0,iHX. Two women were burned to death near Cham. berlain. Yankton, I). T., April 6.- The stories o) the farmers who sufferod by the tiame show that it was no ordinary prairie lire. It lloked up every thing consumable, and grassand stubble and wood Ijroke iutoHam eemingly without coming in contact witfc üre. The combustión was ahnot spontaneous in the dry and heatud condition of the atmosphere set in motion by the terrible galo. 8t. Paul, Minn., April !'. - Dispatohei trom South Dikota report that the usua' spring rainH have at last set in and will sooi eztinguish the prairie nres that are running all over tho country. The ieoplo are rejoicing.