Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-11-29
APrnIrIe on FIrc.


When Jehovah anciently cursed Egypt for
enslaying Israel, he sent the storm of heaven,
with thunder and lightning. And Moses tells
us that the sire ran'along on the ground."-
That no doubt was most imposing display of
the "ire works" of the skies. Butnot more so
than the scene investing this little county town
tonight. SDuring the afternoon, the gloomy and
lrowning heavens were rendered more murky
still by the long lines of ascending smoke that
was dssipated by the winds and blended with
the clouds, arising from the "prairie on. fire. ~"
As the shadows of night came on, these lines of
smoke were gradually transformed into molten
columns of rolling fire, lighting the heavens
with ten thousand fantastic tinges, and reflected
back by the clouds, making a very scene of en-
chantment, indeed. And now, at O'Clock, these
lines of fire. rolling in glorious spendor roaring
like distant thunder, are loyouslY sweeping the
prairies like the legions of a conquerlng army.
On the right, on the left, in front and rear they
come-cone as if the day of foretold doom had
dawned. Now a portion of one invading column
is lost behind some interposing elevation, while
another portion, as if driven by ten thousand
Furies, carries all beforeit Then the last Sec
ton, ascending into view, rolls onward in glory
in its work of harmless destruction.
Invested thus in a sea iof fire, senseiof awful
subimity steals over the senses and fears are
started for the safety of our little town.. In the
! glare ofsthe eccentric masses of moving fire. the
snow white wooden structures looked asiif fear
had taken hold upon. them, while Others some-
what obscured, by some principle in the laws of
refraction, have elevated themselves to-a great
height as if to look upon the imposing magniti-
cence of the scene around them. But look in
one moment one long column is extiuguished, as
though the earth had opened its mouth and
Swallowed the living sheets of kissing flame,
leaving only dark and gloomy track behind it.
Another column comes rushing on, menacing
destruction to all before it. Suddenly, however,
its fury course is ended, and in despair it dies.
In another quarter all is wrapt in wild and all
devouring fame, and from its midst is heard a
most unearthly scream, as if all the shTieks of
the lost in Pandemonium were blended in one
| last fearfulcry, when out rushes the laundering
carriage, with bowels of fire. dashing on to his
place of destination, carrying in his train many
an astonished one who has for the first time
seen "prairie on fire."
In the dim distance, in an other quarter, the
expiring flames announce that they have met
in their wild career beaten highway, which
they cannot pass, while in awful grandeur from
the South. the flames sweep on, making the
i heavens almost as light MS when the king of
I,day opens up the portals of the morning. It
is grand scene, worthy to live on canvass, or
/ in flowing numbers ofpoesy. tits my province
Il to feel the awful beauty with which the scene
is invested, not to portray it. That were a task
to whictsI am wholly unequal. Ye flower gar
dens of the Almighty! your peaceful bosoms
too are swept by trosts and tiresl In this ye
are the companions of man! His hopes are
withcred by the frosts of disappointment, and
the fires of earthly strife sweep away his alnbi-
ton, but perhaps improve his moral nature by
admonishing him that allis vanity. So eprai-
ries The weeds and decayed vestments of
summer are all consumed and swept away by
these storms of flame that sweep so piteously
over your bosom, but when dreary autumn and
shivering winter are over, your. renewed yesture
and glorious array of flowers will return again.
So when the frosts and storms which destroy
and sweep over man shall have passed, renovat-
ed and purified, his shall be glorious destiny.
ID. L. p.