The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-10-29


The recent calamity at Fort Ransom. Da>
eotah Territory, Is phase Of life that's only
Renaissance now 10 Hawkeye readers.
- Native 10 this manor born" fShskesnears
never wrote that, but what he did write
wouldn't sait u.s., we remember when lines
OF bright leaping flames, fed by grass and
shrubs, and stretching for miles across tha
prairies, lit up Iowa nights and formed q
grand illumination, free to all bebolders b,,
sometimes terribly expensive to property and
Tue products OF mems industry. The pansr.
contain letter from an officer a, Fort Ran.
som, Dacotah Territory, giving details Of Tho
terrible prairie fire which swept by and
nearly destroyed that fort few weeks ,ro
The post being in hollow between Hill. i !.
fire was upon them before they were .,ra.o
OF It's approach. The officer SAYS.
he hire rolled down on u. with ,a..;e
raplui'y, and was accompanied by imms,,aa
y, SMOKE That threatened sutfocat,on
ny aging element reached Us. Blna.
W f anu s'ihe"' anytN'ng like resistance waS
almost impossible, and our t.sh.. t.',.4 was
would have been futile. Tor ih.. wi,d oa,a'ss
The hre TO leap hity yards In 50 M. rice .a'eu
by th's time the whole ta,an Will =.
neeh destroyed. but sudden chance =, 10 ~
"lhd drove the fire past the Il All - u. .ne
camp "ltnln i've Yards of the te,ife ;nn,l
'"e proved ground around The hay sta,.ls 80"
Vogring over 6o0 tons of hay (oi,r = ne
ter supply struck the corner NJ ,ha m
se't,ng hre 70 few ot'ter buildings a. ~,
coraed wood, dashed up the side IF ~ L 'no
anu was on on the prairie, des,rny;n, -
hai'>oreed camp, burning men. woman ah; 5ao
ssn a'.u a'''h"isI teavlng us suffocated IN
49, az" eihoefs' aud blinded w,tb ~.
asoes. The whole garrison worL oa 60 '"t
lie TO save the pes, and the VIVA 'or uear
ne Was impossible. Tie flames bnrn, =. u''
most with white heat, but they wa,., ~. -. a.,
away IRON The other buildings bv ,ba go, ,uassu
lorce OF the tornado. Everything was sd, dle
su9,ea mat was set FIRE to; bnt tho -
yV9y VI ins lost anu camp was saved All
'Ns ,Tas VI sae day was nccapied in hs.,;'.
ea' me remnants of the FIRE. and h. ,;at a.us
we're lam to lay down and res, ~. ".sn' We
everything was covered vii -
ahu my loss has been considerable Ln, seo''
aa,;aa a &c escaped as We did. But res,v..
eeeu U.S. 'or as the sun went down ~ 80
monia "se Ana worse. Foreseeipg VII,
would banpen, l ran the lsdes dans ~h't
into the store, and the other ofscs u."n aaam |
iowed my example. In few m;nn,ae oo rel
nine hurricane swept us, carry;nr ~. gen
before 1t. Trying to get back 10 e'yfhr g
oeauine' wasstruck in the eyes. ; :, ven, n, for
f T.n 'ns sand and EARTH and csr,;a % aded
non ,lon camp lna.. iae neare ca a.,,e away
.r,ea, by a merei'ul provide moo u t ens
over man. whom TO. nd "a ha III oIe. lei,
steward. The hospital tents had bsa, nospaa'
there. and we're fill ed with the bnss p''c 10,
tents we're now down and the sa Has me
cred BY the fallen poles and canyas sos>
aged to get back TO camn and sent 49, an>
to their aid. The fury of tho go m.n
did not abate uatil morning. when ,be r "a, -
nanfs o. the camp we're seen. Nearly evsrx
sen' - oiown down or torn in pieces. and
PeopeFy al more or less Injured. =. n.
you could zee as nov yoss Nt,tld Inn v;n,
we we're al more or less afflicted With OH
MAMMA, tor eAuch . collection of ;,,Aa -
~. ~ lessss saws Pmsr,e Nrs. of
'ne ordinary kind are easily met. hn. ~ s. y.
VI 'nese nall breeds being burned Nd ,h la:s
49, ses..oyed, is proof of the swifine.. "A
d;a.peI'eunees OF this visitation. Tba r.
a.sn Wuo nave come in say .the,. b.,. -.
sese ny tning like it in their les ATsel
nalI preeos we're burned to .de.sh, -. .o
men nave died to-day from the sHsa.. so,
also On infant, only seven daya IA. anu anu
,squew who y faQys expecting con6nu oae
hes IN the hospital very badly burn.d. ens;
squa1, and IN old man 10 the same cord; 4. o'u
.~o cnIdren O. dx q sessn yssrS fS;sstsSmi,
T So.cnsd, and othefs II . les seriop: 800
10y peessot horrible snectacIs - ~ s.i ,a
sasss w,sa thsIf hiepkeec3 ~ svciis ~