Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-04-29
Surveying Party Running a GauatI-t OF

A virginia City (Nevada) paper says. Prom
report OF Surveyor General Sanold. from A.
j. hateh, now surveying m the Humboldt
country, We Gull the following exciting account
OF forced march on ice. through tul,.s with a
body OF flame marching hand upon the party,
Laping through The dry toPs of the tule forest
The communication II dated LoV-loch's Sa-
ton, Big Meadows, Humbolt county, March :.
"N bile crossing the tule. on NV way 10 the
standard corner 10 the guide meridian. an Incl
dent occurred which 4 snail never forget At
the point where crossed, the tule j. boat three
miles wide, and the ice was about fourteen
inches thick-renderng a safe bridge FOR me
and my party 10 pass over. 4 had entered this
tule perhaps mile, when two of nav men, - no
Were short distance mind. very foblishly st
nre 10 the tule and canebrake-the latter b.. ng
some twelve or fiiteen .eet high. In a few
moments vast sheet OF flame was roaring,
high IN the AIR, directly IN our rear, the WI nd
at the tlne being IRON the west. Thanking TO
ou'iiank the nre fiend, directed my driver tn
go norm. We had not gone far in that direc-
ton when the wind changed from west 90
southwest L then directed the driver 10 60
southeasterly.
by this time matters began to look serious
The fire had extended ats front considerably,
and seemed TO be gaining upon Us RAPIDLY. Toe
uames appeared almost overhead. and the G Dals
and sparks fell around and upOn "a, a shO Ser
OF fire. A fire in advance was suggested. for
the purpose of obtaining a burnt district %
stop upon; bur tins, on account of the ch tnge-
able nature Cf the wind, L concluded To b. an
luClelOus, and liable to incur a new danger. 4
considered the flank movement the only one
practicable. L climbed upon the high load of
camp fixtures and bedding. when. by standiag
az, could see over the caIebrake. aud kept
the driver on the right course. Every man nov
seemed TO realize has perilous position, aud in
stncuyely put his shoulder 10 the wagon,
which was fairly showed upon the horses; bu:
the faithful animals could 60 no faster than a
Walk through that thick matted tule and tall,
stubborn canebrake.
Upon the horses depended our safety. They
were our Moses, our only means of escape
from terrible death; for no man could make
any progress through that internal Jungle, eN-
cept IN the trail OF the horses and wagon Toe
few words spoken were as hollow a. from tue
grave, and were scarcely audiOle above the
roaring OF the flames and the cracking tuIe
and canebrake, a. they were beaten down by
the horses and wagon. The expression upon
each countenanGe was that Of perfect terror
but when the hope OF escape had nearly ex-
pred m eacn bosom. We suddenly and uneN-
pectedly emerged from the tule into an open
ana clear field OF ice, perfectly free and secure
from danger, the red flames sweeping across
our track at the time about one hundred and
eighty feet IN our rear.
This sudden transition from danger 80 i'm
mlneht and terrible. 10 perfect safety. had a
singular ana amusing effect upon some of the
party Men. who a few seconds before had
been almost weeping with fear. now gave way
10 the widest and most eXtrayagant express
slons OF JOY. Bright ,ears gllstened upon the
cheeks OF onei a loud laugh from one a hurrah
IRON another; and one sanguine lndIvIdu al per
formed eNotrHSns that would do honor 10 a
professional gymnast-. As for myself. 1 was
glad We had got out OF the bullrushes 4
crossed the Humboldt range about five miles
south OF The nth standard line and where no
wagon ever crossed before. | know had a
very rough time of il for about ten DAYS 4
spent two days IN looking for he corner, being
shout nine miles from camp, but found 1t all