The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-16
TEE PsaaERsE FIRES.



lFrcm the La Crosse Rcpuhlcau.l
From party lately arrived IN this city from Da-
Eota, who travelled some days through and alcng the
burning district OF Dak0.a aud North western Min-
nesota, We CLEAN The following. We use tue Ian
guage OF our In.orInant:-
For some DAYS previous TO leaving Cheyenne
o. se The koe Pc har e9 Se IS
Which eacn day grew m,re dcnSs wan s ssa1
Immense prairie lres,' were approaching our quar-
aas 4. ass esswasa pa a. psss 4 pwy
maze immediate preparations, but fond that
we were In the saddle none 10 soon. The intense
heat and weight of smoke afec,ed rs very much,
and soon after starting we forced 20 ride as
rapidly ~ is was possible for our beasts carry US.
nearly blinded; with parchel throat and cracked
lips ana ,y intense thirst we r9ae on and on TIL a.
ridden seventy-lve miles without rest or halt but
once. clad werc the hearts Of onr party, and much
Oicng was there ~ our escape from great danger
IL not from loss 81 life. AT points along the route
the wal Of Games would be, quite near US.
TO be solid wall Of flame OF about twenty 10
horse could run. Occasionally portion OF the line
would break away In bodies OF forty or more feet
square, and be carried with almost electric rapidiiy
distance of fifty hundred RODS ahead, and then
strike the high ary grass, which would immediately
iGnlle and add IL destroying iorce TO the already
After resting at Red River our party. reduced 10
three persons moved OF eastward and southwark.
heavy clouds OF smoke hanglnI ike pail through
even there the smoke was very OPP
usual route travelled, AMI FOUND at dferent points
It. charrel remains OF three human beings nothing
left but the bodies, and those burned to o crisp
The sight was horrible in all particulars. and nos
thlng could De iound that would IN any way deDliiy
We heard OF one case that showed great presence
o. ninu ana much calmness. man who had Deen
with Sherman in MS march to the sea,'' was caught
n avuht nh noi.,,
from al sides Having no matches to create what n
Is called 'setting back nrc,' and death staring
Setting at work with the viii that man would use
who was WORKING for lie, he attacked the SOD
piece away; no rolled L hack and az once
commenced throwing the soft, dry earth up
sufficient size to admit his body. Carefully drawing
the 500 toward MIN he succeeded in drawing II over
from w.sain. lie lay there unt, The lre passed
over HIM and was speeding furlousiv OIL Its way
miles distant then slowly ne crawied out OF hls lv.
whatever HIS soldier experience had saved his lie.
| No one who mas not Witnessed this hesom OF de-
idea OF ITS magnitude its Velocity It's 1endSi.iike
cruelty, its numbering roar, and its vast desruc.
| ton.
| The latest Information we had was that the fire
| had reached the "Blg Woods,'' abouS two hundred
! miles northwest OF La Crosse, and was raging fur
ously, destroying everything |. came in contact with
| horses, barns cattle, everything lost TO settler
and farmer who IRE In the track OF che destroying
element. In The peat country the fire viii linger
much longer than on the prairies and do much more
| damage as u destroys the earth.
! From the sioux City Journal
The praiiie nrcs III the section cl country above
! and below Yankion, Dakota, on Wednesday were
| terrible.
Ia the afternoon OF that Day the flames swept INTO
| the village OF Bon Uomme with rcsistless fury and
the terrorstrickcn and helpless popuace saw a mn
| ana three or four dwellings, disappear in the fiery
| blast Among the latter was q house occupied NV n
widow woman as boarding house, and while She
was expressing TO our informant her fear that the
| Iire would reach the town wave OF flame came
i whlfling on like frightened seed, and before an
effort could he made TO save anything 10 or about
| the premises the house was wrapped in flames and
| everything was lost.
rne down coacn found the country pretty well
| buiDsn over 10 wlLhiI q mile or two Of Yankton,
ana tue hrc ls still burning IN various directions.
| TDe runs 81 Tour smouderlng houses were seen,
grain anu iay stacks were blazing on all eIdcs aud
| burning fences swept across the country In all
directions. Az one point . little girl. some ten
years Of arc appeared at the roadside and piteousy
petlfioned the people In the coacn for help saying
| that her ialher and mother were away from homo,
ana tnat she had two sisters and o little brother,
| all younger than herself, IN the house, and tho
I! premises were In immediate danger OF dcstrncr
lion. Leaving one OF the passengers TO watch the
horses the rest ran TO the house, and by starting
| contrary fire succeeded IN saving tho place
Another terrible fro ragged the same day this eide
OF Yankton, and within rev miles OF that city.
| Tue NAMES swept toward iankton, AMI IN their
| course devoured several houses, besides numerous
barns, sheds and STACKS OF grain me coach due IN
| Yankton on Wednesday evening han an exciting
time 81 IT, II discovered that The IRE wa com.
| lng anu race was instituted Inc driver pneu
| his whip, and away the horses went on gauop.
| Nearer and nearer came the IRE. Tie red glare
filled the SKY; The forked tongue SHOT out: the ter
rible hissings Of the demon were IN the ears VI lie
anrighted passengers The driver gathered his
lines, drew the leaders from tue roa,, tae horses
gathered. jumped, RAN tsnce was beneath the