National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-11-03
A Race for Life,

A party has arrived who travelled fol
several days through and along the burn
ing district of Dacotah and Northwestern
Minnesota. For some days previous /,
leaving Cheyenne River, in Dukotnh, ut I
point 75 miles west of the crossing o
the Northern Pacific Railroad at Rec
River, dense smoky atmosphere pre-
vailed, which each day grew more dense
warming them that immense "prairi,
fire." were approachii g rapidly, and
the party deemed il prudent to NOV,
eastward as fast MS possible. They mad,
immediate preparations, but found that
they We're in the saddle none too soon.
The intense heat and weight Of smoke
affected them very much, and soon after
starting they were forced to ride as
rapidly as possible All through that
long day they toiled along, their eyes
nearly blinded, with parched throat and
cracked lips and intense thirst, till al
nightfall they came in sight Of Red River
having ridden IS miles without rest oi
halt but once. Appoints along the route
the wall of flames would be quite near
Its roar could be heard many miles, and
its rapid motion was surprising. The
line of fire seemed to he II solid wall of
fame of about 20 or 80 feet in hight,
and moved as rapidly as "a fleet 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 rapidty distance
of fifty or n hundred rods ahead,
and then strike the high dry grass, which
would Immediately ignite and add its
destroying force to the already gigantic
conflagration.
After rHsting at Red River the party
reduced to three persons, moved on east.
ward and southwark passing over a dis
trict but lately burned. They could not
distinguish an object fifty yards away
great heavy clouds of smoke hanging
like pail through all the distance of
$50 miles they travelled before reaching
the Mississippi River and even there
the smoke was very oppressive. They
deviated somewhat from II usual route
travelled, and found at different points
the charred remains of three human
beings, nothing left but the bodies, and
those burned to crisp. Nothing could
be found that would in any way identify
the burned corpses.
A letter from Yankton reports that the
last down coach found the country pretty
well burned over to within mile or two
of Yankton, and the fire is still burning
in various directions. The ruins of four
smoldering houses were seen, grain and
hay stacks were blazing on all sides, and
burning fences were swept across the
country in all directions. Another ter
rible fire ragged the same day this side of
Yankton, and within few miles of that
city. The flames swept toward Yankton,
and in their course devoured several
houses, besides numerous barns, sheds,
and stacks of grain. The coach due in
Yankton on Wednesday evening had an
exciting time of it. 1t was discovered
that the fire was coming, and race en-
sued. The driver piled his whip, and
away the horses went on a gallop. Near
er and nearer came the fire. The red
glare filed the sky the forked tongue
shot out; the terrible hissings of the
demon were in the ears of the atfrighted
passengers. The driver gathered his
lines, drew the leaders from the road, the
horses gathered, jumped, a rail-fence was
beneath the wheels of the coach, the
coach was on piece of plowed ground,
and the fire went by with roar like a
nfnr