The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-11-02
NUMBER /.
MINNESOTA PRAIRIE FIRE.
VIVID DESCRIPTION BY AN EYEWITNESS


From party lately arrived in this city from
Dakota, who travelled some days through and
along the burning district of Dakota and North
western Minnesota, we CLEAN the following
We use the language of our informant: For
some days previous to leaving the Cheyenne
River, in Dakota, at a point seventy five miles
west of the crossing of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, at Red River, dense, smoky atmos-
phere prevailed, which every day grew more
dense, warning us that immense "prairie fires''
were approaching our quarters rapidly. and
our party deemed it prudent to move eastward
as fast as possible. We made immediate prep
arations, but found that we were in the saddle
none too soon. The intense heat and smoke
affected us very much, and soon after starting
we were forced to ride as rapidly as it was
possible for our beasts to carry us. All through
the long day we toiled along, our eyes nearly
blinded, with parched throat and cracked lips,
and extreme thirst; we rode on and on, till at
nightfall we came in sight of Red River, hav-
ing ridden seventy-fve miles without rest or
halt but once. Glad were the hearts of our
party and much rejoicing was there at our es-
cape from great danger, if not from loss of life.
At points along the route the wall of flames
would be quite near US. Its roar could be !.
heard many miles, and its rapid motion was
surprising The line of fire seemed to DE.
solid wall of flame of about twenty or thirty
feet in height, and moved as rapidly as fleet
horse could run. Occasionally a portion of
the fire would break away in bodies of forty
or more feet square. and be carried with al
most electric rapidity distance of fifty or
hundred rods ahead, and then strike the hlgh
dry grass, which would Immediately ignite and
add its destroying force to the already gigantic
conflagration. srl..v e.t
After resting at Red River our party, re-
duced to three persons, moved on eastward
and southwark, passing over district but
lately burned. We could not distinguish an
object fifty yards away. Great, heavy clouds
of smoke hanging like a pail through all the
distance of $50 miles we travelled before reach.
ing the Mississippi river, and even there the
smoke was very oppressive. We deviated
somewhat from a usual route Travelled and
found at different points the charred remains
of three human beings, nothing left but the
bodies and these burned to crisp. The sight
was horrible in all particulars and not thing
could be found that would in any way identify
the burned corpses. @ .4sitl.faaa
We heard of one case that showed great
presence of mind and much calmness. man
who had been with Sherman in his "march to
the sea" was caught in the midst of fire
which was approaching him from all sides.
Having no matches to create what is called
" setting back fire." and death staring him
in the face, his wit suggested gopher hole'
Setting at work with the will a man would use
in working for his life, he attacked the sod
with a large hunting knife. Cutting quite a
large piece away he rolled it back and at once
commenced throwing the soft, dry earth up
ward and outward, and soon had a hole dug of
sufficient size to admit his body. Carefully
drawing the sod toward him he succeeded in
drawing it over his body, and then filled up the
" chinks" from dirt within. He lay there un-
til the fire passed over him and was speeding
furiously on its way miles distant; then slowly
he crawled out of his living grave, heated fear
fully, but injured in no way whatever. His
soldier experience had saved his life.
No one who has not witnessed this besom of
destruction on the "plains can form any idea
of its magnitude, its velocity, its fendish-Gke
cruelty, its laundering roar and its vast de-
struction. .at ~rs sa1e
The latest information we had was that the
FIRE had reached the "Big Woods" about 200
miles northwest of La Crosse, and was raging
furiously, destroying everything 1t came in
contact with-houses, barns. cattle, everything
is lost to settler and farmer who are in the
track of the destroying element. In the peat
country the fire will last much longer than On
the prairies and do much more damage. as it
destroys the earth.-La Crosse Wis. Leader.