The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-11-09
A Race for Life.

A party has arrived who travelled for
several days through and along the burn.
ing district of Dacotah and Northwestern
Minnesota. For some days previous to
leaving Cheyenne River, in Dakotah, at
point rs miles west of the crossing of
the Northern Pacific Railroad at Red
River, dense smoky atmosphere pre-
vailed, which each day grew more dense,
warning. them that immense "prairie
6res' were approaching rapidly, and
the party deemed it prudent to move
eastward as fast as possible. They made
immediate preparations, but found that
they were 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 tolcd along, their eyes
nearly blinded, with parched throat and
cracked lips and intense thirst, till at
nightfall they came in sight of Red River,
having ridden 75 miles without rest or
halt but once. At points 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 be solid wall of
fame of about 20 or 80 feet in hight, and
moved as rapidly as feet 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 rapdity a distance of fifty
or hundred rods ahead, and then strike
the high dry grass, which would i'm
mediately igvite and add its destroying
force to the already gigantic con6agration.
After resting at Red River the party
reduced to three persons, moved on east
ward and southwark passing over dis
trict but lately burned. They could not
distinguish au object fifty yards away,
great heavy clouds of smoke hanging like
a pail through all the distance of $50
miles they travelled before reaching the
Mississippi River. and even there the
smoke was very oppressive. They deviat-
ed somewhat from 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.
/ ~ lttlSE lIUlu Il lCpOi 10 AhdI tiC
last down coach found the country pretty
well burned over to within a 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 IanktOn,
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, aud race en-
sued. The driver piled his whip, and
away the horses went on gallop, Near
er and nearer came the fire. The red
glare filled 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, rail-ience was
beneath the wheels of the coach, the
coach was on a piece of plowed ground,
and the fire went by with roar like a
! cataract. t.l