Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-10-20
Prairie FIre-vIvid De
seriptisn BY an Eye.Witness.
rFrom The n. crossc Wis.) Leader.l

seripds. BY an Eye-Witness.
From the La Crosse wis.) LEADER
From a party lately arrived in this
city from Dakota, who travelled some
DAYS through and along the burning
district of Dakota and Northwestern
Minnesota, we CLEAN the following.
We use the language of our Informant :
For some days previous to leaving
CHEYENNE river, in Dakota, at a point
rs miles west of the crossing Of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, at Red
river, a dense smoky atmosphere pre-
vailed, which each day grew more
dense, warning US that immense prairie
fires were approaching our quarters
rapidly, and our party deemed 1t pru-
dent to move eastward as fast as posi-
BILE, We made immediate prepara-
tions, 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 1t was possible for
our beasts to carry us. All through the
long day we toiled along, our eyes
nearly blinded, with parched Threats,
and cracked lips and intense thirst; we
rode on and on, till at nightfall we
came In sight Of Red river, having rid
den rs miles without halt but once.
Glad were the hearts Of our party, and
much rejoicing was there at nj escape
from much danger, If not from loss OF
life. At points along tho route the
wall of flames would lie quite near US.
Its roar could be heard many miles,
and its rapid motion was surprising;
The line of fire seemed to be q solid
wall of flame about 20 to 80 feet IN
height, and moved as rapidly as a fleet
horse could run. Occasionally por-
ton of the line would break away III
bodies of 40 or more feet square, and
be carried, with almost electric rapid
isy, q distance of fifty or q 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 resting at Red river, our party,
reduced to three persons, moved OIL
eastward and southwark, passing over
a 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 two hundred and fifty
miles we travelled, before reaching the
Mississippi river, and even there the
smoke was very oppressive. We devi'
ated somewhat from q usual route
travelled, and found at different points
the charrcd remains of three human
beings, nothing left but the bodies,
and those burned to a crisp. The sight
was horrible In all particulars, and not
O thing could b found that would in
any way identify the burned corpses.
We heard of one case that showed
great presence of mind and much calm.
ness. A man who had been with Sher.
man in his "march to the sea-" was
caught in the midst of . fire that wa:
approaching him from all side. Hav.
Ing no matches to create what Is called
"setting q back fire." and death star.
ing him In the face, his wits suggested
a "gopher hole" Setting at work
with the will a mar would use In
working for his life, lie attacked the
sod with a large hunting knife. Cut.
ting quite q large piece away, he rolled
it back, and at once commenced throw.
ing the soft, dry earth upward and
outward, and oon had a hole dug o.
sufficient size to admit his body,
Carefully drawing the sod toward him,
he succeeded in drawing it over hi:
body, and then filled up the "chinks'
from dirt within. He lay there until
the fire passed over him, and wa:
speeding furlously on Its way mile;
distant ; then slowly he crawled oul
of his living grave, heated fearfully,
but injured in no way whatever. Hi
soldier experience had saved his life
No one who has not witnessed thi;
bosom of destruction on the Plains
can form any idea of its magnitude,
Its velocity, its fiendish-like cruelty,
its laundering roar and its vast de-
struction.
The latest information we had wai
that the fire had reached tho "BiI
Woods" about two hundred mile:
northwest of La Crosse, and was rag
ing %furiously, destroying everything II
came in contact with, houses, barns,
cattle, everything Is lost to settler and
farmer who are in the track Of the de-
stroying element. In the peat coun'
try the fire will linger much longer
than on the prairies, and do much
more damage, as 1t destroys the earth,