Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-10-26
Missellaaeons.
THE PRAIRIE FIRES
Vivid Description by an Eye Wit
ness--Racing a Stage COaeIa-A
Life Saved in Il Gopher Hole.
From the La Cross Replblican.

From the La Cross Republican.
From a party lately arrived in this
city from Dakota, W o Travelled some
days through and along the burning
dis riot of Dakota and North. western
Minnesota, we CLEAN the following.
We use the language of our informant.
sFor some days previous to leaving
Cheyenne river, in Dakota, at point
seyenty-five miles west of the crossing
of the Northern Pacific Railroad at
Red river, dense smoky atmosphere
,,rnvailed, which each day grew more
dense, ,Iwarning US that immen e 'prairie
nres' were approaching our quarters
RAPIDLY, and our party deemed it pru-
dent to move eastward as fast as possi-
ble. We made immediate preparations,
but found that we were in the saddle
none too soon. The intense heat and
weight of smoke affected US very mnch,
andlsOOn after starting, we We're forced
to ride as rapidly as it was possible for
our beasts to carry US. All through
that long day we toiled along, our eyes
nearly blinded; with parched throat,
and cracked lips, and intense thirst, we
rode on, and on, till at nightfall we
came in sight of Red river, having rid
den seventy-fve niles without rest or
halt but once. Glad were the hearts of
our party, and much rejoicing was there
at cur escape from great danger, if not
from loss of life. AT points along the
the wall of flames would be quite near
u.s. Its roar could be distinctly heard
many miles, and its rapid motion was
surprising. The line of fire seemed to
be q solid wall of fame of about 20 to 80
feet in height, and moved as rapidly as
a fleet horse could run. Occasionally a
portion of the line would break away
in bodies of 40 or more feet square, and
be carried, with almost electric rapidi-
ty, q distance of 80 or 100 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 on
eastward and southwark, passing over
a district but lately burned. We could
not ID stinguished an object so yards
away. Great, heavy clouds o. smoke
hanging, like pail, through all the
distance of 25G miles we travelled before
reaching the Mississippi river, and even
there the smoke was very oppressive.
We deviated somewhat from the usual
route travele and found at different
points the charred remains of three hu-
man eings, nothing left but the bod
les, and those 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. A
We heard of one case that showed
great presence of mind and m 1ch calm-
ness. A man who had been with Sher-
man in his "march to the sea.n was
caught in the midst of a fire which was
approaching him from all sides. Hav-
ing no matches to create what is called
setting a back fire." and death staring
him in the face, his wit su gested
gopher hole" Setting at work with
the will that a man would use who was
for life, he attacked the sod |
with large hunting knife, cutting a
large piece away; he rolled it back, and 4
1T once commenced throwing the soft, |
Try earth upward and outward, and |
soon had hole dug of sufficient size to |
admit his body. Carefully drawing
tie sod toward him he succeeded in |
filled up the "chinks" from dirt within.
He laid there until the fire passed over
him, and was spreading furiously on !
It's way miles distant, then slowly he
;rawled out of his living grave, heated |
but injured in no way what
ever. His soldier experience had saved |
MS life.
No one who has not witnessed this
besom of destruction on the ''plains,"
AN form any adequate idea of its mag
nitude, its velocity, its fiendish like
cruelty, its laundering roar and its vast !
destruction.
The latest information we had was
that the fire had reached the "Big |
Woods" about two hundred miles |
northwest of La Cross, and was raging |
destroying everything it |
came in contact with, horses, barns,
cattle, everything is lost to settler and |
farmer who are in the track of the de-
3troying element. In the peat country
prairies, it does much more damage, as
it destroyes the earth.