The New York herald., 1871-10-15
4 CAMP ON THE PRAIRIE.
A Drive to the Camp of the Victims Of
the Chicago Fire.
SCENES OF SORROW AND ANGUISH
A Graphic Picture Of the Encamp-
ment and the Campers

saEough the ruins on Tuesday night was on the
north side Il was growing very late ana knew
sss wnat 20 do TO hack would have exposed
me 10 dangers THAT j was unwilling 10 face. even
wssh Sherrians guards within few hundred feet
sieverv street, on rather roadway. one might ira
vcSee; 4 chose the less NJ two evils, and made
Np NV mind 10
KEEP STRAIGHT AHEAn
lknew that straight ahead racanl north and
eh0t iy kcepiHx ON would ~ cert2iB 10 come into
'Sapen land" sooner later, ana not tumble head
cong lpto cel,arwsys made hristng with glass ana
&r0kcn iron by the failing IN Of build
sngs thai once sheltered them. SO ON went
u way long route still, although thought THAT
at the END or the city, or what suppose most
people call the north side, when I FIRST hcstated
shout my course: for l must have ridden fully
swenty blocks afterwards. rs could tell by thc
sounding OF The horse's feet on the pavement that
thc called prairie was still far cur OF reach. But
this ali. ! cOud almost feel the darkness
shat surrounded me, rather which confronted rue,
SOs behin0 me were
THOUSANDS OF COAL FinEs
xhat nt up the sky fer miles the south apd made
the darkness ahead al the more dense by contrast
and, nnuer the circumstances my situation was not
very pleasant How long continued TO ride AT .
SLOW pacc-for II was funeral pace from the
ment found the blue Ores getting 10 the rear,
know nOt but this do know, IT. was an age to
me The low rumble OF the wind through
the ruins 10 The south, ana the distant
hum IA Of a busrling CITY, far far or ~ the west.
ward, broken now ana then by what imagined to
bo piercing CRY of distress, but which proved TO
De the sudden rushing OF the wind through the yet
standing open walls OF the city that was made me.
n In needless to state, very. ANXIOUS TO re,
OUT or THE WILDERNESS
Of the dead city TO the wilderness ot the prairie H.
rslf suddenly the horse stumbled under me. and
his hoois made no longer an echo. At last Knew
Sne unworked sod Of the prairie had been struck.
Cautiously urged the beast TO go a gentle trot
ard iD a few seconds came 10 very abrup; matt by
InnnIng plHmp against Il sort OF fence, which
soue worthy farmer, as supposed, had erected TO
mark OF his legitimate DOMAIN from outside limits
Almost az tue same moinen; the darkness ahead
o US began To clear away as the wind increased in
strength dor II the the suouldering
ore TO the that made the darkness ahcail, aud
there right ahead OF me, within stone's throw,
0ashed over The plain
THOUSAND rwiNzIrN6 lJGurs.
What had no; heard before now heard plainly
she comminging OF many voices. some low and
b0istcrous the cllusing OF ware, The haoolng
In The distance OF men 10 other men nearer by, aud
and there the thud OF hammers the creaksug
70 the Iencc and jumped 10 the other side. and
began slowly TO Pick my way over the field. An
instant afterward heard rustliDg IN the dead
grass few feet the rght, aud then came O clang
- OF steel against steel followed by loud. gruu
..wHo GOES yugREs'
knew by this time tina, was among the lots ana
near the park where thousands OF the refugees
over me. pass signed by the cniYalrons FORSYTH,
'Wno goes thcres" answer himself friend OF
anne and bid me 90 where lIsteth. Now that Dad
90, out Of the wilderness OF city where a silence
OF the desert rnned supreme, 10 the wilderness OF
tne open plans, where everything was hustle ana
conInsion was at loss 10 know how 10 act
glad ~ 1 was to escape from 10 the other
Owing 10 the darkness ] was n hrst un-
jlaa lallen in with: bus. a. made
: slow ana cautious approach TO the nearest
Agat which gilJnnered dimy throagh the cninks OF
what seemed to be few planks careess,y nailed
together. my ears were greeted with the cheering
y was low and nlainiif; voice, broken by scis
way place; but Ion al mat made me feel safe
From Lha; moment N, apprehcnslons OF being at
sacked In the DARK By the nignt prowIers whose
pnmteis the scared citizens had been for twenty
four hours increasing by hundreds falling INTO
1en OF encamped are-iends. vanished. felt that
Che voice belonged TO o woman who was sufferer
from the great sorrow of the great
oiearrr To my ear as ,eit my way '' nearer a"T
towards the hight were, felt. my strongest guaran
ices OF saletF had got within few feet OF the
THE DIN DISTANCE
jespfeo hundreds Of 1orms moving about quietly
and hundreds of others sitting upon the grass aud
yet hundreds OF others rolled up AXE ipumm,ee
smch ,nings a. tables and chairs aud. IN aet every
and OF household iurniture which could oe turned
unto temporary rov!. rnere were here and there
ign,s, but they were not many. aud az went up 10
She nrst one that had seen and exclaimed, quite
io0dy
us THERE ANYBODY HeKg.r
felt cold cli'l creep over me, SO sill did every
Abe nlisty smoke driven into the plain 6y the ever
changing wind, could stall See the Iorrns or many
MOVING. MOVING, MOVING,
never seeming TO stand sun iCr single second yet
no one saying word. Need say that II was qUite
. rei,et g me when quiei gentle voice greeted me
gs,n al il M ur nAl
fell upon my face. she was little girl not over
sweve years of age that held the candle pale as
marble. with large black eyes and wealth
0f blacS haI, ali tangled and neglected, that hung
and swung in drifts over her face as the wind ruth.
iessY threw ~ about her shoulders. She had a
blanket wound about her ana was baretooten. and
the ittie feet were
Jhis scene TOOK ~ al u glance, and for moment
nariy Knew what 70 say 10 the shiver
her teeth cbaitering wte The cold aud ner pale
yacc wearing such pitilul. Oh, such 2 puilu iooGi
Il was--coInpO posed 0i bGn top buggy with several
pianks resting against u apd the ground, having
of aye, Win lantern In MS nand. lie WAS the
very picture OF despair. Ills eyes were swollen,
hargard expression, nan Wild baif pleading, and
~rnkics ,nat one wonid expact TO and uaced On
ahc i2ce oi
nivnc inrrowsG me olherwsc youthful face ibar
ricD, II Is tba; III horse secured ~ the tmggy
VIII baiiey aId J mar retmited 10 occupy cor.
-4'snAorous N ns sorrow. haq escnsed hnpseB for
<bot. .haying
Any BLANKETS ~ TiiE BoiTssn
Mnssl lay down the lantern was still buruinp
and DeAore u was esingu,-aco saw mat on the
Ssthcr ,aue Ul The 'no.sr'i huuJlcd
40 ether under one blaakei aun an I'D
orcsr q woman ana Lno small chlurcn. thought.
- WAS ll,liing INTO gcutlc sleca. WIN AL had
keon durn,n the dsf passing ike panorama before
los Eyes tha heud the same soDlJDg ihal nAo
nac,ru my .,lien.on a ntIuups before and
rvsry now ant then manly voice snntnlugiy say.
snF 'pt w,li L'oi iast Iorevei'' Snt .t Disy have
ef..p .ielnsiou. II
BRIGHT JaybiGrT
when Swoke, k.e'iur 'atleT etiG and cod bpf,
a,ier all conJdcl ~Dly refreshed. tbe sun nad no.
spt ysei, and \, ZEN. Cuitg Uinn SVEN. over IA.
sys aud what discovered un getting up 10 he a
ixrue PARK AItulnip.. Ny kluu bost sDd bIs jIte