The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-10-19

..c. !.
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4. -..-....-....--..
. -, !. .....s- ae.ss.r i
from r..n sns =; snnAr rs ~ pnAiRYn FIRE.
l6o miles u Faans ofsat Loss % Min-
.s
On Thursday afternoon or friaay
morning last, the prairie 70 the south
Of Breckenridge, tho terminus Of TIE
main limo of thofSt. Z. 4 r. road, on
The Red river, took firc, ana ianneu
by o high wind which prevailed at
Tho time spread with fearfcl rap'd'ty.
From . small bcginning, somewhere
ncar tho western boundary oi the
State, the ire spread until y reacned
tho "Big Woods,' one hundred ana
ifty milcs from the point OF start'n 8,
In striking the WOODS u was no'
stayed in its course, but the names
scized upon the dry nnderbrush, and
from thence W thc tan trees q tne
forest, it extended its limo for ss g ais'
TANGO cf 9scen miles 10 tno neaVy
timber, until Y reasnco Smssn lako' s.
Whom once fairiy under neadway u
the timber, the scene IS oescf1ped q
grand beyond the power OF pen o.
pencil to picture. Roaring, crack,
ling, with sound that couid % nearo
for miles, the flames tore tneir way
leaving behind them . Diackeneu
smoking, desoiate waste 70 marx
their onward march. everything IN
their course was destroyed. Inc
grain and haystacks, the cornne1os
fences, and, N some instances We
have heard O., the ruoe MONIES ano
scanty houseboid goods oi Inc ses
tiers, all iell . prey 20 lne lnsstia,t
monster. Inc terror-strlcheh PeoPle
ned, leaving an tnelE worluly posses
sions behind, tnankiai 70 escape WIZ
their lives. =.
On SATURDAY morning. .uo nauo'
began to approacn the iine oi me oI
Paul and Pacinc ROAD ~ oinoron'
points. But lew suPPoseu .no uae,
30 serious or 80 lmmlneht ana uei''y %
too long the means Dy wnlcn tne0
could have warded on AZ least POI
ton OF the damage. oucn was -,
case with man - cnaIge u ~ ulaa -
q Co.'S warehouse ~ inc teImihu' !
Of the iron on the 81. faui ana rac,l
ic road, some twenty mics .nls slu'
OF breckenridge. Ihey suppose
there was no danger, as ing 'uiiu.ns
wore situated on inc oPposl.o sue =
the track, ana tne names Woulr nas' y
30 make a leap OF some iorty ieet y
reach them. They did not caicalas'
upon tho force OF the coming wniri
WIND or hre, ana INC oullulngs, "
gether with OIL thelr con'cn.s' io'i ~
easy prey TO the names ,.n,
Loaping the ROAD ana ~ ulnorou
points setting hre 10 tne t,es)' I'M
flames sped onward with the Meet
ness OF the wind.
All day on Sunday INC hre rages
with unabated fury, ana Yesterday
when the passenger tram from MOT
rls came over the ROAD .here Wa'
q line OF flre on each side OF INC roa'
that in tho "Big Woods, petwee'
Darwin and Smih Lake. pU,ng %
pecsaiiy grand and sefr'hc, Inc nr, y,
had crossed the road ana was SUI
sweeping. That 10 the wooa wouie
probably extend 70 gro" hlYer
where it's course wonid oo stayoo' ou
that IN the pra'rlc "iii sweep ia'
northward unless . Proviueptiai ran
puts stop to ITS ravages.
The wide scope OF country ovel
wn.cn .ho hro nae "a ..one. Vonu ..a,omt. 80 ~
oAe.'cn'o.. llic'uon. I.o.oGH, ,:,, oa,;
us .rom gNins my slns ss INV " wv
"n1so ~ VI 'ho uan" % q. r,o,a ua,
non uage', " =" ~ .a.,,.a;n.
nno"n ~ " '"is o..y, h;e I ,.;.h frs
fna hora.s Tha f,ames overlook
him and seeing his only safety lay
in tncing them, he headed his horses
for tho Wall Of ;re dashed through
hnrnino his overcont from his back
and ,n;1rina h;s horses To such az
axtant that ,hov arc almost worth
Iess FortnnateIv Mr. eager es
caned with onlv q few bnrns Heis
an n,d hand IN ;ba nra;ries and hold
~, h;s hraa,h swaIIowcd no flames
m;,o or two behind Mr.. Gage,
,nas = ,,an ,r;,;nr aock of som.
80 80 hnns.aI L. ana t;f,v shaen Nei,he,
~ ~ !, ~ nor sbaan I haa bosn hoard from
=, lost sacopnts Tha man ma,
=. ss " - b., ,ha sho.n noaoubt
al, hsd ,hs;,. mn,ton cooked !"
u.
II IS lmposslo,e 20 es.lmasJ Wv Wv
flagration. At last accounts the fir
was stiii raging nor." ~ .n1 'i"o :
the road, ana "nerc ~ wiz W s'op
PED cannot 90 toio.
(From the St. Paul Press of Oct, 5th.)
All day the heavy veil OF smok'
from the'burning prairles and tlmoe
IN the western port'on OF the o.a.' :
hung over the Guy, nnu = suo
evidence were reqa'reu W Plos1 W. -"
cxlstence oi "ioe sProau "nu u''
saslating connaSfaeion' ~ ooe -