Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-10-19
THE PRAIRIE FIRES.
Vivid Description by an Eyewitness
AN Interesting Narrative.

From a party lately arrived in
this city from Dakota, who Travelled
some days through and along the
burning district of Dakota ana
Northwestern Minnesota, we CLEAN
the following. We use the Ian
guage of our informant; :
For some days previous to leav-
ing Cheyenne River in Dakota, at a
point rs miles west of the crossing
of the Northern Pacific Railroad at
Red River, a dense smoky atmos-
phere prevailed, which each day
grew more dense, warning us that
immense prairie fires were ap-
preaching our quarters rapidly, and
our party deemed it prudent to move
eastward as fast as possible. 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
much, and soon after starting we
were forced to ride as rapidly as it
was possible for our beasts to carry
US. All through the 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 ridden
seventy-five miles without rest or
halt but once. Glad were the hearts
of our party, and much rejoicing
was there at our escape from great
danger, ifnot from loss of life. At
points along the route the wall of
flames would be quite near us. Its
roar could be heard many miles, and
its rapid motion was surprising.
The line of fire seemed to be a solid
wall of fame of about twenty to 80
feet in height, and moved as rapid
ly as feet horse could run. Occa-
sionally portion of the line would
break away in bodies of forty or
more feet square, and be carried,
with almost electric rapidity, dis
tance of fifty or a hundred rods
ahead, and then strike the high, dry
grass, which would Immediately ig-
mite and add its destroying force to
the already gigantic eonfagration.
After resting at Red River, our
party, reduced to three persons mo-
we'd on 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
pail, through all the distance of
two hundred and fifty miles we trav-
eled, before reaching the Mississip-
pi River, and even there the smoke
was very oppressive. We deviated
somewhat from a usual route travel
led, and found at different points
the charred remains of three hu-
man beings, nothing left but the
bodies, and these burned to a crisp.
The sight was horrible in all partic-
ulars, and not a thing could be found
that would in any way identify the
bodies.
We heard of one case that showed
great presence of mind and much
calmness. A man who had been
with Sherman on his march to the
sea- was caught in the midst of the
fire, which was approaching him
from all sides. Having no matches
to create what is called setting a
back fire. and death staring him in
the face, his wit suggested a gopher
hole Setting at work with the will
that man would use who was work
ing for life, he attacked the sod
with a large hunting knife. Cut
ting large piece away, he rolled il
back and at once commenced throw
ing the soft, dry earth upward and
outward, and soon had hole dug
of sufficient size to admit his body.
Carefully drawing the sod toward
him, he succeeded in drawing it over
his body, and then filled up the
'chinks' from dirt within. He laid
there until the fire passed over him
and was speeding furiously on its
way miles distant, then he slowly
crawled out of his living grave,
heated fearfully, but injured in no
way whatever. His soldier exper-
ience had saved his life.
No one who has not witnessed
this besom of destruction ON the
plains can form any idea of Its
magnitude, 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 Crosse and
was raging furiously, destroying
everything it came in contact with,
houses, barns, cattle, everything is
lost to settler and farmer who are in
the track of the destroying element
In the peat country the fire will ling
er much longer then on the prairies,
and do much more damage, as ii
destroys the earth.-La Crosse