The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1872-11-21
FIRE IN THE AIR.

| DuTluS tue Iatt anu CITY nT6S. Int ter
rOr-stricken sufferers have been astonsl,sd by
| uuaccOuntable Phcnn,nena, fnrcing upon them
the appalling conviction that the end If all things
was 1t hand. In describing these appearances they
use the terms, fire from hesvcn," ''tho air on
| fire" ~ solid wall of fame seemed to be COM
ing" &c.
This is not, many think, an exaggeration Of
fear, but simple description Of facts. But these
facts involve nothing Of the supernatural. The
air rGs, in many instancss, filled with fame and
fire did fly long distances apparently through the
air, where there was visible fuel, setting fen
ccs, houses and anything combustible ON fire;
and what il infinitely sadder, overtaking fugi-
tises in search Of safety frum its devouring
heat.
Bat how, the reader will ask, could this bef
In all common fires large portion of the fuel
used escapes uncOnsumed, because of the lack of
oxygen in tho draft to consume it. This 10 the
part Of this l0iges continually in our chimneys,
in the form of "sOOt," until its accumulation
causes it to take fire, and we all know with
what intensity it burma.
When this smoke escapes into the open air, il
meets oxygen enough indeed; but by that time
It has cooled beyond the point Of infiammabil-
ity, and floats of. 1t is also GENERALLY atten-
uated that one particle burning does not infian,e
its neighboring particle, and thus keep up the
6re. II Is thus speedily dissipated in the atmos-
phere.
Fire in the forest differs in no way from fire
elsewhere. burning wood il an immense inn
perfect furnace. In the process of burning,
.siJ e.. Ell az, ~: ~. n Ss.,ioNel was
~, IA, ;n.. nSn .hc aI 10 complete satura-
~ &c., .rn. s,I =, r. o... at .se poPorion
resinous aud explosive mixture horrible to think
of.
3t US now imagine h"ndretis oil acres Ill Fact
ii.;.,, IN. , =. u.se, oiuns ioes's, i,oh
an,1,, . ,.; a, burning not
,I".;r WILT - I,. ". .op "a some !aii
: nee u'a oAa"en , .oi "'' anu ialis
n''.i ~. in's a rsao! thr",'..,, ~ mre
anu inc nanrs dart, oariho eui"ush .ne arIit
may oe IoI miles, certainty as iar :. ":y nn9 inc
s.I 20 Ictu ,hem. !ney neat the IA. a"I hro
othsr objects, thus ministerinS to their own Jury.
IL y was TINS nrc that burned peshtigo, the o2n-
M aon Deng PrSoaOiy kindied IN the air from
liz c,Ia neaItn or factory chimney. Read
' |. Ths ai.,{.;..mt . i.ss,'p ~ .1
-. -. ,s.",en,S anew VI the uI9 iii the Sicin-
~; OUT Ihey nad back-Dirncd all around the
III ,aso, anu a;n not apPrehshd any danger until
TO. ny e." ~ vi nIo puss uP1n 'nehi. Iherc were
, :. .:ss 'niee nundIeu ouidnts IN the place. and
u "'.son minutes AFTER tne hre Struck the vii
49, ~ ane' T, ~as no. Duiding ina. was not in
..es. ine heavens seemed inii Oh hre, and the
aIn wa covered Win IL. IL was preceded with
~. I."a Vi snoke, 'n.ek ana piack Us md.
.'fu. va. Aness, anu WHEN u toucned the ground
' oeca'ue sneet OF hVing nre, and licked mp the
sa,s .na G"st ~ the streets. Nothing iiv.
~ cG ;.,. sIana before It. All not Paraiyzed
''n intchsest lear ned toward the river, and .
nose VINO were not overtaken by the fiery de- i,
ION a anu ourned M IN an instant. plunged into ,
W 70 .ne,I neeks' anu even only saved
1877 ~ " eon.i"~y WPPdhg the'r heads 4
mJaan ' ., SUFFICE; MANY were crowned after
r.cunS .ne river, neins too much exhausted TO 4
a.s;, i' y. 1871 ~ tne water Il y simply i'm.
nndav p;.ht '"' ','''o'' VI '"a' a"iui v
" TT.;.' :. ILL.,, H.. 49,. v
4.