Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-07-04
FOREST FIRES.
A Graphic Description.
THANK God 7"

clouds poured down torrents Of rain
hour after houT--enough to drown out
even forest fire.
There is something terrible con-
nected with such a calamity as befel
Mt. Carmel there is feeling CT awe
and chilli OF fear as one walks over
the path of a tornado; but men who
have never witnessed a forest fire have
but faint idea of its terrible power
10 almost blot county off the map.
1t is more terrible than a tornado
more appalling than the swift-moying
woodworking cyclone.
People wonder how a wilderness Of
trees, each tree clothed in its spring
dress, can become sea of flame, but
everything is food for forest fire.
If the first sheet Of flame does not
smite the green pine or deyour the
leaves of the beach and maple, it
parcheS and dries them for the flames
to follow, and the stout pine, shooting
hundred feet high, becomes beacon
light for moment, then SWays, tot
tiers and goes down with an awful
crash. to burn until a heap of ashes
alone marks tne earth.
Your correspondent was in Osceola
County when the fires first began. In
the midst of wilderness Of pine and
thicket, miles away from village or
hamlet, was pioneers cabin. The
clearing around it comprised about
ten acres. Some of the ground was
ready Tor corn, and some of it had
been sowed and planteo. while the
forest around was SO damp and green
that one would have smiled at the idea
of great sheets of flame climbing those
tall trees and waving fifty feet above
them. one night some hunters built
a grand ire against heap of dry logs.
The next day they were miles away,
and the fire had begun to creep. Lit
tie tongues of flame reached out after
dry sticks and limbs, larger tongues
followed them, and before night the
fire had control of an acre of forest.
That was start enough. At midnight
the wind came up fresh, and the heat
of the fire drove through the forest,
scorchlng and baking trail for the
red flames.
I'm afraid there is fire in the
woods to the west of us said the
pioneer one morning us we stood at his
cabin door.
We could scent the odor Of burning
trees and leaves, and there was Il
smoky look to the forest. At noon the
odor was stronger, the smoke denser,
and the live stock around the clearing
began to exhibit signs of alarm. When
the oxen We're uuyoked to be fed they
turned their heads t. the west, scent
ed the air for a moment, and then
charged across the clearing to the
east at tull speed, being out OF sight III
two minutes.
THAT means danger" said the
pioneer, and he turned pale He be-
ileyed the lire to be III Il large swamp
ten miles away, but hardly thought it
possible for the green forest to ignite.
We sat down to dinner, meaning to
hunt for the oxen atterward; but be-
fore the meal WAS over there was Il
fresh cause for alarm. y buck and
two does dashed into the clearing.
closely followed by fox, a score of
rabbits and a dozen coons and wood
chuchs. The deer Fan To the far edge
of the clearing rs we Went out. but the
other animals scarcely noticed us.
You 20 forward as far aS you can,
and see what the danger is, and vile
and will get ready tor run" said
the pioneer, us the smoke grew thicker
At that moment fresh alarm and Il
new warning reached us. There came
a roar like the sea gives when rushing
in upon a broken beach. We had not
heard it before. 1t was q steady, ter
rible roar, rising above all other
sounds. \ coming whirlwind might
have created the same sound. The
rush OF Il vast herd of butIaloeS might
have created such roar. 1t WAS aw-
full The ground trembled. the smoke
became blacker, and the heat was like
the rush o. air from hot oven.
1t isn't mile away--we must run
for our lives" shouted the settler.
He had three children. picked up
a boy OF seven. The pioneer seized
his girl, two years younger. and the
wife took the sleeping babe from the
cradle. There wasn't time to take
down a spare garment from the wall
to pick up cherished gilt or treas
ured relic.
This way-hurry" | heard the
pioneer call our and, gaspng for
breath and blinded 10y the smoke,
pushed on after him.
The roar WAS louder and grauder and
more terrible Falling upon us and
around us Were little brands of tire,
and To the west, hult a mile away, was
a wall OF tame a hundred feet high "A
wall winch was coming down upon the
clearing at the rate of six miles an
hour. Tie wall of fire was twelve
miles lrlrT and tine U1tpr, nf aI-.