Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-09-20
A RACE FOR LIFE.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM A MOUNTAIN FIRE
IN MONTANA.

Correspondent Herald Independent. ]
Canyon Ferry On. T.), August b.
Messrs. Leon e. Perry, who take pos
session of Canyon Ferry on September
LIST, have for the past three weeks been
in the mountains at the head of Maggie
getting out timber for large stable.
The mountains in the vicinity of Mag
pie were set on fire some days ago by a
party of prospectors, and the fire has
been ranging over quite an extent OF
country, but until yesterday no danger
was apprehended. About three o'clock
on the afternoon of the 18th instant,
Court Shcriff''s wagon and team started
down the canon loaded with fence poles,
and few minutes later Leon and Perry
followed with a heavy load Of hcwn tim
Der. They had got fairly in the cation
when the wind suddenly increased to a
lively gale, and before they could realiAa
the extreme danger of their position the
whole mountain was in flames. Putting
tho whip to their horses, they common
ced u race for their lives. To turn back
was impossible, the mountains rising
almost perpendicular on each side ofthe
canon. Their only hope lay in outstrip-
ping the fire, which was now at their
very heels. Judge of their surprise and
CONSERVATION on discovering a few rods
ahead the wagon which had preceded
them completely blocking up the road,
the driver having abandoned it to save
his horses. What was to be done now
must be done quickly. Perry was on
the point of giving the horses the whip
and tearing his way through, but the
colonel, with the cool head of an old
soldier, suggested throwing off the load
of fence poles and clearing the road.
Both set to work with will, and in a
few seconds had the poles unloaded, the
wagon uncoupled and tumbled down the
side of the mountain. The roar and
cracking of the flames and the booming
crash of falling timber was sufficient to
strike terror to the hearts of older noun
taineers than those who had only been
in the country few months. So cX-
hausted were they with the intense heat
and the severe eXertiOn of the last few
moments that they had barely sufficient
strength to Chamber on the wagon and
again commence the frightful race.
The fire in the meantime had got ahead
of them, and, putting the whip to then
now maddencd horses, began running
the gauntlet of fire. Trees were falling
in all directions around them; the at
mospherc was thick with smoke, and
impregnated with the fumes of burning
pitch, making it almost sutfocating'
Both faces We're beginning TO wear the
picture of despair. All hope ofevcr get
ting safely through had almost died
within them, when Perry CHANGED to re
mark that the Coloncl's wife would pro.
badly that night be widow. The
words acted like magic on the Colonel,
who, rising to his feet with mot by
adj sight began urging the horses
to renewed exertions with the end of 8
binding chain, the horses literally tear
ing their way over fallen trees and burnt
timber for u distance of half mile,
when they emerged into small clear
ing, where the fire had taken a turn and
again gone up the mountain. With the
exception of some slight damage to the
wagon and few bruises themselves,
they arrived safely at the ferry about
nine o'clock last night, and are to-day
around as usual We also learn thai
Captain Stafford was obliged to abandon
his loaded wagon the same afternoon il
Avalanche Gulch to the tender mercics
of the flames.