Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-14
SCARE.
BY Fire the Phoenix City of
the Hills Escapes By Sheer Good Luck.
eadWO Pinneer. 9Th.

Surrounded BY Fire h Phoenix City of
h Hills Escapes By shee. Good Luck.
Deadwood Pioneer, 9Th.
Last night was q night Of wild excitement
and terror for Deadwood, which is still
staggering under the effects of the terrible
fire of September rs, that wiped the whole
town from the face of the earth. About
midnight last night, a hurricane was blow
ing which shook our strongest building to
its very foundations. Dense. sitting clouds
OF smoke began to roll down the gulches
from the direction of Central and Gayvllle.
A lurid glare soon lit up the whole heavens.
The alarm was sounded, for the cry of fire
ia a horror in Deadwood. Scouting parties
we're sent out, and soon the appalling re-
port came back tn 1t the whole country south
If us, mountaina, pine WOODS, bru.h and
stumps, everything was ATTIRE and the flames
we're sweeping on the wings of the tornado
toward our little city. The fire bells clang-
ed their harsh alarm. And in a few min
utes the whole population Of the place wa.
on the streets. Everything movable in the
western halfofthe city was packed. Wagons
we're loaded, and the streets we're damned
with people carrying their little all hitler
and thither in search of some safe retreat.
The wind roared and howled. The long
lines Of fame began to sweep in sight. The
mountain just south OF City creek was a
mass Of leaping, cracking, merciless flames.
The pinions of the storm we're laden with
red %damnation. Millions Of bushel. OF
eparks filed the air. All hell seemed
turned loose upon US. The hose com ,ani.s
were out and did everything they could,
but their utmost and bravest efforts were
like attempts to squirt Pandemonlurn out
with q syrlnge. Thousand. of citizens were
to be seen everywhere along the mountain
sides and wild crag-, re.ling in the hurri-
cane and fighting the blazing ho'ro with
the energy Of despair. The town was on
fire perhaps in five hundred places
during the night, but thank, to tn.
sleepless devotion of our people, it was
suppressed 10 every instance before any
damage vas done. "(3od grant us daylight
and ftop this damned Storm" was The
prayer that went up ten thousand times
during the eternity of night and fire. Day
light came at last. The flames had swept
all around Us. All creation was . blackened,
desolate waste for miles about our borders.
But. thank God, though a few cabins in the
suburbs had gone, aud though the fierce,
tempest driven hell in miniature had ragged
within a hundred yards Of our best subur
ban streets our little CITY was safe though
badly singed and Internally scared. Al Z
o'clock, as We write, drenched with whisky,
water and preparation, AMI covered with
mud from head to heels, people are moving
back into their stripped and cismantled
homes and business houses. Five hundred
families had fed with all they could remove,
but a few hours will put them all back in
their quarters. Some damage has been done
TO furniture and goods. but the losses are
slight. To our gallant hose companies, 10
every citizen who set his foot or p,nred a
bucket of water on an incipient conflAgra-
ton, and "a Gsd Almighty who turned the
wind from IN after the Ere crossed City
creek, be al the praise.