The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-03-04
SURROUNDED BY FIRE.

Life upon the Border" is always at
tended with more or less danger and ex-
element, and, even Iowa, in her adj
vanced stage, is not exempt from it.
There are still large tracts of unsettled
prairie over which devastating flames
sweep annually, Notwithstanding the fact
that..our laws attach heavy penalties to the
crime of setting out fires at this season
of the year. On the evening of Novem-
Der 2, 1880, / rode out for the distance
of seven miles, to witness a prairie fire,
that might accurately describe it to our
readers.
The settlement extends about five
miles east of Bur Oak Grove, and from
thence an uncultivated prairie, twenty
five miles in width, offers grand scope
for the flames. On the evening in ques-
ton, we assembled an emiIence and be-
held one unbroken line of fire extending
from north to south, as far as the eye
could reach, now bending to the east for
a mile or two, and now to the west,
bounded on one side by a blackened
waste, on the other by brown expanse,
over which the flames were steadily adj
vancing.
As it moved over the short upland
grass, it was not more than a foot in
height; in other places it shot skyward
in fiery Jets, as it struck the swampy
ground, where reeds and flags grew rank
and tall, while, scattered over the black
ened space, huge pyramids of flame
lighted the scene for miles around, mark
ing places where tons of hay were max
ing midnight fires.
The wind was low, and the line moved
leisurely along, in strong contrast with
the evening before when young man
residing with his widowed mother upon
the outskirts of the settlement had dis
covered the fire sweeping down upon
them, borne by fierce head-wind that
threatened to destroy all before it.
The usual mode of protecting isolated
farms, is to pillow a strip of land about
twenty feet in width around the premises,
and in ordinary cases the fire will not
pass over; but it was evident that, with
such breeze, blowing would be of but
little avail, and in company with the
nearest neighbor, the young man under
took the hazardous work of fighting il
by back fires, that is, by burning the
prairie in small patches before it has
time to sweep down in one extended line,
In places, it was easy enough; in others,
it required all their efforts to keep il
from getting beyond their control. For
several hours they kept it within bounds,
but suddenly whirlwind passed through
the fire, scattering the sparks and
burning grass in a luminous shower
about them.
The fire started anew in a thousand
places, as sparks caught and ignited, ex.
panding in flaming sheets of light, which
grew wider and wider with every breath
of the wind.
"Merciful Heaven! we are surround
edr' exclaimed the older man, as HI
glanced hastily about for some means o
escape.
There was no time for consultation
the flames were sweeping down from thu
east, borne by the resistless force of tn,
wind which caught the tall grass as j
burned off at the roots, and hurled j
forward upon the infiammable vegetation
beyond.
If they retreated before it, they mus
pass over piece of swampy ground
where grass and reeds grew rank ant
strong, with every prospect of -bein,
overtaken in a worse place than wher
they were.
On came the flames like wrathfu
fiend. Every moment the air grew hot
ter and the sparks thicker as the danger
Gus element was borne toward them Oh
the wings of the wind, and each actin,
upon his own impulse fed in opposite di
rections. The younger man ran straigh
toward the flames, and although tn
burning space appeared to be only a line
he found it much wider than he SUP
posed, and instead of clearing it with
bound, as he had. intended, he wa
obliged to pass over several rods G
blazing grass, and when he reached tn
space already burned his hair and eye
brows were badly singed and his coat o
fire. Quickly drawing off the garment
he succeeded in extinguishing it, an
then looked around expecting to see hi
neighbor, but the older man had run OF
into the slough, and lay down with onl
his head above the water to await tn
coming of the flames. In few moment
the place was completely hidden fror
view by the crimson sheet that sweI
over it; how human being could liv
in the midst of so much fame and smok
seemed too deep mystsTy, and as 500
as the grass had burned sufhcie1tl
away the young man returned to loo
for bis missing cOmrade- When II