The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-02-16
SURROUNDED By FIRE.

Life upon the Border is always at
aded with more or less danger and ex-
dement, and, even Iowa, in her ad-
/ nneed stage, is not exempt from it.
! There are still large tracts of unsettled
I Haiie over which devastating flames
weep annually, Notwithstanding the fact
hatour laws attach heavy penalties to the
I Hime of setting out fires at this, season
i d the year. On the evening Of Novem-
i sr2, 1880, / rode out for the distance
i dseven miles, to witness a prairie fire,
4 bat | might accurately describe it to our
q rsders. p 7s-sksa 2s ss'
I The settlement extends about five
niles east of Bur Oak Grove, and from
hence an uncultivated prairie, twenty
4 I've miles in width, offers q grand scope
4 irthe flames. On the evening in ques-
lon, we assembled an eminence and be-
hh one unbroken line Of fire extending
hum north to south, as far as the eve
Duld reach, now bending to the east for
mile or two, and now to the west,
bundled on one side by a blackened
Easte, on the other by brown expanse,
over which the flames were steadily ad-
ancing.
Asit moved over the short upland
Fass, it was not more than a foot in
height; in other places it shot skyward
hery jets. as it struck the swampy
ground, where reeds and flags grew rank
md tall, while, scattered over the black
sned space, huge pyramids of flame
lighted the scene for miles around, mark
ng places where tons of hay were MAX
ing midnight fires.
The wind was low, and the line moved
elsurely along, in strong contrast with
The evening before when Young man
residing with his widowed mother upon
me outskirts of.the settlement had dis
covered :, the fire sweeping down upon
mem, borne by a fierce 'head-wind that
threatened to destroy all before it.
The usual mode of protecting isolated
arms, is to plow strip of land about
twenty feet in width around the premises,
md IN ordinary cases the fire will not
pass over; .butit was evident that, with
sl saen . breeze, plowing would be of but
a'ale avail, and in company with the
nearest neighbor, the young man UNDER
@os the hazardous work Of fighting it
y eaek fires. that is, by burning the
prairie IN small patches before it has
" aae % sweep down in one extended line.
y PAGES, it was easy enough; in others,
y required all their efforts to keep it
.lom getting beyond their control. For
msefa ~ hours they kept it within bounds,
~ Sas sasddenly a whirlwind passed through
!, sae hre, scattering the. sparks and
y .nnin grass m a luminous shower
IN, Inc hre started anew in thousand
places' as sparks caught and ignited, ex-
mndlng in flaming sheets of light, which
slew q Wider and wider with every breath
u me wind. e essa feof5es
.,rs Merciful Heaven! we are surround
~ y exclaimed the older man, as he
Escape. - seS,1---S -AAo'''.' "a
u. .nere was no time for consultation; !.
s.s. .'e names were sweeping down from the
g: ~ oorne by the resistless force of the
S,aa s,aa winch caught the tall grass as it
sosa ss.neo OH at the roots, and hurled it
beyond. El11A feSSees''Aon
0.s. eley retreated before it, they must |
W.. Wy over a piece of swampy ground,
s,ss s,sls grass and reeds. grew rank and |
. aSs.s With every prospect of being |
lhav 'ansn ah V q worse place than where |
s.sa oa came the flames like a wrathful |
'sa asaa Every moment the air grew hot |
I, :, aau !, the sparks thicker as the danger
ba t. eaement was borne toward them on |
~ my wings of the wind, and each acting
~; ossa nls own impulse fled inopposite di-
owssn sas The younger man ran straight |
Ia,r; ra:u the flames, and although the
: = space appeared to be only a line,
,osas ) asuha It much wider than he sup
a0as su; and instead of clearing it with a
, ,bS,u, as he had intended, he was
eu 10 pass over several rods OF
n.aa grass, and when he reached the
,rass mn already burned his hair and eve
n s. we're badly singed and his coat on |
8 sn'ss 9mckiy drawing off the garment, |
hen s,.aeeded ,aas,ssae in extfnguishing it, and
e;rhs ia h'ooked around expecting to see his
Is oor, = out the older man had run out
= "'s slough, and lay down with only |