The Dickinson press., 1883-10-20
THROUGH f REAND SMOKE,
Exciting Ride on a Train. Amid the
Kissing and Cracking of Blazing
Wood

Exciting Ride on a Train. Amid the
Kissing and Cracking of Blazing
Wood.
From q Portland (Oregon) Letter.
Through Idaho and down the mighty
Columbia is a journey worth a pilgrim
g around the world. We have seen
its wonders, but a a euantlet of fire at
its portal, where, in an hour, NATURES
labor of a hundred years was being
swallowed up in smoke and roaring
flames. All day yesterday the air was
blue with smoke. The mountains looked
dim, or drew their jagged peaks clear
out of sight. For a day or two it had
been hazy toward the west, and we had
heard stories of the forest fires. Yes
terday, however, the smoke grew thick
er and rolled upon the westerly winds
in dense clouds. Last night we had a
glimpse of the Inferno. We had
left Montana to cross Idaho, whenabout
8 O'Clock the train came to a stop with
out a moments warning in the midst of
a wilderness. We fastened to the plat
form and looked forward. There was
spread out a panorama such as seldom
greets the eye of man. The forest was
n mass of seething flame. The engine
,spanted a time or two, and then, gather
ing courage, crept nearer. A few hum
dred yards, and it again came to astand-
still. 1t was Impossible to pass. The
heat made the paint on the cars crack.
The glass of the windows grew feverish
under the heated breath from the fire,
There was, amid all the glare, the roar
Of an approaching tornado, cracking
and popping like a giants whip. This
was accompanied by a kissing like the
sound of frying salt, as the green foli-
age of the living pines was consumed
with a white flash. This roaring and
cracking and swapping, terrible as it
was, only set off the grand accompani-
ment offalling trees. Every five seconds
a giant, with the strength of a score of
centuries, measured his 200 feet across
the fiery bed to which he had been
felled: He stood still, scaredto the core,
n his hoary top was crowned with fire.
As he yielded the mountain rolled back
the booming of cannon from one height
to the other. We hold our breath and
gaze at the sky, overcast with leaden
smoke, tinted here and there with a
giant is still for a moment. The fire
breaks through the gloom of the forest
in a new place. The f"mes go racing
nike demons Up tall trees and CULVER in
their top like ruddy lanterns
for a moment. The foliage melts
away with the first hot
breath, and then the crashlngand boom
ing goes on again. For the moment the
rush and crackle is drowned, and the
very crags of the mountain side seem to
be rolling upon us from their seats above
our heads. We ask the conductor when
we can go on He says two hours. Long
piles of wood stored all about the track
have caught fire, and scores of China
men, with long poles in their hands, are
hurrying up from the ne arest station to
save the track from ruin. Two hours
pass, and still the Internal pendenomium
of Missing, roaring, cracking, booming.
crashing devastation goes on. The con
ductor and engineer are afraid to 80 on.
They fear the heat will fire our train.
Should it yield to the first spark il would
melt away tike finder in q furnace. For
over four hours We watched the scourge
till it drew away from us and let us
go.