Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-10-18
A FOREST FIRE IN THE FAR WEST.

Through Idaho and down the mighty Co.
lumbia, is a journey worth Il pilgrimage
around the world. We have seen it's won
ders, but ran gauntlet Of fire at its portal,
where, in an hour, natures labor Of a hun
dred years was being swallowedu 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. Yesterday, how
ever, the smoke grew thicker, and rolled
upon the westerly winds in dense clouds.
Last night we had Il glimpse OF the Inferno.
We had left Montana to cross Idaho, when
about o'clock the train came to stop with
out q moments warning, in the midst of a
wilderness. We FASTENED to the platform
and looked forward. There was spread out
Il panorama such asseldom greets the eye of
man. The forest was one mass of seething
flame. The engine painted time or two,
and then, gathering courage, crept nearer.
\ few hundred yards and it again came to
standstill. 1t was impossible to pass.
The heat made the paint on the cars crack.
The glass of the windows grew feverish un-
der the heated breath from the fire. There
was, amid all the glare, a roar of fanapprOach-
ing tornado, cracking and popping like Il
giants whip. This was accompanied by Il
Kissing like the sound Of frying salt, as the
green foliage Of the living pines was con-
sumed with Il white flash. The roaring and
cracking and swapping, terrible as it was,
only set off the grand accompaniment OF
falling trees. Every five seconds, Il giant,
with the strength of 4 score of centuries,
measured his POO feet across the fiery bed to
which it had been felIed. He stood still,
scared to the core, and his hoary top was
| l,rr, frn A. "a \,inlflnfl
mountains rolled back the booming Of can
non from one height to the other. We hold
our breath and gaze at the sky, overcast with
leadcn smoke, tinted here and there with a
rosy hue. The crashing of the falling gi-
ants is still for moment. The fire breaks
through the gloom Of the forest in u new
place. The flames 90 racing like demons
up tall trees and culver in their tops like
ruddy lanterns for u moment. The foliage
meltS away with the first hot breath, and
then the crashing and booming goes on
again. For Il moment the rush and cracltle
is drowned, and the very crags Of the noun
tain side seem to be rolling upon us from
their seats above our heads. We ask the
conductor when Wecan 90 on. He says two
hours. Long piles Of wood stored all about
the track have caught fire, and scores of Chi
namen, with long poles in their hands, are
hurrying up from the nearest station to save
the track from ruin. Two hours pass, and
still the internal pandemonium of Kissing,
roaring, cracking, booming, crashing de-
vastation goes on. The conductor and en-
gnccr are afraid to go on. They fear the
heat will fire our train. Should it yield to
the first spark it would melt away like tim
der in furnace. For over four hours we
watched the scOurge, till it drew away from
us and let us go.-P0rtio1d (Opyon) Letter.