Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-10-02
Through Fire and Water.
EXCITING RIDE ON TRAIN AMID THE HISS.
ING AND CRACKING OF BLAZING Woope.

tNe AMI AhACklNG pF bLAZtNG w OOD4.
Through Idaho and down the mighty CO.
lumbia 10 journey worth q pilgrimage
around the world. We have seen its won.
ders. hut ran gauntlet of FIRE at its portal,
where, in an hour, natures labor Of hun
dred 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 p. AXE clear
out Of sight. For day or two il had been
hazy toward the west, and we had heard
stories Of the forest fires. Yesterday, how
ever. the smoke grew thicker and rolled up.
| on the westerly winds in dense clouds. Last
night we had glimpse Of the Inferno. We
had left Montana to eros. Idaho. when
| about nire o'clock the train came to a stop
without moments warning in the midst Of
| wilderness. We fastened to the platform
and looked forward. There was spread out
panorama such as seldom greets the eye of
man. The forest was one mass Of seething
flame. The engine painted a time or two,
and then, gathering courage, crept nearer.
few hundred yards, and il again came TO a
standstill. 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 approach
ing tornado, cracking and popping like n
giants whip. This was accompanied by
kissing like the sound Of frying salt. a. the
green foliage Of the living pines was con-
| sumpd with a white flash. The roaring and
| cracking and swapping, terrible as 1t was,
only set of the grand accompaniment of
falling trees. Every five seconds q giant
with the strength of IA score of centuries,
measured his 200 feet across the fiery bed to
which he had been felled. He stood still.
scared TO the core, and his hoary top was
crowned with FIRE. As he yielded the mount
| aims 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
rosy hue. The crashing of the falling giant.
is still for moment. The fire breaks through
the gloom Of the forest in new place. The
| flames go racing like demons up tall trees and
quiver in their tops like ruddy lanterns for n
moment. The foliage n.elts away with the
first hrt breath, and then the crashing and
| booming goes on again. For the moment the
rush and crackle 10 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 90 on.
He says two hours. Long piles Of wood stored
all about the track have caught fire, and
scores Of Cinnamon, with long poles in their
hands, are hurrying up from the nearest sta
ton to save the track from ruin. Two hours
pass, and still the internal pandemonium OF
| Kissing, roaring, cracking. booming. crashing
devastation goes on. The conductor and
engineer are afraid to go on. They fear the
| heat will fire our train. Should II yield TO
| the first spark it would melt away like tinder
in furnace. For over four hours we watched
the scourRe till it drew away from u, and let
US go.-From the Portland (Oregon) Letter.