The Mineral argus., 1884-02-28
THROUGH FIREAND SMOKE

Exciting Ride on a Train Am,o
Kissing and Cracking Of 3Iaz,no
Wood.
From a Portland (Oregon) Letter.
Through Idaho and down the MIGHTY
Columbia is a journey worth a PILGRIM
age around the world. We have seen
its wonders, but ran a guantlet of fire at
lts portal, where, in an hour, natures
labor of a hundred years was BEING
swallowed up in smoke and roarino
flames. All day yesterday the air was
Diue with smoke. The mountains looked
dlm, or drew their jagged peaks clear
out OF sight. For q day or two il 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 dens clouds. Last night we had a
glimpse of the Inferno. We had
left Montana to cross Idaho, when abonf
. 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 h eye of man. The forest was
one mass of seething flame. The engine
painted a time or two, and then, gather
ing COURAGE, crept nearer. A few hun
Gred yards, and it again came to a stand
still. 1t was impossible to pass. The
heatm 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
Of frying salt, as the green foli-
age OF the living pines was consumed
with a white fash. This roaring and
cracking and swapping, terrible as IL
was, only set off the grand accompani-
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
He stood still, scared to the core,
and 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
at the sky, overcast with leaden
smoke, tinted here and there with a
rosy hue. Ina crashing of the falling
giant is still for a moment. The fire
breaks through the gloom of the forest
n a new place. The homes go racing
ike demons Cp tall trees and culver in
heir top like ruddy lanterns
for a moment. The foliage melts
away with the first hot
breath, and then the crashing and boom
ng goes on again. For the moment the
'ush and crackle is drowned, and the
1ery crags of the mountain side seem to
De rolling upon us from their seats above
'ur heads. We ask the conductor when
can go on. He says two hours. Long
piles of wood stored all about the track
ave caught fire, and scores of China
men, with long poles in their hands, are
lurrying up from the ne Arrest station to
ave the track from ruin. Two hours
Ass, and still the internal pendenomium
+ kissing, roaring, cracking, booming,
rashing devastation goes on. The con-
uctor and engineer are afraid to 20 on.
hey fear the heat will fire our train.
hould it yield to the first spark il would
lelt away tike finder in a furnace. For
yer four hours We watched the scourge
II it drew away from us and let us
D.