St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-07
Their Narrow Escape From a
Most Horrible Calam-
ity.
Charges Of Felonious Assault
Against a Leading
Lawyer.
Dubuque Closes the Week
With Two Suieides--North-
west Notes.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
CHAMBERLAIN, S. D., april 6.-The
great blizzard of 1888 became famous,
and will be remembered for many years
for its destructiveness to life and its
length and severity. But the
wind storm that visited South
Dakota Tuesday and Wednesday
while probably not having strewn in its
path so much of pain and death, has left
blackened reminders in the ashes of
homes and villages. 1t was veritable
simeon of fire, dust, smoke and destruc-
ton. The counties of South Dakota
will feel the effects of the storm for
years. The wind began blowing at IL
o'clock Tuesday, and by 1 o'clock the
air was filled with dust and ashes
from the prairies. which had been
burned over few days previous, and it
was next to impossible to cross the
street or live in the Storm" The train
from the East had a terrible experience
two miles east of Mount Vernon. A de-
structiye prairie fire was raging at that
point, and the dust and smoke made
the surroundings as dark as night.
The engineer plunged the train into
the darkness, and the first thing
he knew he found the ties on fire for
nearly mile ahead. He checked the
train, fearing to advance lest he should
find no track ahead of him, and there,
in the suffocating smoke and scOrching
heat, with blazing ties underneath Il e
train and flames on each side of O
track, the crew sought to eXtingui ii
the flames and save the train. The pas
sengers became excited and pleaded
to be released from the death by fire or
Sutfocation that seemed SO near at hand;
children cried from pain and gasped for
fresh air, and strong men became deS-
perate and left the train to fight the
flames, onty to return to the coaches eX-
hauSted. For time escape looked inn
possible, and several of the
PASSENGERS GAVE UP;
several ladies prayed aloud, and some
Of the male passengers swore at the OBJ
tuseness of the engineer for going into
that hell of fire and smoke so far that he
could not return, while on all faces
were pictured the fright so natural to
mankind when death appears to be only
few moments. hence. Hardy.
determined manhood paled at
the prospect. The train crew
and passengers worked heroically.
men bent forward, gasping for breath,
felt their way to the tender and got
water to dash on the burning ties,
while others went few feet ahead of
the engine to see whether it was safe to
move ahead. 1t was dangerous to
move. Behind. the road was on fire
as far as the eye could see, while ahead
all was darkness and mystery. But it
was death to linger in that caudron,
OF fire, and when the surroundings either
meant moving or death, the effort was
worth the attempt, and a start was
made. The suspense and horror of the
few moments required to pass over the
burning track and through the terrible
heat and smoke cannot be eX-
pressed. No one knew but that the
train would tumble into the ditch
aud be a mass of flames in mo-
ment. The passengers look back upon
that hour on burning track, in gale
nearly equal to cyclone, as the most
trying of their lives. One such ex-
perience is enough for lifetime. The
passage was made in safety, and when
the danger was over words of praise
were uttered at the almost miraculous
escape of all on board.