The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-10
WILDFIRE ON THE PRAIRIE.
Graphic Description of the On.
Coming of the Wall of Flame.

A Graphic Description of the On
Coming of the Wall of Flame.
From the Detroit Free Press.
We all sprung up to see one of the saddle
horses-a veteran i'll years and experience
standing with his head high in the air and
pointed due west. While he looks as fixedly
as il his eyes had lost their power to turn,
his nostrils culver and dilate with excite
| inent. We watch MIN full minute. He
was the first to exhibit alarm, but
| now one horse after another throws
| up his head and looks to the west
ITS fire, boysl"
Had il been night we should have seen
the reflection. Had there been a strong
wind the odor would have come to us
sooner. There is only gentle breeze
languishing, dying under the fierce sun, but
resurrected and given new lease of life at
intervals by an unknown power. But now
we can SEQ the smoke driving heavenward
and shutting the blue Of the west from our
vision-now the horses show signs that no
man could mistake. A great wall Of fame
fifty miles in length is rolling toward us,
famed and driven by breeze of its own
creation, but coming slowly aud grandV
Is takes me two or three minutes to climb
to the top of one of the trees, and from my
elevated position can get grand view Of
the wave Of fire which is driving before ID
everything that lives.
We work fast. Blankets are wet at the
spring and hung up between the trees to
make bulwark against the sparks and
smoke. the horses doubly secured, camp
equipaRe piled up and covered, and before
we are through we have visitors. Ten or
twelve buffaloes come thundering-pass the
grOve-halt and return to its shelter
crowding as close to the horses as they can
and showing no fear at our presence. Next
come three or four antelopes, their bright
eyes bullying out with fear, and their nos
trils blowing out The heavy odor with
snorts. One rubs against me and ticks my
hand.
Yelpl Yelpl Here are half dozen
wolves, which crowd among the buffaloes
and tremhle with terror and score Of
serpents race over the open ground to seek
the wet ditch which carries off the over
flow of the spring. Last to come, and only
a mile ahead OF the wave. which is licking
up everything in its path, is a mustangs
single animal which has somehow been
separated from his herd. He comes from
the north, racing to reach the grove before
the fire all cut him off, and he runs for
his life With his ears laid back, nose point
ing, and his eyes fixed on the goal, his pace
is that of a thunderbolt. He leaps square
over one pile of camp outfit, and goes ten
rods beyond before he can check himself.
Then he comes trotting back and crowds
between two of our horses with a low
whinny.
There Is a roar like Niagara, The smoke
drives over US in pail like Midnight. The
air seems to be one sheet of fame The
wave has swept up to the edge of the bare
ground and is dividing to pass us by. We
are in an oven. The horses snort and cough
and plunge; the wolves howl and moan as
the heat and smoke become intolerabls.
Thus for FIVE minutes, and then relief
comes The flame has passed, and the
smoke Is driving away. In this path is q
breeze, every Whit of which is an elixir.
In ten minutes the grove is 30 clear of
smoke that we can see every foot of earth
again. A queer sight it is. 1t has been the
haven or refuge for snakes, lizards. gophers,
prairie dogs, rabbits, coyotes, wolves, an
telopes, deer, buffaloes, horses and men
enmity. antipathy and hunger suppressed
for the nonce that all might live-that each
might escape the fiend in pursuit.
For half an hour nothing moves. Then
the mustang filings up his head blows the
last Of the smoke from his nostrils. and
starts off with flourish of bis heels The
buffaloes go next, the deer and the antelope
follow, and in five minutes we are left
alone.
For fifty miles TO the north, west and
south there is nothing but blackness-a
Landscape Of despair Away TO the east the
wall OF fire is still moving on and on, inn
placable, reentless-a fiend whose harvest
Is death, and whose trail is destruction and
desolation.
Do YOU KNOW how many si.bills 1t takes to weigh