The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-11-25
NOVEL FIRE FIGHTING.
How the Farmers of Dakota Put
Out Prairie BIazes.
FIRE BREAKS AROUND ALL FARMS
The Flames Lashed with the Hide or
Carcass of Horse or Ox-The Weird
Spectacle of n Prairie Fire.

VINO ever neard OF billing morse or an
OK as the first step TO be taken towards
putting out prairie fire? What dweller
In the Dakotas has not heard OF 1t? For
1t is frequently done by the settlers Of the
northwest where prairie fires are q greatly
dreaded menace to life and property It
was the chief OF once important tribe Of
Indians who remarked upon completing a
sightseeing tour through the principal
cities OF the east: GOOD. heap good; not
so good as a prairie firep'
One who has never seen fierce prairie
fire has missed one OF the grandest sights.
To the beholder who knows that no loss OF
life or property will result from II such a
spectacle presents a picture OF grandeur
sometimes too awful to be really beauti-
full.
IL there were policeman on every rail-
road locomotive In the Dakotas to act as
a spark arrester the number of prairie
fires would no doubt be almost as great as
1t is now. The prairie grass of that re-
gion does not remain green until lied
by the frosts OF autumn, but ripens as do
the small grains. 1t is plumply filled with
an oily substance very nutritious for
grazing purposes and highly infiammable.
The exceedingly meager rainfall and the
entire absence OF dsws in the greater por-
tion OF those States serve to put the grass
in the best possible condition for making
a fierce. quick fire. when aided by the
strong winds that almost constantly
blow over those prairies.
Every dweller of the great northwest is
more or less familiar with prairie fires.
They have often at nightfall seen their
lurld lights in the distant horizon or by
day their huge volume OF smoke, rising
and blending with the clouds, and many
are even familiar with the consuming
march Of the flames themselves. Probably
the first intimation the settler receives OF
an approaching fire comes from the fall
Ing OF burnt particles OF grass that have
been carried long distances by strong air
currents. Later on smoke may be seen on
the distant horizon, which increases In
volume and blackness until the whole
sky may be darkened, or, IL night
be coming on, the flames will light
up the whole landscape and their
glow will be reflected above. The
wise Dakotan has his farm or ranch pro-
tected by fire breaks. These are usually
made by plowing two strips a few fur
rows wide and several rods apart and
burning the grass between. An inventive
genius OF North Dakota has just patented
device for making fire break. 1t Is a
sheet-ron contrivance five feet wide and
seven feet long and about two feet high.
On top OF IL are three circular reservoirs
for holding gasoline. Underneath Is
arranged a series OF burners designed to
set fire to the grass as the machine passes
over 1t. TIE main part Of the apparatus
il followed by a sheet-iron trailer In three
sections, each five by seven ieet. While
the first two of these are passing over
the grass 1t is supposed to be we'll con-
sumed. and the final trailer is designed to
extinguish every particle OF tire.
The Great Northern and Mort ern Paci-
fic Railroads, profiting by the experience
OF former years. are using every precau-
tion against starting prairie fires. They
have ploughed fire breakers along their
lines of road wherever there is grass
enough to burn. Last year they paid
hundreds OF thousands OF dollars to farm
ers and ranchmen for damages done by
fires ignted by locomotives which item
OF expense they hope to greatly diminish
this year. Locomotives have been known
to set the grass on fire In over fifty places
In going a mile, and when these blazes
have an unrestricted field In which TO
spread themselves the damage they may
do Is very considerable.
There is but little likelihood Of putting
out Dakota prairie fire during the day.
as the wind, which is almost invariably
blowing and which the fire seems to
greatly increase In force, never lulls until
the coming OF night. Then, though there
Is no dewfall in that region, the Are burns
less fier cely. and may be at times entirely
extingulshed. The most successful method
of putting out a fire, ana one frequently
employed, is to kill a horse or cow and
splitting the carcass, drag II along the
fire line and over the flames, which are
thus extinguished This is done by at
taching long wire ropes TO two limbs Of
the carcass, TO each OF which is
htched a horse, on which Is an expert
enced rider. Ono Of these horsemen
ride on either side Of the line OF fire
and by skillful relgning they draw the
body OF the dead animal directly over the
flames. Sometimes fresh hide, wei x hted
down With pieces Of iron fastened to 1t, Is
used instead OF the carcass OF an animal.
BY this method line Of fire twenty miles
in length may be extinguished In one
night. Men on foot usually follow after
the horsemen and put out any fire that
may remain after they have passed. The
scene presented by such a company OF
fire fighters is extremely weird and one
which a beholder is not likely soon TO for
get. Fortunate IL is IL, those interested
complete their work before the coming Of
dawn, for IL they do not the rising OF the
wind may send the fire leaping over the
area OF country they have labored to save,
and blackened plains and the smoldering
heaps that mark the sites OF former
ranches and homesteads will tell the Oft
told story OF the Dakota prairie fire.-Chi-
cago Herald.