Milford chronicle., 1892-03-04
&

u
tacle presents picture Of grandeur s6,=-
times too awful to be really beautiful.
If there were policeman on every raj
road locomotive in the Dakotas to net a
spark arrester, the number of prairie fires
would no doubt be almost as great as 1t is
now.
The prairie grass of that region does not
remain green until killed by the frosts-oi
/ autumn, but ripens as do the small grgJns.
1t is plumply filed with an oily suhs Ance
very nutritious for grazing purposes AID
highly infammable. The exceedingly
meager rainfall and the entire absence =
dews in the greater portion of thoseS
serve to put the grass in the bey y
condition for making fierg Il
when aided by the strong WI 3
most constantly blow over thGs
Every dweller of the great nj c is
more or less familiar with y Tres.
They have often at nightfaI 6heir
lurid lights in the distant ho ii, or by
day their huge volumes of 81 IKE rising
and bending 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 falling
of burned particles Of grass, that have been
carried long distances by strong air cur
rents.
Later on smoke may be seen on the dis.
tant horizon, which increases in volume
and blacSness until the whole sky may be
darkened; or, If the night be coming ON.
the flames will light up the whole land
scape and their glow will be reflected
above, The wise Dakotan has his farm or
ranch protected by fircbreaks. These are
usually made by blowing two strips, few
furrows wide and several rods apart, and
burning the grass between.
There is but little likelihood of putting
OI;t Dakota prairie fire during the day |
rs tie wind, which is almost invariably /
blowing, AMI which the fire seems to /
greatly increase in force, never lulls until |
the coming of night. Them though there |
is no dewfall in that region, the fire burns |
less iiercel5 and may he at times entirely |
a,stiisaished. The most successful method 4
Of putting out are, and one frequently |
employed, is to kill horse or caW, and /
splitting the carcass drag it along the.gre
line and over the flames, VIII. h are thiIs4
n
This is done hy attaching long wire ropl.s /
20 two limbs of the carcass, 10 each Of
which is hitched a horse on which is an ex
rider. One of there horsemen
ides OH either side of the line of fire. and
y skiliful refining they draw the body Of
he dead animal directly oder the flames
Sometimes fresh hide, weighted dow
With pieces of iron fastened to it, is uset \
instead Of the carcass Of an animal. By $
his method a line Of fire twenty miles in I
angth may be extinguishcd in one night.
len on foot usually follow after the horse
zen and pat out any fire that may remain 6
fter they have passed Il
The scene presented by such a company
fire fighters is extremely weird ana one
-hich behOlder is not likely to forget. i
ortunate it is if those interested com o
Iete their work before the coming of u
avn, for if they do not the rising Of the
ind may send the fire leaping over the 6
'ea of couatry they have labored to save. "
I'd blackened plains and the smoldering b
saps that mark the sites of former ranches
I'd homesteads will tell the oft told story IN
the Dakota prairie fire.-Chicago Her 2,
d. :,