Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-02-14
ENcIRcLED BY FLAME.
A Thrilling Experience in a Terrific rrairl
Fire.


Fire.
We whipped up the horses and drove
toward the upland, thinking thus to
escape the greatest danger. We reached
tine high ground before meeting any
flame, and we were greatly reioiced to
see that much of the grass was still
fairly green here, though thiclxly be-
strewn with patches of longer grass
that was dry.
The fierce flames now approached,
rushing along with furious speed,
s~aelsling and snapping-the sound
alone being sufficient to strike terror
to the stoutest heart. Galloping along
the line of fire, we found that whera Il
crossed a little ravine the flames wero
not so high, for the grass was quite
green there. We dashed through the
line of flame, suffering brief fortunes
OF suffocation, and a severe singing,
and smarting of our eyes, caused by
the intense heat and pungent smoke.
Once through, we congratulated our
selves on the hope that we should yet
escape; for, going in this direction,
right in the teeth of the wind, we could
travel more rapidly than the pursuing
flames.
While passing through the fire re-
called the proverb: Its an ill wind
that blows nobody good" for just in
advance of the line of flame clouds of
swallows darted here and there, catch
ing the hosts of insects started up by
heat of the burning grass.
We now heard galloping hoofs, and
We soon saw two Indians (Osages) APP
preaching through the smoke. "Where
are you going?" they asked, in their
| own language. '"To Gray Horse" our
driver replied, in the same tongue.
They told us that the prairie was q
mass of flame in that directirn, and that
we must go back. We responded that
all was flame in that direction. Not
withstanding the Indifference to dam
ger usually ascribcd to redskins, these
Indians showed unmistalxabl signs of
terror. Some further quick CONVERSE
ton informed us that they, like our
selves, had seized an opportunity to
penetrate the line of flame, thinking
thus to escape.
We all were now inclosed in gradu-
ally narrowing ring of fire. To clear
the space around us by burning off the
grass-to start a "back-fire," as it Is
ca!led-was our only chance for safety;
| and this we attempted. A large space
was cleared before the oncoming fire
| reached us. We hoped to escape with
| but singed eyebrows, and a few mo-
| ments of suffocation; and this we would
| have considered a fortunate deliver
| ance. But we found our last chance
| failing us. The back-fire we had started
against the wind had burned only the
dry grass, and in doing this had served
as q furnance to dry the greener grass.
Thus the prairie-fire, reaching our
burned district, found the greener
grasses killed and dried, and hence had
almost Us much fuel as outside.
The fire was now close around us.
The varying currents of air heated by
| the flame whirled and rose, and gusts
of cold air, rushing in to replace the
hot air, caused whirlwind, and a
great we'll of smoke and flame was
thus formed. Within this we'll we
| stood, as yet unframed and with con-
slant supply of cool air, but expecting
| death.
] 1t was a dreadful moment; the moth
| err and child were crying; the Indians,
with uplifted arms, were calling upon
the great spirit, in weird chant.
| Suddenly we felt an unusually strong
rush of cold air from one side, and,
| looking up, saw strange and well
come sight. A long tongue of flame
had ruu toward and into our circular
| prison from the main fire, and had
burned a lane from the outlying burnt
area in to us. Through this lane,
formed by walls of fire, came rushing
in current of cold, clear air. This
kept the smoke blown away, and we
saw plainly the path of scapo thus
providentially afforded us, when all
hope seemed gonc.-F. H. kellogg. in
| st. Nicholas.