Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-01-13
WON FROM
THE FAHW WES
BY T. s. eREEN.
tlf1r1tt1x1tu ut1ztht y " t1kt1I1k11ta tttaK
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicateJ

Great forest fires had been numer-
Gus that spring in the mountainous
districts of northern Arizona. There
had been two dry years in succession,
leaving the country veritable tinder
box. Added to this were the heavy
and persistent sp.ing winds that would
fan small spark into araging hell in
few hours.
The government officers and line
riders were kept on constant move
to save the country from confiagra-
ton. The country was sparsely set
tied. Here and there, miles apart,
where a small seep or spring furnished
be found, deep in the woods. A rough
er and more rocky country never lay
outdoors. Canyons split it up in all di-
rections; mesas were covered. with
pine timber and on the rocky, seamy
sides of the hills were thick cedars and
ch .parral, making tangled jungle
that even the old pioneers would oc-
casionally get lost in.
II was late in the spring when the
biggest fire of decade broke out, and
at time when the wind was blowing
a terrific gale. 1t marked as high as
60 miles an hour, falling at sunset,
seemingly to rest for the coming day
when it would break out again with
renewed force.
A small camp fire left unattended
started the sea of fame on its journey
of destruction. A heavy wind was be-
hind it, driving ii due north toward
the highest peaks of the mountains
The government rider in charge Of
the district fought it for two days
with what help he could get from the
ranchcrs, but on the third day it broke
away from him. He rode to the nearest
telegraph station and wired his su,
perior officer for help. Help which
was 20 miles away, and soon force OF
20 men was on it's way as fast as
horses could run. The driver rolled
and swayed in his seat, bracing now
and then against his seat-mate as
the four-horse team swung around thu
Smoke covered the whole country
for miles around; valleys were fillet
with it, and great black clouds hung
over and hid the mountain peaks. A!
far as the eye could reach there wa.
"a leaping, twisting, roaring sea o
flame. AS the night wore on, tn,
smoke settled more closely to th'
ground and shut out the moonlight
adding more to the awful beauty o
the wild scene; giant trees blazing
from root to the topmost branohe
gave out their spectral, shimmerinl
light, which seemed to gain in size un
til they appeared many times their &C
tual size and height
Above the din and roar came tn
occasional boom Of distant tree as /
crashed down into the canyon beloy
upon the rocks; up steep mountain
sides the flames rolled andi cracked
darting here and there, licking up ev
erything in its reach; the wind whirle'
ii here and there; boiling smoke role,
close to the ground, covering the mel
and choking them until they wer
nearly strangled; now and then the,
would come stumbling out of the blacl
smoke and stagger away TO get thei
breath. Then after few gasps o
fresh air got by lying close to tn
ground, back they would go again
black and begrimed; beating the fir
out here, chopping and cutting ava,
logs, fighting like fends to stop tn
spread,
Along toward morning, Charlie Lew
Is, one of the regular range riders O
the district, came up to the officer i
charge of the reserve, with an anxiou
look on his begrimed and sweaty fac,
I Captain If amt mistaken, there
a ranch over there in that draw abou
a mile to the left. l hadn't though
of II before, but old man William
lives there. He moved back there abou
month ago with his daughter.
think something oughter be done I
see If he ain't got out of there befor
the fire runs onto him"
"Good God, man, no one could q
through this living hell for a mil
and come out alive. Unless" he ad,
ed. half to himself, ''unless thei
happened to be a break in the fiji