The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1903-06-18
0AuoHr IN a FoREsr rIRE.
nfeaAfnl Expsrienee Of Expaerera IN
nerning Ttnber in Hudaon
Mar nsKioa.

A Reoiogist who explored with two
eompahions a region on the western
ehofd of Hudson bay had an expert
Iehts - fores. fire which could
hardy be equaled In scope and fierce
aess farther south, where the woods
ars broken by settlement The men
had pushed far 20 the north Of Port
Nelson into land inhabited by tribes
q Indians. where no white man had
isit y trace, relates Youths Com-
| panion
Wo had crossed the mouth Of .
stream, he says, which forked twice
some distance from where II opens
into the bay, making two long. mar
dow dSltaH. BY aundown we had gone
3 mile OF so north Of the upper
branch. The air grew hot and dry.
The light IN the western sky was
more dense and solid than that OF the
sunset. and Il extended round to the
north beyond the range Of tho set
ting sun. We knew that II was firs,
and halted on a riaing slope, where
we could get a broad view OF the
sky.
"The wind was from the northwest,
and the fire must be coming straight
toward u.s. In the hope Of reaching
one Of the deltas of the stream which
We had crossed about mile to the
south. we turned back and walked
for our lives.
eve reached the upper branch OF
the stream before the fire overlook
US, erossea IT, and sat painting on the
southern shore. The sun had set,
apd the FIRE marked its limits In
wide sweep covering the northwest
"As we sat waiting, the bush across
the stream erackled, and five or SIX
deer broke from the woods and stood
on the bank, smiling.
'sThe air grew dense. a duh roar
like a dlItaht surf was blown TO us
from the north. / climbed halfway
up a small tree, and then / saw n
sight. Perhaps Ave miles away came
Are, sea Of red fame under a wall
OF smoke that rolled on in advance.
Before ] descended from the tree
the smoke was on us. One Of my
companions, noting that the trees on
the delta were Of smaller growth,
thought we were safer on the lower
delta. with two strips Of water and
an island between us and the fire.
So we moved on few hundred yards
90 the next mouth of the stream.
"We were wrapped in smoke. The
roar Of the fire grew like storm.
We wnded into the water. took of
our coats, and wrapped them wet
about our heads. Then we noticed
that we were not alone. Round rs,
only few yards away. stood groups
of horned creatures. Behind us a
black shape lay IN the water. evident
" bear The danger had made the
whole world kin. and fear of the COM
mon enemy had made all the driven
animals tame To each other.
ASHES and cinders settled over US.
and we bowed our heads close to the
water. The heat grew intense. Then
with a stride the FIRE burst over the
northern bank. We weded 20 the
south shore aud waited. Our coats
grew hot on our heads. and We
'ducked' again and again. I turned
and looked at he FIRE. II mounted.
should say. more than a hundred
feet and leaped across the stream
which was fully 200 feet wide. Tn
der that leaning bank of fame We
crouehed IN the water. which grew
tepld. and wns foul with the count
less animals that for miles up we're
seeking shelter in It.
ct was impossible for rs to push
on to the next stream. We were
dazed and parched. and II the fire
leaped this stream Il would have
caught Us In the woods.
suddenly raised my head and
INV the fiames Ike clouds Of Are leap
over our heads AID seixe the tops Of
the trees on the southern bank. The
Are had jumped the stream.
"For an hour We stayed In the wa
ter waiting for the FIRE 70 burn out
on the northern shore. 4 great
wearineas and sfupor weighed us
down. Presently we felt the air
grow clearer and cooler. Il was rain
ing. and we dragged ourselves to the
northern bank. where we lay with
our noses close 70 the baked earth
and slept.
"Afterward we learned that the
fire had ruined a stretch Of timber
800 miles long and IS miles wide.
tract as long rs from noston tc Buf-
falo and halt as wide again as the
nor,h-and-south breadth Of Massa-
ehusetts."
n.s4.a.s- 80