Chapter 12 cont. PRAIRIE FIRES Fires set out by Indians or settlers, sometimes purposely and sometimes permitted through carelessness, would visit the prairies every autumn and sometimes the forests, either in autumn or spring, and settlers could not always succeed in defending themselves against the destroying element.  Many interesting incidents are related.  Often a fire was started to bewilder game, or to bare a piece of ground for the early grazing of stock the ensuing spring, and it would get away under a wind and soon be beyond control.  Violet winds would often arise and drive the flames with such rapidity that riders on the fleetest steeds could scarely escape.  On the approach of a prairie fire the farmer would immediately set about "cutting off supplies" for the devouring enemy by a "back fire."  Thus by starting a small fire near the bare ground about his premises and keeping it under control next to his property, he would burn off a strip around him and prevent the attack of the on-coming flames.  A few furrows or a ditch around the farm were in some degree a protection. An original prairie of tall and exuberant grass on fire, especially at night, was a magnificent spectacle, enjoyed only by the pioneer.  Here is an instance where the frontiersman, proverbially deprived of the sights and pleasures of an old community, is privileged far beyond the people of the present day in this country.  One could scarcely tire beholding the scene, as its awe inspiring features seemed constantly to increase, and the whole panorama unceasingly changed like the dissolving views of a magic lantern, or like the aurora borealis.  Language cannot convey, words cannot express the faintest idea of the splendor and grandeur of such a conflagation at night.  It was as if the pale queen of night, disdaining to take her accustomed place in the heavens, had dispatched myriads upon myriads of messengers to light their torches at the alter of the setting sun until all had flashed into one long and continuous blaze. The following graphic description of prairie fires was written by a traveler through this region in 1849: "Soon the fires began to kindle wider and rise higher from the long grass.  The gentle breeze increased to stonger currents, and soon formed the small, flickering blaze into fierce torrent flames, which curled up and leaped along in resistless splendor, and like quickly raising the dark curtain from the luminous stage, the scenes before me were suddenly changed as if by the magician's wand, into one boundless amphitheater, blazing from earth to heaven and sweeping the horizon round, - columns of lurid flames sportively mounting up to the zenith, and dark clouds of crimson smoke, curling away and aloft till they nearly obscured stars and moon, while the rushing, crashing sounds, like roaring cataracts mingled with distant thunders, were almost deafening.  Danger, death, glared all around; it screamed for victims, yet, notwithstanding the imminent peril of prairie fires, one is loth, irresolute, almost unable to withdraw to seek refuge." Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L