TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
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Told .<strong>by</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Pioneers<br />
SOPHUS JACOBSON<br />
P01'est Fire on <strong>the</strong> Peninsula<br />
:Mason County •<br />
One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most exciting experiences I remember and one I will<br />
always remember is <strong>the</strong> great forest fire in <strong>the</strong> Matlock· region,<br />
which started on September 12, 1902. We fought it day and night, and<br />
during <strong>the</strong> day <strong>the</strong> smoke was so heavy that we had to use lanterns<br />
to light our way. There was really no difference in lighting between<br />
<strong>the</strong> day and <strong>the</strong> night, and it became confusing as to which was which.<br />
FRANK E. BARNES<br />
Former Senator from Cowlitz County •<br />
The worst fire I remember was in 1902, when 250,000 acres <strong>of</strong> timber<br />
in Clark and Cowlitz Counties burned. .Most <strong>of</strong> this timber belonged<br />
to <strong>the</strong> ·Weyerhaeuse.r Timber Company,. which had a mill at.<br />
Yacolt, ·<strong>Washington</strong>. The smoke darkened <strong>the</strong> sun, so that, although<br />
we were fully one hundred miles distant; we had to use lights to.<br />
run our mill and <strong>the</strong> chickens went to roost in daytiine. All day, leaves<br />
would come floating through <strong>the</strong> air and light on <strong>the</strong> lake. When<br />
touched <strong>the</strong>y dissolved into ashes. Many people believed <strong>the</strong> world<br />
was coming to an end. There were many funerals for victims <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
fire.<br />
ALLEN CARTER<br />
Cowlitz County<br />
There was a terrible fire on <strong>the</strong> Lewis River in 1902. Many people<br />
were burned to death. The smoke was so bad one couldn't tell a man<br />
at arm's length at 10 :00 0 'clock in <strong>the</strong> morning. The headlight on <strong>the</strong><br />
engine looked like <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> a match. For three days <strong>the</strong> section<br />
hands couldn't take out <strong>the</strong> hand car . Trains crawled in with mail<br />
only, hours behind time. Lights burned all day and that day is known<br />
as "dark day." Tracy and Merrill were being hunted at that time.<br />
They got past here in <strong>the</strong> smoke and had gone on north, we found afterward.<br />
I went down town to get some lamp chimneys, and heard<br />
two fellows talking and walking on <strong>the</strong> ten foot puncheon road. We<br />
were each afraid <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r until I recognized <strong>the</strong>ir voices.<br />
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