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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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