Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-10-24
SAVED BY A VIOLIN.
MARVELLOUS ESCAPE FROM THE
LATE FOREST FIRES.
Must We Go From Home to Get the News?
Here is Vivid Account Of an Occurrence
Said to Have Taken Place During Dark
Friday" Near Olympia.

Here is Vivid Account of an Occurrence
Said to Have Taken Place During Dark
| Friday" Near Olympia.
Chicago Tribune.
A black sky at midday: smoke and
flying cinders filling the air; the
great cedar forest lurid burst of
flame against the blackness-and then
the sea! On the narrow strip of
cleared land between the fiercely burn
ing forest and the sea, in small sum-
mer cottage. are two persons all alone,
a young girl and an elderly woman.
Theyoung girl stands in the middle of
the room, drawing her bow across her
violin in wild, loud, impassioned notes.
Her head is thrown back, her large
dark eyes full Of a strange. unearthly
light.
From where she is standing she can
look through the rear window at the
dull red glare OF the burning forest
creeping nearer. Then her fearful
glance turns to the front, where is
naught but a stretch OF inky black
ness that hides the sea.
She looks from one horrible alterna.
tive to the other; she plays louder,
faster, to deaden the roar and rage of
the oncoming fires. to deaden the
monotonous tapping OF the hungry
sea.
The woman is lying on cot, help
less, listening to the music and watch
ing the bow move back and forth
across the strings.
The girl dare not pause; for in the
lower notes of the wild fantasi her
invalid companion might hear the
roar OF the approaching fire. 1t is for
this, to hold the woman's attention
from the awful danger, that her bow
leaps madly upon the strings, while
her own ear strives to catch above the
loud, wailing, long-drawn notes OF the
violin the sound OF footsteps.
On. on she played, louder, faster,
more furious as the darkness and the
roaring of the flames increased.
Oh, il hor mother would only come,
that che might know she was eafel
She felt she could not stand the strain
another moment. She must drop the
violin and run .if-just at that mo.
ment two men, half.blinded and
choking, stumbled into the room.
The Violin fell to the floor; the over.
wrought girl could only cry out
another" and, pointing to the on.
coming forest fires, she fell across the
violin.
This scene represented an incident
during the great forest fires which
have been raging in the State VI
Washington, near Olympia. The
violinist was Hazel Hill, the daughter
of B. E. Hill, who owns a strip OF
forest along the beach on Puget Sound.
During the summer Mr.. Hill had
carried out an idea of using his land
as sort OF summer resort, where
Eastern people in search of health
might find it by camping out. The
enterprise had proved successful and
he was making money Mrs. Hill was
already thinking of realizing one OF
the dreams Of her iife-a musical
education for her daughter, when the
event transpired which will make
that possible without any financial as
sistance from her parents.
Most of the campers had returned
to their city homes by Sept. l, but a
New York woman, Mrs. Herriott, and
her son remained. Mrs. Herriott was
suffering from extreme nervousness,
and their departure was delayed for
that reason.
She was with Mr.. Hill and his fam
lily when the forest fires broke out.
When it became apparent that in the
progress of the fires they might be
in danger Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Her
riote set out for Olympia to secure
conveyances for Mrs. Herriott, Mrs.
Hill, and Hazel. Mrs. Herriott was
afraid to risk the trip by water.
The two had scarcely gone when
the fires swept in the direction of the
Hill home, and Mrs. Hill recognized
at once their precarious condition.
She ran from the house to the place
from which came the fierce cracking
and saw that her worst fears were
about to be realized. The fire was
sweeping towards them, with narrow
gulch their only protection.
| Fastening back to the house she
called to Hazel:
"Try to quiet Mrs. Herriott," she
said. "I.will carry water from the
Sound and try to put the FIRE out as
quick as it catches. We may be able
to live until your father comes back"
There was no time for discussion
of the matter. Hazel turned to the
duty assigned her. She re.entered
the house, lighted the lamps, and
tried to make Mrs. Herriott think q
storm was coming on.
Once she went out the kitchen
door; the hot cinders blew in her face,
and she could hear distinctly the
cracking OF burning timbers.
| Realizing that the knowledge OF