The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-08-26
IS ANOTHER BLACK
FRIDAY
Similar to Sept. IL, 1902,
When Forest Fires Were
in Their Zenith.

slopes OF washington and oregon
from the Cascades to the sea. To-
day will also go down in state his
tory as another black Friday In
Wenatchee a thick haze has en-
shrouded the valley, and decided
gloom has settled over the city. The
smoke from the terrible flames on
since yesterday morning the sun has
been obscured.
Black Friday, September IL, 1902.
Black Friday, September ~, 1902,
marked the zenith Of the worst and
most destructive march of the red
scourge across the timbered areas of
Washington. Seattle lay in half
twilight beneath a thick. impene-
trable cloud Of pungent smoke. At
high noon the light was no stronger
than that of an hour after sunset.
Offices and stores early in the after
noon were forced to resort to artifi-
cial light. By o'clock the dark
ness had become so intense that arti-
fetal light had to be resorted to
throughout the city.
Steamboats, on the Sound ran at
half speed through the pail of smoke
that covered the waters. Landmarks
by which local mariners steer were
blotted out from view. Reports of
appalling loss of life and of tremen-
dous property destruction came
from nearly all the adjacent towns
and added to the general uneasiness.
Seattle was almost cut off from
4 telegraphic and telephone commune
cation with the rest of the world.
Numerous small towns were isolated
completely. A number of them, it
was feared, were doomed.
Fires Rage in State.
Forest fires without number ragged
in the mountains and foothills. No
rain had fallen for weeks and the
dry underbrush intensified the fury
of the flames a thousandfold. They
left behind them immense tracts OF
devastated timber, the ashes of farm
houses, barns, giant sawmills, smoul-
dering heaps where once great plants
stood, and a loss in human life that
never has been exactly determined.
At least IL persisted in Cowlitz coun-
ty. In the Lewis River country ESQ
residents were left homeless.
Tacoma, Portland and Olympia,
like Seattle, passed through a day of
darkness and fear. In Olympia the
light plant went out of commission
and for a half hour in the middle of
the day the residents could barely
see across the street because of the
> inky darkness. In the restaurants
men and women ate their midday
meals by the light of candles. When
the light plant resumed operations,
so great proved the demand on 1t
for Illuminating purposes that the
electric street cars could not run.
Stores closed and business Of all
kinds was suspended. Never had
such a day of darkness, gloom and
alarm been known in the Capital
City.
Candles Used for Lights.
Though the nearest forest fires
were 60 miles away, Tacoma awoke
to find itself enshrouded in smoke.
The following day the gas company
stopped operations and the inhablt-
itants had to resort to candles. So
dense was the blackness that hung
over the harbor and adjacent waters
that boats feared to venture through
the Narrows.
Portland passed through an ex-
perience no less narrowing. Heavy
clouds of smoke interposed an Opaque
blanket between the city and the
sun.
Elma, it was feared for a couple
of DAYS, would be reduced to waste
of ashes. Furious fires burned
through the forest on all sides of the
$40
the town and vicinity 100 families
we're burned out and seven large
mills destroyed The flames also de-
voured many barns. The town for
a time was cut off from the outside
world and it's escape from destruc-
ton fell little short of the sensa-
tional
Montesano Jared better than Elma,
though for hours the flames threat
ened to sweep over it and leave its
site a white mound. BucOda, in
Thurston county, also was in dan
ger. Inky darkness made it almost
impossible to carry on business and
the inhabitants went through day
Of constant alarms. In Centralia the
great pail of smoke forced complete
suspension of business.
Flames Cut Off Water Supply.
For a time fires that progressed by
leaps and bounds toward EnumclaW
caused the gravest fears for the safe
ty of that town. To add to the gen.
eral alarm, the flames cut on the
city from the source of its water sup
ply, and if it had not been for sud,
den subsistence of the wind that
famed the fires, Enumclaw might