The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1910-09-15

sGod,-STeat individual losses an'
wonderful community gains all tht
result OF one of ire worst forest 1lfe'
CT recent years, thal burned tefrlilc-
al SrGday afternoon ana nigLl
and Monday, and that is still burning
All day Nonday and part of tues
dav itsaen,ed m5st certain that Lyn'
den would Ibe wiped out. All Dusl-
ness houses were cIsseI. All aple
bodied men were cut fighting the
flames.
AT the salae time fires were
tbreeteujrg or burning homes
mills and other property ali about
Roo & Van I,eeuwen's mill was
threatered-- even caught fire time
or two. Heatons mill was IN gfea'
danger. Scne of the Lynden Slihgii
Co. buildings were burning. lee
Union Manufacturing Co, was sur
rounded by fires. sAills ard 'famllie'
were calling for help-calilng on Lyh
den for help when Lynden was calling
on Bellingham fer help wren Lyh-
den business men were fighting IL
choking smoke and burning heat and
Lynedn women were gathering vaiua
bles and clothing into packages tha'
could be carried II hurried race.
1t was terrifying. 1t was appalling
1t was inspiring And. Il was staFe-
flying. When ire inst frantic Calls
for help began coming IN everyone was
excited. Everyone was al energy.
But after fighting for hours in smoke
so thick that one could net sse
could scarcely bIeata- dull ed the
brain to the terror and wired out al
inspiration. Men Who had been
horrified at the danger Of cre home
discussed coolly tie possible less OF
the town and their all. Yes, sat
down and discussed it as the day be-
fore they had discussed the political
chances Of some candidate
This part CT the Puget Sound coun-
try gets few times year, strong
wind from tie northeast WIND
that comes down from gap in the
Cascades. They generally last three
days. Saturday, one of these winds
began. su1l1..1g, Il : as blowing a
gale. Sunday night, George Cole and
the writer counted dozen or more
miles distant from Lynden. The worst
was northeast of town, and a little
enquiry showed taey Wale already do
ing damage.
WHO started the fire?
In the opinion of the Tribune
hundred different men started It. 1t
was the result of many small brush
and clearing fires swept into roaring
racing forest f.es by the gale. Ne
man or men were to blame. 1t was
what the law calls ''an act of Provi-
dence.'
Monday morning thhe blaze in the
Northwest had swept down over par
TALLY cleared fields and through un-
cleared stump lands into the city linz
its.
At about o'clock call for help
came from the James Milan farm
a mile north of town. The buildings
in the eighborhood- were afire.
Business men began hurrying out
in that direction.
Few if any of them got to the
Milan place. They found work to do
closer homework even more iIEl-
perative for the Milan place was
doomed.
A great field of towering stumps
Law Just north and east Of the town.
II was a great furnace of blaze. Flame
running up the high stumps and shoot
ing cindars as large as hazel nuts,
cracked and Kissed. TIE eindtrs ano
brands were being carried by ire wind,
sometimes a distance OF haI a mile
New fires were starting every where.
Inside of Is minutes Of the time the
call for help came from tie Milan
ranch. two fire alarms were turned
in. One eaEle ffrem Days place at
the west end Of Grover street "a most
the opposite direction from Aialan
Another came from Coilirs rear
the new sckool house. Poth Of these
fires were extinguist ed, but ty TINS
time men began u realize the dln-
ger. Fires were sartirg everywhere
along tie north and east sides OF town.
Bank. department store, groceries, al
places of business We're deserted
locked, or left in charge OF women
clerks.
were sent to Ballingaam for hep
especially for the lean Of fire hsse,
Lynden has a new water department
that not all the pipe, on!
a few Of the hydrants and few con-
nections are in. TIE fire hose was
not yet in town
Bellingham responded ana sent 'ie
hose and some men
No one paper Will ever give con
plete list of the fire losses. lheS
are widely separated and many VIII
never be reported.
Tuesday James Nilan's loss was
the biggest individual loss IN TINS VI
Milan owns one of tie best farms
north of Lynden about Aii'e'