A Wall of Smoke and Flame Across Puget Sound

The forest fires north of the city and on Vancouver Island still burn, though not so fiercely, but the smoke all over the country is as dense, stifling and distressing as ever, though it lifted somewhat in this city yesterday. The weather clerk has not yet seen fit to order a rainstorm and appears stoically indifferent to the ardent prayer of a suffering community.

Imagine a bank of smoke more dense than prevailed at Seattle yesterday. Olympia was doubly afflicted. Frank B. Ingersoll, who was at Olympia yesterday morning returning with a pleasure party on the steamer Mayflower, says that the Multnomah approached to within fifty feet without being seen. The Mayflower was lying at the dock at Olympia and the captain, hearing the Multnomah approaching, shouted:

“Look out, captain, for the Mayflower. We’re lying at the dock!”

Blindly the Multnomah approached the dock, and, although the people on the two vessels could distinctly hear each other talking, not an object could be discerned at a greater distance than fifty feet.

People who returned last evening from a fishing and hunting trip up Hood Canal report that the Skokomish valley and much of the country between Union City, at the head of Hood Canal, and Shelton has been a mass of flame for nearly three weeks, but as yet no valuable timber has been destroyed. According to general reports the fires were started along the Shelton road from Union City by Indians who were figuring on berry patches two years hence.

The flames spread through the underbrush with lightning-like rapidity, and before twenty-four hours elapsed had crossed to the ridge, running along the bank of the Skokomish River opposite the reservation. Wind drove the flames toward Union City and, in less time than it takes to tell it, 75,000 feet of fir logs, owned by a rancher named Lewis, were consumed. For twenty-four hours Mr. Lewis had to watch the fire that threatened his house. The same day the house of Mr. Webb, the largest and finest ranch in that section, was in continued danger. All hands were on watch and as the fire swept on down the valley less than ten rods intervened. A barn owned by Mr. Hoppe, the next below Mr. Webb, caught fire, but, owing to the vigilance of the watchers, the flames were extinguished before much damage was done. At night the fire was a grand sight and, as seen from the banks of the Skokomish River, presented the appearance of a big city brilliantly illuminated. In many places the tip-tops of huge trees were burning brightly and looked like electric lights high above the flickering lights that flashed through the maple foliage that borders the river’s banks.

The stage driver on his way to Shelton from Union City had to pass through a hot section and in many places detected the odor of burning hair, as if many deer had passed in their flight from the fire. Only a day or so later two deer were killed not far from Union City.

Over 100 acres of land in the region about Lake Cushman has been burned over. The fire was started by a woman as a signal to her friends that she and her party had reached the top of a hill. Only a few fagots were collected for the bonfire, but no sooner had the match been touched than the dry leaves and twigs on the ground caught, and before the party could check it the fire was on its way. All the fires along the gorges and ridges along Hood Canal combined to make the atmosphere almost intolerable, and for several days navigation has been attended with great difficulties. Yesterday the steamer Delta reached the city only a half hour late. From Seabeck to Port Gamble the passage was made in smoke and fog that completely hid the shores. From Gamble to Kingston the fog became more dense, and it was impossible to see ten feet ahead. The steamer Idaho was passed within a short distance, but the only sign of her presence was the clanking of the machinery and the whistle. Harry Turner, who was at the wheel, said it was as thick a day as he ever saw on the Sound.

A subscriber living in the Nooksack valley, seven miles from Blaine, writes to the Post-Intelligencer under date of August 28 as follows:

“The woods are all in flames here. Winds are driving the fires, and all the fences and vegetation have been consumed in this neighborhood. Over forty families are homeless and are left without clothing or food. One poor woman with her five children was compelled to seek shelter in a root cellar. The youngest child was a babe but a few weeks old. Her husband was away at the time. The family lost everything they had. Nearly everybody in this section of the valley lost severely as a result of the flames. The list of those who were in line with the flames is: J. D. Gardner, barn and contents; W. Ingersoll, house and outbuilding; W. Benson, house, barn and all; C. Smith, house; Kit Snyder, shingle mill, house, barn and stock; J. Y. South, household goods. There are many more not heard from as yet. As far as known no lives were lost.”

The following dispatches make known the story in various other parts of the Puget Sound country:

SNOHOMISH, Aug. 31. — [Special.] — William McDonald, who owns a ranch at the base of Mount Si, lost his house by fire yesterday afternoon. It caught from a spark from the fires on the mountain. Only two children were at home, one a boy 16 years old, who worked heroically to save the household effects, but most of them were consumed. No damaging forest fires have thus far been reported in the Snoqualmie valley aside from this.

SAUK, Aug. 31. — [Special.] — Heavy, stifling smoke still fills the air and has not lifted for five days. A slight breeze seems to be driving the smoke back tonight, however. Steamers were unable to run in the river yesterday. A traveler who arrived from Sauk today says that many houses near Sauk have been burned in the woods, and that much loss has resulted.

PORTLAND, Aug. 31. — There was a heavy rainfall in the Willamette valley tonight, giving relief from the smoke.