Westwood High School - Chipmunk Yearbook (Westwood, CA)

Page 29 text:

In 1913 the ground upon which Westwood now stands was covered with primeval forests of White and Sugar Pine, Fir and Cedar I imber, reoresented by this Dicture, which is a very fair representative view of this character of timber us it now stands in its virgin beauty.

Page 31 text:

Reminiscences DURING the first days of August, 1919, Mt. Lassen was reported to be smoking. Everyone was greatly excited and many stopped their work to go see it. Years before the same report had come out Iut it seemed to he false. All during the winter of 1914 and spring of 1915 the mountain erupted intermittently. There were many tourists who came just to see it erupt, but as it was rather contrary at limes many of them failed to see it in action. On May 21, 1915, there was an eruption which caused a Hood to go down two small streams which emptied into Hat Creek. This flood swept everything that was moveable along ahead of it, damming up small canyons until the water spread for a half or sometimes a mile before it broke through. Then it would go on until it came to another narrow place where the same thing would reoccur. Prom all reports this unnatural flow of water had been a day coming down the creeks before it reached Big Springs, the head of Hat Creek. lor two day? before the flood really reached Hat Creek Valley the water had been so bad that the people had to haul their drinking water from nearby springs. The stock would not touch it They would go to the creek for a drink, smell the wafer and throw up their heads, look around and then walk away. By the even- ing of the 22nd it was simply impossible for anyone to drink the water. At 11 30 that night a family living on a ranch in the upper part of the valley was awakened by someone en- tering th front gate, stepping on the porch and calling, Get up. there is a flood coming.” Everyone awakened with a start and getting up. put on their clothes hurried- ly. Someone went to the phone and rang up the neigh- bors below to warn them of the flood. 27 of a Survivor By the time the telephoning was over there wasn’t much time to spare for when the family was about one hundred yeards from the house they heard the bridge being swept down the canyon and the noise and roaring of the water was steadily increasing. It so happened the stock was all loose in the barn- yard and one of the horses, being a good jumper, es- caped and got out in the hills. The other one stayed in the back corral, being careful to hunt the highest place. While these things were going on around the build- ings the occupants were making their way in the dark to a hill about a half mill from the house, where they stayed until morning, sitting around the fire but doing very little talking and all wondering what things would be like when they would venture back to the house. When morning came they started lack to the house. They could only get within about a hundred feet as the mud. deposited by the deluge, was about four feet deep and very sticky. Finally the men, after hunting around found a way to get in. Everything in the house was splattered with mud and turned upside down. The children were met at the edge of the mud by their old cat who seemed to be the sole survivor. She came meowing up to the smallest child who. picking her up, hid her face in her fur, and cried as if her heart was broken. The old r at wailed too. for her kittens had been drowned. All the rest of the day the little girl carried the cat around as if she had no other friend Late that afternoon the family crossed the creek, got the horses, and, collecting the things absolutely needed, went to camp upon a hill about a mile from the ranch. They spent the night there trying to rest as best they could though sleep didn’t come easily to anyone but the children. The next day. the 23rd, they went back down on the