Masons honor local men
Left picture: Everett Sanders (left) is recognized for almost giving his life to save Othello during Past Master’s Night at the Othello Masonic Lodge. Presenting the plaque is Fritz Kliphardt (center) and Ken Caylor. Photo by LuAnn Morgan.
By LuAnn Morgan
Contributing writer
In celebration of the Othello centennial, the local Masonic Lodge presented two Othello men with special recognition plaques at the annual Corn Beef and Cabbage Feed Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The event was part of Past Master’s Night, which was attended by members of several area lodges.
Ken Caylor, lodge master and chair of the centennial committee, did the presentations. He was assisted by Fritz Kliphardt, who received his 60-year pin that same evening.
Everett Sanders was recognized for the part he played in a 1949 fire that almost destroyed the city of Othello.
“He helped save the town,” Caylor said. “Everett is a lifetime resident and he was a volunteer firefighter.”
Sanders’ parents arrived here to homestead in 1902; he was born in 1927. He began working for the railroad while still in high school and spent more than 30 years with the Milwaukee. He also worked for the irrigation district for 15 years.
“He had a hand in laying the steel from Smyrna to the Lind bridge and from the top of the Rocky Mountains to White Hawk, Mont.,” Caylor said.
For two years, the state had very wet conditions. The weeds in the shrub steppe areas of the Columbia Basin grew taller than usual — with the grass reaching heights of more than four feet in places.
In 1949, the weather switched to dryer than normal and residents faced serious threats of fire. Even in the mountains, fires were inundating the trees.
All were warned against starting any type of fire and heavy fines were imposed for ignoring the ban.
On June 24, 1949, a fire broke out north of town. Driven by winds estimated at 60 miles per hour, the fire threatened Othello with destruction.
Five men, including Sanders, jumped into the fire truck and headed out. Just as they arrived at the head of the fire, the wind changed and swept the flames over their truck. The motor stopped and they were forced to flee through the flames to safety.
Sanders, along with Fire Chief R.O. Brown, Orval Adams, Ray Myers and M.A. Tracy, was given first aid by Nurse Jessie Morrisette, the only medical personnel in Othello at the time. A special train was ordered to rush the burned men to the hospital in Ellensburg.
The Mercy Run, as it became known, broke speed records, arriving in Ellensburg within 93 minutes. All other trains were sidelined to allow the mercy train to pass.
The fire was later stopped through the combined efforts of firemen from all the neighboring towns. Damage was confined to about 160 acres of wheat and one small building near the edge of town.
Tires on the fire truck caught on fire but were extinguished before the truck was extensively damaged.
Brown died from his injuries six days later. Sanders spent over two months in the hospital.
“You could call us the survivors,” Sanders said. “I wasn’t a member of the department at the time of the fire, but when I got out of the hospital, I officially joined.”
Sanders worked his way up the ranks from fireman to captain to assistant chief. In 1954, he became the chief.
“There’s nothing like being a fireman,” he said.
That fateful June day, the fire department didn’t own a truck.
“We rented a truck from Lind,” Sanders said. “We were a loose group and we called ourselves ‘the firemen.’”
Sanders said he is glad his memory is still good because “a lot of things happened around this small town.” In the early days, times were tough, but he still had a good life.
“Even though we didn’t have a dime or a nickel, we had some of the best times of our lives,” Sanders said.
The other recognition went to Will Coats, who taught school in Othello for 31 years.
Caylor presented him a plaque for his volunteer work at the Othello Police Department.
The men were also given a centennial coin as a token of Caylor’s appreciation for everything they have done for Othello.
Sanders will be giving a short talk at the Sandhill Crane Festival at noon Saturday, March 29. He will share some of his stories about the early days of the area.
“All my life, I’ve been a camera bug,” Sanders said. “I have pictures of the railroad, the city of Othello, things in the past.”
He is always willing to show off those pictures and tell his stories of the past.
“Most people like to look back in time,” Sanders said. “History is a great thing to remember.”
Short URL: http://othellooutlook.com/?p=8902
Posted by LuAnn Morgan
on Mar 3 2010. Filed under Community.
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