100 Years Ago in Spokane: Chronicle Editor’s Top Pick for Rose Bowl Umpire; Great Northern is suing over fire that destroyed the city

George Varnell, sports editor of the Spokane Daily Chronicle, is likely to play a key role on the field at the Rose Bowl – as a referee.

This was nothing new to Varnell. He was a well-known football official and had run the last two Rose Bowls. He was number 1 on the umpire list when the University of California met Washington & Jefferson.

From the trial: Several residents of Milan, located about a mile east of the current Riverside High School in northern Spokane County, sued the Great Northern Railway for essentially burning the entire city.

A lawsuit against four claims for damages from the July disaster began. The plaintiffs’ attorney said sparks and debris from a passenger locomotive set the grass near the tracks on fire.

“We’ll show how many fires the railroad started,” said the lawyer. “… In fact, the fire broke out in two places near the barn after the train passed by. The whole city was practically wiped out. “

According to an earlier report in the Spokane Daily Chronicle, around 16 buildings were destroyed in the fire, including the post office, hotel and town hall.

From the storm: Spokane theaters were looking for replacement films when their new films did not come out on time.

Floods and washouts on the coast and in the cascades had delayed many trains. The train schedules were in chaos.

The films that didn’t make an impact included The Invisible Divorce, Making the Grade, and For Those We Love.