History for Chron

An airplane bound for Spokane crashed in the mountains northwest of Helena. The crash killed all four of the plane’s passengers, all of whom lived in Longview, Washington.

The dead were identified as Mr. and Mrs. Jack Richards and Mr. and Mrs. U.G. “Bud” Saunders. Richards was a real estate executive and Saunders owned Longview car dealerships.

The plane crashed about 350 yards from the north end of the Northern Pacific Railway’s Mullan tunnel. It was first spotted by train passengers.

A burning match accidentally came in contact with a newly refinished bowling alley in Omak, Washington, and the subsequent blaze burned down the center of a business district block.

The fire on South Main Street destroyed the bowling alley, a restaurant, a barber shop and second-floor apartments and damaged a nearby sporting goods store.

The bowling alley owner, E.E. Valente, said the fire started about 3 a.m. when a burning match fell from his hand onto the wet finish of the bowling alley and then began burning out of control.