'Big Ole' steam whistle to sound on Fourth of July

ISABELLE DILLS - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University will sound the historic steam whistle "Big Ole" in honor of the Fourth of July.

The steam whistle will go off four times starting at about 9:45 p.m. Saturday. The Haggen Family Fourth of July Celebration's fireworks are scheduled to start at about 10:30 p.m. on the waterfront.

Normally, the steam whistle is used during tests or emergencies; its sound is a signal for students, faculty and staff to check for emergency messages on their phones or online, according to the Office of University Communications.

The 2,000-pound, 5-foot whistle is on loan to WWU from the Whatcom Museum. It was cast in aluminum-bronze by the Bellingham Bay Iron Works in 1899.

The whistle operated at the Bloedel Donovan cargo mill on the waterfront from 1899 to 1942 before being moved to a Canadian mill. It was returned to Bellingham in 2002 and later installed at the Encogen NW Cogeneration Plant at Cornwall Avenue, where it was operational and blown on special occasions such as the Fourth of July.