Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-26
DISASTER AT PAL0 ALTO
Fire Destroys Senator Leland Stan
foi d'S Famous Training Stables
Near MenIO Park. California.
The Great FilIy NOrlaine Badly Burn.
ed but May be Saved.
RexfOrd. Clifton Belle, and Other
Promising Young Tr0tterS Perish
in the Flames.

SAN FRANCIsCo.-Fire at Palo Alto burn
ed portion of the stables of Senator Lee
land Sanford.t a very few min utes before
the flames were discovered in the shed the
Waterman made his usual rounds az q
found everything in proper order. He
had not reached his room before the
presence of the fire was discovered and
almost before the stableuien could raise a
cry the One-story wooden sheds were
blazing fiercely. Every person on the
farm ran to the barn TO try TO liberate
the racers, but almost before the d oor
could be opened the heat had driven the
men back and they were forced to witness
the cremation of the horses without be-
ing able to lift hand to save them.
Senator Stanford's stables at Palo Alto
are probably the most extensive in the
country. He keeps there generally the
season through about six hundred horses,
five hundred of which are trotters ana
one hundred racers.
Palo Alto farm is situated on the west
shore of San Francisco bay, about twenty
miles south of San Francisco, near the
village of Menlo Park station, on the
Southern Pacific Coast railroad. This
lies within sight of Ralston's old resi-
dence at Belmont, so famous in the great
bankers day. The farm comprises six
thousand acres, and was, Up to the time
of young Leland Stanford's death, the
summer residence of the family. The
boy is now buried there, and the old
home is practically deserted as a resi-
dence.
The stables, part of which are burned,
were built of redwood, and are famed the
country over as the most commodious
and carefully kept buildings Of the sort
in the country. Everything that ex-
perience, wise consideration of the ends
desired, and unstInted expenditure could
do toward producing perfect structures
for housing horses was apparent in these
splendid and famous stables. Their in
teriors were kept as clean as a lady's par
lor, and the horses were treated with a
degree of care and attention that would
be en7ied by large majority of human
kind. No harsh or loud word was suffer
ed 30 be spoken to any of them, and any
attendant guilty of striking, or even max
ing threatening gesture at any horse,
found the act followed by prompt DIS
charge. The stables were perfectly ven
tilated and has running water through
each stall. No appliance that was neces-
sary to the care and comfort of the horse
was lacking.
Maiden, at first reported to have per-
ished, is among the saved. Palo Alto
was considerably burned about the body
but will recover. There was no insurance
on the building er any on the animals,
and the total loss is estimated at 100000.
Early reports we're TO the effect that
the peerless FLY Norlaine had been de-
stroyed but happily the report seems to
be erroneous, though she is no doubt so
badly injured that the quiet joys of the
paddock instead of the excitement of
the track, will be her future portion. She
was brown FLY by Norval, a son of Elec-
tioneer, odt of the noted mare Elaine,
sister to Prospero. Her startling per-
Torrance when as yearling last fall she
trotted mile in 2:3l1a at San Francisco
made her one of the brightest stars in
the galaxy of noted trotters, and horse
men anticipated a great future for her.
This expectation will fail of frgition, but
it will be cause for congratulation that
she has been saved so that her sons and
daughters may perpetuate her fame.