The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-02
MOUNT TAMALPAIS.
By Heroic Efforts the Fire Is Now
Under Control.
Exaggerated Estimates of the Damage Done
Probable Extent Of the Loss-Where
the Flames Started


tha+ the fire which has been frolicking
around the mountain tops for couple of
DAYS would descend upon them and sweep
every thing in its path off the face Of the
globe viii hardly be verified
That the fire has passed over a vast
amount Of territory is an undoubted fact.
But the amount of damage it has done seems
10 have been greatly exaggerated, chiefly be-
cause the residents of the locality, compris-
ing rs they do all classes of professional and
amateur tillers of the soil. from Swiss sub
dairy men with small capital to Eastern in
yestorS who have bought perpendicular
hillside wherein to pursue the gentle craft
of strawberry culture, one and all seem to
have somewhat flattering ideas of the true
value OF a barren. stony hillside tract OF
poison oak, dwarf redwoods and scrub man
zanita bushes.
ESTIMATED LOSSES.
Some Of the more enthusiastic as 10 real
estate values of the residents estimate the
burnt area as covering over forty miles o!
territory and place the damage at nearly
100000. In this latter estimate they proba-
bly, include the severe shock to their feel
ings when they thought of what might have
but has not yet happened.
living near TamaIpais Station. who has
been working for the past two days and
nights without rest to prevent the spread
of the flames estimated yesterday afternoon
that the FIRE had traversed over area of
about 1900 acres. all inside OF 4 circle per
haps some fifteen miles in circumference,
taking the two peaks of Mount Tamalpais
as the center of the circle.
The Scruh bruSh- Dasturaua and timbar
land in this circle have been damaged, in
his opinion, 10 the amount of about $50, 900.
There were also two fire spurs from the
circle, one down the Cascade Canyon,
toward Mill Valley on the southeast, and
another down the Ling Canyon toward
R'ss Valley, on the opposite or northwest
side Of the mountain, from which further
damage might possibly occur.
At + o'clock yesterday afternoon Mr..
Murray stated the fire was under control,
and unless a heavy wind started up there
was no danger of its spreading. To get the
upper hand of the fire had required the
utmost eXertions of over 100 men, day and
night Owing to the intense natural heat,
the scOTchi1g atmosphere developed by the
fre itself, and the dense, rank. sufocatng
smoke, the work of repellinS the line Of fire
WAS Incredibly hard and told severely on
the workers, who, although they were paid
the highest wages and provided with food
and liquid refreshments All libtum. could
hardly keep up the contest for more than a
lew hours at time.
HOMESTEADs ESCAPE.
So far no buildings have been burned, nj
tame animals destroyed and no human live!
lost As already stated the damage is en-
trely confined to what vegetation grew or
the mountain sides.
M IL
the actual flames. the work of the fire.
fighters being entirely confined to setting
out back-tres cutting down dried shrubbery
and removing it, and in other ways heading
of and conhning the flames by giving then
nothing TO iced on outside of a certain
radius.
Those who trst saw the fire break out
Locate the initial point as near Camu
Tucker, an Old camping resort near the tor
Cf Mount IamalpaiS, and Just on the regu.
lar wagon road that encircles the hill. Ii
was about O'Clock on Monday afternoon
last that the first smoke was seen. The
supposition Is that some careless camper oil
picnic party started 1t by throwing lighted
match OF cigarette among the dry leaves.
Approaching Iamalpais by the North Pa
cihc Coast Railroad from Sausalito, a remark
able sight was plainly visible and attracted
much attention. 1t was a great rillar 0
smoke that, Ike huge snake. twisted aDC
twir-ed Up canyon l. ~'"n as the "slide,
tia. commences Mint in the foothills an(
lies clear straight up tie southeastern
mountain side. terminating a little distance
short Of the ridge that connects the two
peaks Of Iamalpais.
a STRANGE SIGHT.
This smoke wound up through the slide
and rose perpendIcularly TO a height of some
30 leet above the highest mountain point
sIwning along, following the course OF
minor and more t0rtuOus canyons on either
side ot the main pillar, were some five
lesser columns OF smoke, like baby snakes
struggling after their parent in vain effort
TO keep up with her Their efforts were
1utle. tor nane of them reached the noun.
tain'n SUBMITS, aud they dwinded down
into insignificant spirals.
No flames were VisiUie. Only the dull
ieaden-cOlored smoke could DE sen IN the
afternoon. An hour or two = II, when a.,
slight wind died out, the smoke settled
down on the mountain sides, ana al ABOUT
o'clock all of Mount Tamalpais for fully
half of its height Was enyeloped in hay
.smudge of smoke ike pail, and the trend
of the conflagfatIon could not he seen.
Tne Kent ranch, on the northerly side oil
the mouptdn, near Tamalpais Station, the
proler.y of Chicago millionaire one OF
the finest properties in the State, wa;
dangerously menaced with destruction or
Tuesday afternoon. when the flames, leaving
the main body on the mountain, darted
down a long gully, filed with dried brust
and grasses, that leads directly to the ranch
HARD FIGHT.
When the fire started down this gulch i,
seemed as If nothing could prevent the en-
tire Kent ranch, with its beautiful residence
large barns, hut-hOuses aud innumerab biz
outbuildings, from being swept away. But
by the brave efforts of the neighborng
ranchers and their workmen, ioinrd viii
those of the Kent ranch. the brush was
cleared away from the onward march of the
flames, back-fres started, and the place, by
the greatest exertions, saved, without sus
tanning any damage, though the fire at one
time reached within 500 feet of the main
barns.
Those interested in extinguishing the fir,
have had considerable trouble in securing
help to fight the flames, although the tempt
ing wagesof So a day and S. night, witt
all the food and drink any one could dis
pose Of, were offered, and San Rafael anC
all nelghboring points were secured for men
and the supply had not begun 10 equal til,
demand. The work was undoubtedly hard
and when the heat of the weather and tht
neal OF the fire we're taken into consider
alton, fire-fghter fully earned his money
some OF the men worked for twenty-fouI
hours on stretch, made $40. and then gave
UP The job utterly exhausted. Others again
-Dnt they were very few-prOved to be
Yelltaule salamanders, and have been at
NOfk without sleep or rest since o'clock on
Monday night. They say that they will re-
main with the job until the fire is perfectly
under control
TESDERFEET ROUTED.
A number of men were picked up around
the employment offices in this city on Tues.
day by some of the wealthy residents of
Mil and RosS valleys and sent over to heir
the main army. But few of them proved Of
any value, and yesterday twelve of then
gave up utterly worn out
hts years fire, which is the fourth OF
any extent during the past ten years, ha:
proved harder to subdue than any of the
Others In past battles the grass and shrub
perry was much drier, and lighting up a.
quickly as finder, burnt out lust as rapidly,
This year the fire started much earlier il
the year, while most of the scrub foliage
laurels and other bushes were in fnlI leat
and flower AS these latter burned they
made dense, suffocating smoke, that was
most trying on the men. The flames huns
on much longer, and the cinders, Goals and
debris retained a heat that demOra.ize6
many veteran fire-fghter.
EFFECTS OF THE FIRE.
One effect of the coDflagration was to
drive all the wild animals and birds, such
as deer, rabbits and quail, from the noun
tain tops and sides down into the valleys,
H.