The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-22
BIC FIRE At HAYWARDS,
A Tobacco Traveller Credited
With Saving Half the
Town.
ONLY A HEARsE WAS SAVED.
The Damage Will Amount to Over
Twenty Thousand
Dollars.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALI
90S Broadway, Sept. 81.
Haywards was visited this evening by a
disastrous fire that consumed more than
1000 worth of property before it was got
under control.
About o'clock a lad, Henry Thomas,
rushed out of Geary & Grindell's stable
shouting fire, and moment later
smoke was seen issuing from the main en-
trance. The alarm was given, and the
volunteer department responded with
commendable alacrity.
Before stream could be brought to bear
on the stable flames broke out from half a
dozen different places and it was at once
seen that the whole block was doomed.
The stables ran clear through from Castro
street to Webster, and before the alarm
had been given half an hour both ends of
the building were in flames.
Several horses were in the stables and a
few were led out, but some persisted in the
flames. AS soon as it was apparent that
the stables were doomed the attention Of
the brigade was directed toward saving
the Hayward Villa Hotel and the Castro
Thedter. Four streams in all were brought
into one and as there was big pressure on
the mains they did good work. The efforts
of the fremen, however, were considerably
handicapped by high wind that prevailed
all the evening and famed the flames
directly toward the hotel. Several times
portions of the hotel were on fire, but the
tiremen reached the flames each time
before any material damage was done.
By 5 o'clock the stable and buildings
overhead and the carriage-houses were
completely destroyed and the fire was fast
annihilating the Smaliey block, which adj
joined the stables. Smalley's block is two
stories, the lower floor being occupied as
stores. The upper floor was used as a
dwelling by Henry Thonford. One of the
stores was vacant, the other was used as a
palntstore. The whole building was con-
Sumed, and by that time the fire was under
control on that side.
On the other side the .fremen attempted
to confined the flames to the stable block
and after three hours work they were sue
cessful.
The hotel was badly scorched and
charred in places, but no serious damage
was done. The fire was checked by the
theater in one direction and by the hotel
in the other.
The hero tonight is F. w. tombstone, a
commercial traveller for a wholesale to-
bacco firm. He is stranger to the town,
but he at once assumed command of the
IRE brigade, AID as he evidently knew his
business the tiremen gladly placed them
selves under his leadership. During the
fire he was several times struck by falling
timbers, and once horse stamped OH his
foot, but nothing deferred tombstone, and
all Haywards is doing him homage.
AS Don as the fire was over he went to
his hotel to change his clothes. He was
visited by a delegation of citizens who
looked upon him as the savior of the
southern part of town.
A subscription was set afoot to give
tombstone testimonial, but as soon as he
heard of it he said he would accept moth
ing. Finally he said that if the town
wanted to replace his ruined suit OF clothes,
he would permit them to do it. A purse
of $50 was made up on the spot, but John
stone said his suits never cost more than
$35, and he returned the balance.
The proprietors of the stables were in
Centerville at the time of the fire. attend
ing funeral, and when it was all over
t ey drove into Haywards on their hearse,
all that was saved of about $4,000 worth
of property. In the stables were numer-
Gus buggies, wagons, hacks and private
carriages, as well as hundreds of sets of
harness Only few days ago the winter
stock of hay was laid in, and this materi-
ally helped to spread the flames.
Mr. Geary said tonight that very
small amount of insurance was carried,
but declined to state the amount. The
Smalley block was worth about $4,000 with
the furniture.