The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-07-09
BIC FOREST BLAZE
DRI1fgTHOUSANDS
FROM THEIR HOMES
Blaze Starts on Mt. Tamalpas,
California, Sweeping
Down Slopes.
DESPERATE FIGHT ON
Mayor of Mill Valley Asks the
Governor to Send
State Troops.
DESPERATE FIGHT ON
(Nationa1 News Association

(NattOndl News ASSOclatlOn)
SAN FRANCISCO, July AT an
early hour this morning the flames
from the burning forests on Mount
Tamalpas had eaten their way into
Blithedale Canyon and were rapidly
moving toward Mill Valley, which is
located at the foot of the Canyon. The
town at this hour appears to be
doomed and Mayor Price has tele-
graphed Gov. Johnson asking him to
send the militia to the scene.
Mill Valley has a population of
$500 and is the terminus of the Mt.
Tamalpas and Muir Woods railroad.
With the approach of the flames the
population made hasty preparations to
flee to places of safety.
Famous Tavern Burns.
Tamalpais Tavern, the famous hos
telry on the mountain top, which was
saved after heroic work on the part of
the soldiers in the afternoon, was in
flames at midnight. Capt. w. F. Arm
strong, ordnance officer at the Pre-
sidio, rode into Mill Valley with this
news.
Fifteen hundred men fought at the
Bow Knot, half way up the mountain
all last night to keep the fire from
spreading into Blithedale Canyon. If
the fire gets into this canyon it is GER
tain that many homes will be destroy
ed. Reinforcements of soldiers, fire
men and citizens were sent up the
Bow Knot at intervals all night.
More than 1000 men in all are fight
ing the flames at various points. 1t
has burned over 5000 acres and at an
early hour was spreading east and
south.
Mill Valley and Larkspur residents
we're in high state of excitement all
night. Two houses in Blithedale Can
yon were reported .lrning late last
night. Cinders and ashes fell over the
town all day and smoke hung in
long thick blanket over the entire
base of the mountain.
A Thrilling Fight.
A most thrilling fight centered at
Tampais tavern when the great walls
of flame rolled to within 20 feet of
the hostelry and drove every one but
the soldiers and firemen out.
With one small piece of hose, wet
blankets, pals, dippers, tubs out of
which palms had been thrown, Persian
rugs, blankets and qailts from beds,
the soldiers fought the onrushing fire
until they had driven it away. At one
t11as.t time the teyesas ss on fire in twenty
All the guests and servants had been
placed in a special train waiting to
rush them to safety down the noun
tain. They waited there until it look
ed as though the building was safe
and then went back and got few more
possessions and started out of the fire
zone in their special train.
There were 20 men and women in
the car that went down the mountain
safely until the great fire at Bow
Knot was reached. Here the flames
met over the tracks. The car was
stopped but the passengers decided to
take the chances and go through.
Men and women were wrapped in
wet blankets and the train went in
to the flames. When it came out ev-
eryone was alive but the car was on
fire This was put out and the car
reached the base of the mountain
safely.
After working all Monday night the
firefighters felt they had the fire un-
der control and confined to Fern Can
on and Blackjack gulch.
Two hundred weary soldiers left for
the Preside in the belief that the fire
was out 1t was smoldering all day
however, and when a 4o-mile wind
came out of the ocean last evening the
flames were soon famed into swift
towers and tongues of rolling balls Of
fire that ate into the dry chaparral
with the speed of the wind.