San Francisco Call
San Francisco, California
10 July, 1913

WOMAN SUFFERS
AS TRAIN DASHES
THROUGH FLAMES

Wife of Tamalpais Boniface
Incurs Blistered Hands
and Face in Ride
to Safety

SHE LAMENTS LOSS
OF CANARY'S TUNES

Women Prayed  and Men
Were Heroes, She Recalls
of Thrilling Episode

    A blistered face, burned hands and shattered nerves arc some of the mementoes[sic] Mrs. Grace Giililand, wife of J. D. Gilliland, manager of the tavern at Mount Tamalpais, has to show as the result of the sensational ride from the hostelry to safety on the Mount Tamalpais railroad late Tuesday night. All day yesterday Mrs. Gilliland sat in a darkened room, alternately nursing her burns and petting her two canary birds, each of whom lost some wing feathers and their voices.  
    “ I had the birdies  wrapped in wet flannels, but while I was trying to pacify some of the women who became hysterical the birds escaped from me and fluttered about  the burning car," she said. “I caught them and managed to save their precious lives, but just in the nick of time. Dickie was pretty badly singed, but I believe he will live, although lie will probably never sing again.
 WOMEN IN SUPPLICATION
     "The experience was the most dramatic and awful in my life. It was worse than the earthquake and fire -- more vivid and death threatening. Every moment when the train was rushing through two walls of flame l thought our time had come. Several women were praying, huddled in a heap, while a Japanese servant was praying to his gods with supplicating hands . 
    “The flames seethed and darted in the side of the open summar[sic] cars, now catching a flimsy shirtwaist or igniting straw hats or skirts. We had very little water and this was used to keep our coverings wet. The champagne was not used for protection, as was reported, but big draughts were given to the women who needed it as a bracer.
    “How we escaped death in the fiery forest furnace is really not clear to me yet. At  times, the trainmen said, the flames were not less than 50 feet In height and they roared like a blacksmith's forge.
 DEER FLEE FIRE 
    "The men folks deserve much credit, for every one of them proved himself to be a Hero. Thev comforted us women with words of cheer, and when at one time it looked like death for us all, the conductor, whose name I have forgotten, said he would gamble his month’s salary that we all saw our loved ones within the hour. 
     "But I shall never forget that three hours' ride. My nerves will probably be wrecked for many days. 
     "One of the most pitiful sights was to see the deer running before the fire. At every little clear space one could see dozens of rabbits, rats and other animals congregated together in shivering fellowship. We saw a few snakes, but I suppose most of them crawled into their holes and stayed there.
     "If I am well enough tomorrow I will go back to the tavern, provided it has escaped the conflagration.”

-transcription by Kate Maynard, 2012