The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-04
A VISITATION OF FLAMES.
,e Strange Manifestations That As
+opish an Hin ois Mans Family.

-
rbe strange Manifestations That As
tonish an Illinois Mans Family.
Eyeensrt Correspondence Chicago Tribune.
When the late Prince Hamlet was gliding
,brouph the Danish Court, clad in black
tichts and ermine, he is reported to have ex-
.,rassed himself to his friend Horatio on
one occasion in the words, There are more
things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than
are dreamed of in your philosophy" Now,
Horatio being a lusty and vigorous young
fol,ow with an active brain, it is presum-
abIa that his philosophy could not
-,.oo+lv vary from the particular brands of
Ri mental quality that are in ordinary
$50 and so we may take the oracular utter
ance of Hamlet to be in equal force and
affect at the present day. Certainly in
certain community In this city events have
ooooc1rred recently that all the concentrated
o.Giiosophy and science of whole ward is
Pnbia to explain. Mysterious pheno-
. un| are heard from daily, but the dwell
- in Centre street in this city rather fancy
49, tbey have something in that line that
vi. Si free ANYTHING Alternating to rival it,
Nd cover it with a mantle of disgrace. 1t
e something so weird and uncanny that
ayan A ghost with skull and crossbones
worked on its spotless mantle would retire
iiT The mystery is located at the comfortable
story and half house of Louis
Hiidebrand, at the corner of
Tenter and Fruit street. Hi.
6ebrand is good-natured and honest Ger
man. with not foe in the world, and has
for some time been in the employ of the
herman Insurance Company as a clerk.
About three weeks ago he and his wife and
Sangbter were in the dining room down
stairs, when suddenly a peculiar odor of
smoke was noticed apparently coming down
the open stairway. Hildebrand ran up and
t tnu the straw bed blazing in the small
room occupied by the daughter. Hastily
Selling it in his arms, he carried it into
the ward and trampled out the flames. The
straw remained on the wet ground for three
1ays. and then Mrs. Hildebrand thought
that what was left of it was good enough
TO use in the chicken coop. Accordingly
she placed it In a corner OF the structure
10 be used as nests. In less than an hour
she saw smoke and flames issuing from the
coon. and after they had been extinguished
with water it was found that the blaze had
ignited spontaneously in the straw. A few
DAYS later a box of rags began blazing
without any apparent cause and was only
discovered in time to prevent the total de-
molition of the structure. A few days
later a fire suddenly burst out on the edges
of an old Bible left on shelf in the sum
mer kitchen by previous occupant of the
house.
This was witnessed by Mrs. Hildebrand,
who then became alarmed at the mysterious
nature of the fires. The following day the
strange blazes burst out suddenly in two
places in the house, once in the unfinished
portion of the upstairs and the other in
some cotton batting which had been filed
in around a bedroom window. The next day
one of the beds caught fire. and an article of
fancy work hanging on the wall also blazed
out spontaneously and under the very eyes
of the mother and daughter.
By this time the family had become quite
alarmed, and the whole neighborhood be-
came interested. The following day the
flames burst out in no less than six places,
through the floor, on the walls the window
sIls and in out-of-the-way corners upstairs,
until it was only with the most constant
watching that the house was kept from de-
struction. In the afternoon, two neigh
bors, Mrs. Schelp and Mrs. Frederick Helm
buch, were in the front bedroom upstairs,
when suddenly an ornamental calendar
hanging on the wall blazed up before their
ewes and was destroyed, leaving a burnt
ing downstairs only to indiMrs. Hildebrand
extinguishlng a blaze which had burst out
on the windowsill in the parlor.
The next day Mr.. Hildebrand staid at
home and was kept busy extinquishing
blazes. Mrs. Vandegraft who lives directly
opposite, saw one of the curtains blaze UP
suddenly, as did also J. B. Smith, butcher
who was going past. They shouted to
Hidebrand, who was in the yard, and the
latter rushed into the room, finally succeed
ing in beating out the flames, although his
hands were badly burned Yin so doing.
Smith also came in, and while he was there
cane rocking chair in another part of the
room began to consume before their eyes,
and the chair back and cushion were de-
stroyed. Various other equally remark
able incidents were noted. the house having
caught fire no less than thirty times under
varying circumstances.
The Strangest feature about it all is that
the flames never broke out at night nor I'M
hand to put them out. Nobody imagines
that Mr.. Hildebrand or his family can have
any connection with the mysterious blazes,
as they have broken out when no one but
the neighbors were present.. The matter
grew so serious that Mr.. Hildebrand moved
everything out the other day and scrubbed
the building thoroughly Then they had 1t
repainted or kalsomined throughout They
have just moved back in and SO far have
encountered no repetition of the phenomena.
although they feel far from safe.
Among those who witnessed these strange
manifestations were Mr.. and Mrs. A
Keeler. Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Heimbuch, j.
B. Smith, Mrs. Vandegraft, Mrs. Schelp,
the Hildebrand family, your correspondent,
and many others, and so far there has been
no reasonable explanation, although num-
erous theories have been preached. The
house has become the center of quite pill
grimage. Every day large numbers of
curious people assemble at the spot, until
Mr.. Hildebrand has been obliged TO put out
the sign, Positively no admittance to these
premises"
BARONESS ROTHsCHILD'S BALL.