St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-15
LOOKS LIKE ARSON.
The Handsome Eisenmenger
Home Completely De-
stroyed by Fire.
Fog So Dense That the Scene
Of the Blaze Could Not
Be Located.
Loss on Building and Con-
tents Will Reach Fully
$4,000.
No Theory But That Of Arson
to Account for the
Blaze.

The handsome residence of John F.
Eisenmenger. at 1O15 Mound street, was
entirely destroyed by fire at O'Clock
yesterday morning. The first intima-
ton of the fire was telephone message
from the residence of Albert Scheffer to
the fire headquarters which said there
was a fire OH Mound street. That por-
ton of the department which responds
to alarms in that section were ordered
out by telephone, and few moments
later an alarm was turned in by police
man from the box at Hoffman avenue
and Clermont street.
There being dense fog, it was i'm
possible to see the fire except within a
distance of $50 feet, and some delay was
caused by this state of affairs. The box
pulled was fully half a mile from the
fire, and while the sound of the burning
building could be distinctly heard, it
was almost impossible to locate it, At
the time the department had arrived
upon tue scene the roof had fallen in
and the building was practically
burned out. The Waterman at No.
chemical, three-quarters OF a
mile from the burning house,
said yesterday that he heard the roof of
the building, which was a slate one,
cracking. and thought there must be a
fire. The
Fog Was So Thick
lie could hardly discern houses across
the street, and he finally made up his
mind he must be mistaken as to the fire
theory, as had there been fire Of such
magnitude he was certain an alarm
would have been turned in. The
policeman who turned in the alarm
could not see the fire. but
flames, and, taking chances, pulled the
box. Assistant Chief Martin said when
he reached the scene the building was
almost Quilted and the roof had fallen
i'll. Notwithstanding the blaze. he
could not see the fire until within half
a block of the place. The telephone
message did not say what part of
Mound street the fire was on: this, to-
gether with the heavy fog and call
from the box at Hoffman avenue and
Clermont street, delayed the department
considerably.
None OF the occupants of the house
were at home at the time of the fire, land
consequently CHIEF jackson was unable
to get any information as to the cause
or loss entaied.
ooih - LioCuiuSDSCI. lHt OWucT anu
occupant, was seen Yesterday afternoon
at the residence of his brother on Uni
Versity avenue.
The house, he said, had cost him s47,-
600. and had been newly furnished
about year ago. The building had been
Completely Quilted
and was, he thought, total loss, even
the walls being SO warped up by the
N fot f.ao
All the wearing apparel, furniture and
household effects had been burned up,
and this part of his loss he estimated at
$500. lie left the house, he said, about
l2:45 a. m., and everything was all
right at that time. He aud his wife in
tended to go to Hastings to visit rela-
tlyeS yesterday and were to drive there
early in the morning. After Ieay-
ing the house he was advised
not to drive to Hastings. as
there was danger of meeting tramps on
the way. TO guard against any trouble
Of this kind he drove over again to his
house after his dog. He did not go
into the house at this time, as the dog
met him at the gate and he drove away,
the animal following the buggy. The
time of his second visit was, as near as
he could place it, about 2:l5 o'clock.
He saw nothing wrong then and de-
tected no signs of fire or smoke.
The house was insured for S35. COO.
and the furniture and effects for 81. $50.
all the policies being in companies rep
resented by A. A. Doolittle. manager of
the North British and Mercantile In
surance company. The loss, over and
above insurance. Mr.. Eisenmenger esti-
mated at about $4,000. He could give
no idea as to how the fire started. The
residence occupied very slightly Ioca-
ton, fronting the Indian Mounds park,
was built of pressed brick, with white
sandstone trimmings, and was one of
the finest residences in the city.
In High Favor