The San Francisco call., 1897-03-24
:bRT GEMS:
Z DESTROYED
BY FIRE
Historic Cohen Residence
in Alameda Burned
Down.
ESTIMATED LOSS ABOUT
$5OO,OOO.
Valuable Paintings and Bric.a-
Brac Ruined Through
False Economy.
STRANGE LACK OF SYMPATHY
EVIDENT.
There Was About $I55,ooo Insurance.
A Legal Service Cleverly
Effected.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALLl
90S Broadway March o.


Fernside is in ashes. The beautiful resi-
den ce of the Cohens in Alameda was
destroyed by fire this morning and all the
valuable and historical works of art that
have been collected during quarter OF a
century are wrecked.
For twenty five years Fernslde has been
looked upon as one of the most complete
and handsome residences in Alameda
County. It's valuable library was the
pride of A. A. Cohen, deceased, and was
gathered by him from all quarters of the
civilized world. The valuable paintings,
many OF them works from the brushes of
Rousseau, Corot, Bonheur and Milne
Ramsey. are nearly all in ruins, and the
beautiful brc-a-brac, worth tens of thou
sands of dollars, has shared similar fate.
The fire was discovered early this morn
ing by Otto jenkins, the coachman. He
saw he smoke issuing from the roof and
an investigation showed that the whole
upy er portion of the garret was ablaze.
AS soon us the alarm was sounded two
chemical engines and one ateamer came
to the fire, but as there was only one
hydrant several blocks away the flames
Haunted defiance at the puny efforts of
the fremen to control them. The single
stream which was played on the fire was
absolutely valueless, and the heat was SO
intense that the tremen were forced to
stand so far away from the burning pile
that their efforts were of no avail. The
little chemical engines exhausted their
usefulness without creating any effect at
all, and it was seen there was no hope for
the structure unless more water could be
obtained.
An attempt was made at Z o'clock to tap
the main pipe, and with the aid of fire.
plug another line of hose was brought
into service.
The flames jumped about as they
pleased. From the roof they encircled the
cupola, the foundations of which were
soon destroyed and the main part fell
through the skylight to the gallery inside
the building The flames spread to every
portion OF the upper story, gradually
worked downward and devoured every
thing to the ground.
By 8 o'c.o .ock the whole northern wing
was one mass of flames and all efforts
were made to try 10 save the southern
portion of the building. The Fire De-
partment, however, although it did it's
".
could do nothing, and by IL o'clock
nothing remained of the palatial home
except five tall chimneys and small
portion of the framework of the lower
floor.
A. A. Cohen built Fernside in 1872,
when he was at the zenith of his pros
perity. Before building he sold out nis
railroad and ferry enterprises to the Gen.
trail Pacific syndicate. He built the
broad-gauge railroad from Alameda Point
to Haywards and was a bold speculator,
but he was sagacious enough not to at
tempt to compete with Stanford and
Huntington, so he allowed all his trans
portation properties to be absorbed by the
Western Pacific. In 1877 he had rup-
ture with the railroad company and big
lawsuit followed. after which Cohen never
regained his former prosperity, although
be remained a wealthy man up to the
time of his death.
The house first came into notoriety by
suit instituted by the late Charles Crocker