The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-05-13
Residence Saved by Quick Work Of
the Firemen.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle Loses About All of
Her Household Goods.
Made Her Escape Through a Window
and Down a Ladder.
Roomers In the House Lose Mosts Of
Their Belongings.
From Mondays Daily.

Fire this forenoon badly damaged the
house on South Broad street occupied
by Mrs. Van Wrinkle and owned by P. B.
Sparrow, and located just north of the
latter's residence. 1t started from a
kerosene oil heater which Mr.. and Mrs,
E. p. Crandall had in room on the see
ond floor occupied by them. AS the morn
ing was cold and raw, the heater was
used, and went all right until about
1890 o'clock, when from some unknown
cause it blazed up on the outside. Mrs.
Crandall was in the room alone, and with
over the stove and picked it up and
started to carry it down stairs. The
blaze got outside of the blanket, oil
leaked from the stove, and Mrs. Gran
dalPs hands were quite badly burned and
she was obliged to drop the stove and
run out of the front door, 1t is very
fortunate that her clothing did not
take fire.
When the stove struck the floor at
the foot of the stairs the oil blazed
up and the stove seemed to explode. The
door being open, and fresh wind blow
ing in, the flames were famed and in a
moment ran throughout the house, up
stairs and down stairs and into the at
tic. Even the front porch was in full
blaze. Mrs. Van Winkel was on the Sec
ond floor, and escape by the stairway
was cut off, so she got out of a window
and stood on the roof of a bay window
on the south side of the house until the
iremen arrived and put up ladder and
assisted her down. ?
An alarm was turned in as quickly as
possible, from box 81, and the firemen
were on the ground almost before the
bell had ceased to ring. They had hard
fight before them, as the whole in
terror of the house as well as the front
porch was enveloped in flames. They did
some of the best work that they have
ever done, for they soon had the fire
entirely extinguished, difficult as it was
to reach in some places. Had the fire
gotten much more Roadway it would
have endangered MIR. Sparrow's residence.
The damage to the building is quite
extensive. Some of the door work will
have to be replaced, and the remainder
will have to be scraped. The plaster
will have to come off, and other repairs
will have to be made. Mr.. Sparrow
places no estimate on the loss, but it
can hardly be less than $500. The
house is insured with Theo. Williams
for $500.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle lost practically all
of her furniture, carpets and household
goods, except the piano, which was re-
moved but may be damaged somewhat
She had $500 insurance, which will not
cover her loss. She was letting rooms
and taking table boarders.
Mr.. and Mrs. Crandall lost all of
their spare clothing and other articles
and their loss will be about 5000, with no
insurance.
Miss Marie Kieffer, student of the
Commercial college, had room in the
house, but succeeded in saving part of
her wearing apparel, though in damag-
ed condition. She had no insurance.
Carl Peterson, operator and retoucher
at ]. R. Shows photograph gallery, had
a room in the house, and lost his pos
sessions. He had no insurance. He is
spending a few days at Red Wing and
does not know of his loss. He lived in
the city but month.