, 1873-01-17
Meeting Of the Congregation While
the Building Was Still .
in Flames.
The Trustees Directed to Prepare
Estimates for a. New
Church.
Letters Of Consolation Received
from Sister Socities.
ORIGIN AND DISCOVERY.

4Ae TilaL AuAHIVEatlOui1 IAulEt1. sAtdhteA VI
tho southwest corner Of Ann and West Washing
tou streets, was totally destroyed by fire early
last evening. The first Of the new series Of con-
certs by the Oratorio Society WAS to have beon
given in the church last evening, and Rev.
Robert Laird Collier was to have delivered his
Beethoven orntion. The Oratorio Society seems
to be tho spec1aI victim of fire. 1t suffered
once BY the burning OF FarweH Hall, five winters
ago, and in the great hrait lost its roonas piano
and music. This last FIRE has affected
it with equal severity, for 1t had its rooms in the
church building, and all its property waa
stored III them. Its library aud muBic, consisting
Of oratorio, orchestral, and vocal scores, all, or
at least tho greater portion of which donated
to it by tho Handel and Haydn Society, Of Bos-
ton, Immediately after the great fire, have been
entirely destroyed, and cannot be speedily re-
placed. Financially considered, tho loss on
effects is not very heavy, thcagh the Society
loses quito a large sum by tho interruption to
its first concert since a year ago last October.
The entertainment promised to yield . hand
some. return. Even at the early hour
when the fire made it's appearance there were
several persons an1ioualy waiting in front Of the
church for the doors to open- The janitor
visited the church shortly after o'clock to stoke
the fires in the furnaces, and make the building
comfortable.
HE ENELLED EAoEE,
and saw it issuing from partition near one OF
the heaters in the north end Of the building.
He Immediately ran to the spot. and. discov-
e1ing quite d blaze, oxerted himself to put
it out. Very little water Was available, but he
procured enough to apparently sqaelch tho
flames. While copgratulating himself upon
the narrow escape, the flames burst forth anew,
and communicated to q wooden ventilation flue~
leading to the roof, up toward which tia ire
was rapidly drawn by currents Of air. The
janitor now realized that it wns
ueelcss to ronnain longer in the church,
and accordingly rapidly mado his exit.
The flames having mounted to the roof, found
ample food in the numerous wooden trussos
which supported it, and coon made their appear
ance TO pedestrians On Washington street. Other
persona walking on Madison street Simultaneous
II observed the lire, and :
=, : AN ALARM WAS GIVEN
from Boz No. s12, corner OF that thoronghfaro
md Aberdeen street.. The district steamers,
fire in number, reached tho scene. about Z
o'clock, the alarm having been sounded about
ten minutes before. Nearly tho whole edilce
was by this time ablaze, tho air Was full of largo
fakes. Of fire, and strong wind blowing
from tho north. Directly south Of
the church, facing Ann street, are three.
or four frame buildings, and in tho rear Of them
many sheds and barns. On the opposite Rido OF
the street are other similar dwellings. Tho roofs
aud several took fire. The appearances at thia
time indicated another Saturday, Oct. z. Fire
Marshal Williams could not but see the danger
to surrounding property when he arrived, and no