, 1881-02-13
A sacri!egious Wretch Fires the
Michigan Avenue Bap"
tist Church.
The Interior of the Edffice Utter
u: ly Consumed to Ashes.
Original Cost Of the Building, $780,
000-Insuranoe, $3.50, 600.
Scenes and Incfdents-History OF tile
Church.
The Alleged 1noendiary under Arrest

/ The Michigan Avenue Baptist Church, one o1
tho finest edItices in the city, was destroyed b.
fire lust night the four solid walls and the tow
er!ng steeple beln9 all that is left to mark {
former elegant and very costly place OF wor'
ship.
Tho alarm rang out ar 9:l7 o'clock from Bo,
t22. and the fireman responded quickly. as
| sistant Fire-Nurshal Mushnm was frst at the
| church door. and soon directed his men where t.
| put tho Streams Of water with the best erect
He saw thnt the fire. was spreading from
| three or four different parts OF the fnatt
auditorium, as II It, bad been prepared and SCI
ua .,.:i 1t II lncendiary. The fame:
spread rapidly and lighted up the grea
I wiudows with q iuried glare. Soor
their forked tongues broke through the
stained glass, and shot outward and upward,
enveloping the roof and bursting through it In a
| few minutes. Marshal Swenie arrived shortly
! after the FIRST alarm was given, and, seeing the
| threatening state Of affairs.
TURNED IN 4 SECOND ALARM,
| calling additional engines and hook- and-1adder
| trucks to fight tho dnmes
! Tho beautiful organ. the splendid pulpit and
It's surroundings, the tIue pews, and church fur
| niture In the auditorium were envel-
| oped in mnss OF fame and smoke
SO quickly that nothing whatever could be saved
| from the general ruin. The Sabbath-school
I room in the rear part Of the building. aud the
| !ectureroom and the parlors OF the South Side
! Library avove it,!Eere involved In a brief space
OF time, and by II O'clock there was nothing left
but the walls and the ssnodering mass
! they fnclosed. It had been showing Just before
the fire broke out. but it ceased, and the night
I was frightened by the moon that shed its
| light through the passing clouds. The
great volume Of fame that burst from
tho tall edface, and the quiet
surroundings mnde the scene an unusual one.
! There were hundreds of people gathered from
tho vicinity, but they we're quiet spectators,
bereft Of my excitement, aud calmly viewed
the
WORK OF TIE DESTROYING ELEMENT
| as respectful distances. Whether the
! high steeple and tho four great
| stone walls caused the to remain
so much further away from the scene than is
customary. for spectators to do on similar occa-
were dangerous was soon evidenced BY the fail
wisdom Of the oulookets. WIS e8empli-
tho ea fire. but ss sad one to con,enpate. Many of
tue member: and attendants at the costly place
Of worship we're spectators Of the eontlagrauon.
and viewed the destruction Ut the beautiful edl-
fec with feelings Of regret. Financially 1t had
had u checkered career. from tho day
Supporters or i and they were @ Hopeful that Ways
and means would soon be devised und executed
TO rid it Of us burden and place It in the front
FHuh VI DApsSt uA4@AE31-@hAEAV ~ OAs0h ~
cation in thickly settled and pros.
porous district. is splendid arrangement and
were at the head Of its affairs.
4 grand euilding-an g eyiaence of Chicago en-
ersEhas been destroyed, and congresa-
ton that enjoyed its comfortable interior
has been compelled to seek a temporary
bath day, but its strong walls yet .remuiu,
and it may be That the energy. displayed in It's
construction will be renewed In its curly recon-
strucdou.
THAT THE CHURCH WAS FIRED
by an 1ncendlary. was q matter Of gen.
srai report AMONG tue spectasors xnn% and
thc fr,,mc building Immediately adjoining the
south side OF the church. and Il young mnn who
vas in the i, house the Te tro1g the WIN
a man III his shirt~s!eeyes- and minus hat.
jumping over the board feuce ind running
S"Ss y5p ii in s''ts
The iunitor Of the church, aud II was currently
Fire Murshal Musham met Il man at the main
entrance Ut the church. who said be was the
t9 Ss, and .af Ga os haa on h
act like one who had. but. 2 moment bo-
fore fired great sdttice. It was
persons about the tire that excited their, sus-
PIGEONS, aud caused1hom to think that be knew
more about tho tire thHn be would care to tell.
Wat,ash avenue and whose house abuts on the
church property, saw tho fire in the windows OF
tho janitors apartments in tho rear part OF the
The broakne, out OF tho fire caused great
alnrm at nrst among the residents whose dwell
2zs ns V'ns IL ~ ao ma
porter that he had retired for the night. anu US
soon as ho was alarmed br the cries OF fro he
had his family removed to ncghbor's house.
AT THE SCENE.
OF course therc was the usual crowd OF sight
sccrs scattered about tho scene of the burning
edluce, although, the location being 50
aere as out in tho sueiens ns5
6c much Of a h,ndrance to the police or Fire
Department Tha s.. street-cars. @ brought few
almost entirely Of people living In the immedi-
ntc peGehborlool. Tho broad steps Of the |
ire On MichiEsn Ii @ 1 ayeae vere nadeo
by IL crowded and shivering mass Of humanity, |
all In the glare Of the fumes. The street in |
md forth over which moved bremen, policemen. !
reporters and occasional little dclelsauons Of |
SG99s to or from eSan the @
west as fur us the alley was pretty we'll crowded
with spectators, for the best view OF tho fire |
nine in all, were stationed. three at the coraerof
Twenty-&hir street md Wabash avenue, three |
more at tho corner OF Twenty third street and |
Michigan avenue. and the others further down /
toward Yweuty-sccond street.
At a quurter before Ii O'Clock the progress or !
the fire was
MARKED ny AN INCIDENT
which for time created Il terrible amount Of ]
alarm. Chief Swente and about twenty Ut the /
tirenen-the boys from Nos. q, 10, ID, and IL |
were working directly in front of tho church on |
tho avenue,-al.nost at the very base Of |
the front wall. This wall. to all ap- /
peurances. was still in solid condition,
but suddenly Chief Swcnie thought be saw owl
denceS OF weakness TN 1t, and lie Mt once ordered !
tue men to move to the south. Before the last |
1u,n had reached the line of the south wall tho !
whole apex of tho front waiI-abont twenty hTe |
fcet--tumbIed TO the ground With Il loud,
lcaden crash. The hrcmen were seen to drop
the nozzles and dnsh pell-mel east, north, and J
south, but In n second the place where they he'd |
stood WIS wrapped Ia cloud Of smoke and /
steam, the hot stones szzing like mad and fora
few minutes 1t was thought that one
or two Of tho 1reIsen had been buried
under tho stones. After the first surprise
tl1ore was a rush forward OF the curious, who
anticipated seeing mangled forms dragged from
underneath tho stones. The police kept the I
crowd back with difficulty ut this iuncture.
However. 1t WAS soou ascertained that the only
damage done Was the buryinK of abnut IL hum
ered fcet Of hose. The escape was an exceed
ingly narrow one.
TIE CHURCH WAS CRUCFoEM
in shape. with sp!re at the northeast corner
rising roa hight OF ZIG feet 1t was in the Gothic
style OF architecture, and measured, outside.