The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-02
rryening Bulletin. SIS.I

|n
~ ~ Reth.Eden Baptist church. a
CO.. s.,,,c stone structure extending from
uu'.''.o 10 Iardner streets. and 10 The west
Si'.',snce of about 100 tect. The cause was
E" vt,hlv defective fiue, hut on this point
F.'.tj,c i known positively, for when brst
2. .',,,,cr,b the flames were raging furlousiy,
v,..,.,,, camplete control Of that portion OF
~ n,i,diuc. An alarm of tre was imine-
' ,',Ily s,nnded. but BY the time the men
u uD, ,beir apparatus In position and at work
~ ,ntcrior Of the church was ablaze. Wa
Wv tron several sire ,ms was thrown In
,b,,uch the windows. but they seemed TO
80 no feet in checking the progress OF
,re ire. = second alarm was soon sounded,
~ ,he additional streams OF water were
Sirectcd upon The burning ediice. The WIN.
~. were beautifully set With stained
49,. In q remarkably brief period OF time
~, we're broken either by the force OF The
.'si,r " thout or the heat within. and the
i,,c,ior was revealed 90 the spectators,
ONE MASS or FLAME.
Tho Hsit was intense, and when the roof
-. vaN the flames shot upwards 10 a great
3c.shi. carving with them great clouds OF
.na,ks and cinderS. which flOated of TO the
.op,nca>t. borne by Il gentle northwest
v,od which prevailed. The lighi soon at
,recied attention 20 was - A. NJ. y, and 1t
v,. no. long before people came to the
,c,Df Il me c0nflgration from all direc-
,iou, Tie residents IN the near vicinity
were thoroughly frightened, and shut
,,r. aod windows we're tightly closed and
.,,i,e breplrttion> for flight we're made.
Tho danger Was very great. A. soon IS
,le hrsy, umbcrs forming the roof fell into
me flmc, below they only added 20 their
fury, aud the heat wa, fearful. All this
Time The 6rcmen poured water INTO the
e,rfs. but no apparent eject vas produced.
The >rifk. and flames rolled up high above
m, walk. and threatened 10 sweep away
tye.,tbing That Stood uelr. The gvclt
brsi. and PERHAPS some stray brands, caused
tt coruice OF Horticultural Hall, only
separated from the burning church by 4
uNrow SIce', q take fire and burn up.
Beth. Eden Baptist 6burcb, northwest cor
uer Of Broad and Spruce streets, was
Gothic structure. fofmed mostly OF green
stone, trimmed with red sandstone and mar
bic. and has cost so far The sum OF $780,
71A47. ) stecpic was 10 have been put
ON the church al cost OF $4,000. II
We, an Oh>hO0t Of the old Spruce
street Blptl>t church. and was erect.
cd durin@ The wear 1869, and in Septcm-
Der OF that year services were held IN a
portion of the building. On
MONDAY evening, April I, 1870, the church
W.. formally opeaed for divine service,
upop which occasion Rev. Or. Levy offered
The invocation; Rev. Dr.. BOardman read
the ScrIp'urc.. and addresses were delivered
bv Rev. Drs. Castle, Randolph, Henson, and
MACON. Services were continued all the
week. the pastor, Rev. j. Wheaton Smith,
ID. D., being assisted by the pastors of the
different Baptist churches. The church
wa, closed during he summer OF 1872, when
the church.buildiDg was improved and Il
new organ introduced, the total cost being
about $4,000.
In June last The debt upon the property
amounted 10 $4,000, and strong effort
was made 10 raise that sum. The effort was
successful, and at the time OF the fire all the
subscriptions had been paid with the eX-
cepliOn 81 ABOUT $1,000.
The interior Of the church was finished
in walnut and fine woods, and one OF the
hqndsOmes, in the city. The galleries were
large and comfortable, while the body Of
the church could accommodate about six
bundled people.
THE ORGAN.
The fine, large organ, which was de-
,Iroyed with The building, was erected in
lS72 at a cost of $1,000. Ii was placed in
the pulpit platform, the smaller portion
being on the east and the larger to the west,
By The side Of the bapti>try, with room in
front for the choir. IL was in the Gothic
,tyle. and composed mostly Of walnut, and
about twenty feet in height. The metal
pipes lowered on the side, the highest being
Is feet. by II inches in diameter. The front
pipe, were beautifully Illuminated. The
organ contalued 81 registers, pedal move.
uents, and 1883 pipes.
Tue church was one OF the post attractive
IN The lower bali Of the city, and was at
ended by large congregation.
HORTICULTURAL HALL.
horticultural Hall was commenced IN
1866, and opened for ne on May 20, 1867, |
by The Pennsylvani Horticultural Society, |
but H. acoustic properties were so bad that |
i was failure, * far rs holding cOnyen-
Ton, lectures, etc, was concerned. In |
1872 The ball was remodelled, in hope Of |
rtciliying the defects Of The structure. The |
building MAS made a tWO.story one 10y the |
1islng Of the ola floor sixteen feet to the
tlel Of the old side galleries. thus making
he ceiling OF the main hall forty-iiye feet
instead If siXty-One. Tue lower room was
bus made ayallble for private balls, lee.
ure', and banquct>. The improvements
we're calculated hv splendid hOr-
icultural exhibition, bat it did not take
onS 10 show lhattbe acoustic properties Of
he main hall hld not been bettered. 1t ne
esNariiy fell into di>uSc, TO Il great extent,
L. hnta
lot available. For the past two years it has
zen gwen ever to pedestrian contests,
Oler'skaliug, and bicycle riding, with
low and then fair OF congregational
leeting.
a0ds, being sold 10 satisfy judgment for
o. $50 obtained in Court OF Common Pleas
'o. by the Philadelphia Saving Fund
oclety. Al this SAFE, on February Sd, il
fought $40 800 by William l.. Scbaffer. II
a. slUce then been IN Use for the same pur-
o,e a. before The sale.
The building was IS feet front by 200
rel IN depth, viii twelve feet side-yard
Il Tie north, and bad seating capacity Of
'vOO, or Standing capacity OF $500, and
qua be empued in six minutes, having
NO aoorS, each five feet wide, opening out
n" Lafuner sueet, on The south SIDE, ana {
Mo uoor., each five feet wide, opening our
n'o we sldeyard on the north side, leading
y broad street, and two doors four feet
rue one on the north aud one on the
Ou'h SIDE OF the auditorium, open I
" on the landings at the head
Salrways; these stairways were !
'ite IN number, two of which were
leet inches high. leading iato tue
@lIoule under the main stairs the third
a'n stairway was feet wide, leading into
'estioule 10 by 10 feet, emptying into
ROAD street through i've doors, each 4
81 wide The gallery in front OF the au-
iolium would seat about 300. There was