Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-15

burning OF the First Presbyte-
rinn Church Last Night.

uated on the northwest corner Of
Third and Poplar streets was totally
destroyed by Gre, between nine and
ten o'clock, last night.
Il vas but few moments after the
pastor, the Rev. Eugene Daniels,
had dismissed his congregation, and
while the gas lights were in progress
Of extinguishment by the sexton,
that the fire was discovered, and the
alarm sounded, The wooden portion
of the edi6ce was exceedingly dry and
the flames made rapid headway, SO
that by the time the fire engines
arrived, the upper portion of the
structure was all ablaze.
An immense crowd of people gath
cred in the vicinity of the c%onAagra-
ton. Third street, for more than three
squares, was thronged, while Poplar
street held crowd $50 dense that
persons found it difficult to make a
passage through, except in the vicinity
of the fire, where the heat was too
intense to be withstood. The firemen
worked with their accustomed energy
and celebrity, but the combus,ible ma
ture OF the material in the church
was such hat nothing could
be done toward suppresSing the
lanes until everything, save a few
charred timbGrs was convertel int
ashes. The organ, a favOrite aud
valuable Instrument to which the
congregation was very much attached,
and situated in the basemen. of the
church, together with all the furni-
ture, books and other fixtures was
totally destroyed.
The two towers situated at the front
II the structure, one of which served
as a belfry, seemed to act like the
chimney or smoke stacks of
a foundry, and a strong
current OF air passing up the
massive Aues, carried sparks and Gin
ders high toward the skies, to be
catered in myriads upon the houses,
he streets and the people as they de-
scended, and affording a spectacle to
be remembered by those who wit
messed it.
The origin of the FIRE was supposed
to be the furnace used to warm up the
building. The severity Of the weather
had caused orders to be given to the
man in charge to have the church well
warmed. With this object he kept
the furnaces in operation during Sat
urday evening and night. Last evening
the congregation met for worship at
half-past seven, and the pastor, Mr..
Daniel concluded an hour later, dis.
missing his audience. A moment after
be reached his residence next door,
the sexton ran to him and said some
thing over at the church was burning.
The Rev. Mr.. Daniel, WITH the
sexton at once ran to the rear doc. of
the church, by which they entered the
furnace room, and found a streak of
tire above the brick work of the fur
mace. The sexton hastened at the ton
OF his spesd to the Adams street en-
ginehOuse, and in a few minutes the
apparatus arrived at the spot, but it
was too late. and by nine o'clock the
entire building was enveloped by the
flames, which famed BY a brisk north
east wind, made short its work of
destruction. The iremen did
excellent and maniul service.
without avail. The manse, or pastors
residence, next door, and other build.
ings in the vicinity all escaped IN.
injured.
The First Presbyterian Church was
a fine structure for devotional DIR.
poses, and was built nearly thirty
years ago, either in '53 or "a, at a cost
Of something like thirty thousand
dollars. 1t has been kept in good
repair all the time since then except
for a short period, in 1873, when
the inside ceiling tumbled down,
a few minutes after the holding of
the funeral services over the remains
Of its lamented pastor, the Rev. Mr..
Bowman, who fell a victim to the
scourge of 70 while administering
comfort to the suffering and dying of
that terrible period. The pastor of
the church preceding Mr.. Bowman
was the Rev. NJ. Steadman After Mr..
Bowman's death the church had no
pastor for some time, but since 1875
the present talented and much re.
spected pastor, the Rev. Eugene
Daniel, has occupied the pulpit.
The estimated loss by last nights
fire is $4,000 or $4,000, unless the
brick walls, which are yet standing
can be utilized in rebuilding, in which
case perhaps $4,000 or $4,000 would
replace it. There was but 50, 900 in.
surance on the church, all laid in the
Manchester (England) Company, Of
which 9. b. Wexford & Co. are agents.
The congregation Of the First Presby.
terian Church is known as containing
many Of the wealthiest people in the
community, and it is probable that
the work of rebuilding tlo od;aoo