The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1885-03-13
TEE ST. poMlNIc,s FIRE.

Damage Less Than Was First Re-
pOFfed--A Task scientifically Per.
formed.
District Fire Marshal Drew states that
the damage to ST. Dominic's Church is not
so extensive as at first estimated. He says
that $50, 1000 will repair the damage to the
church.
Assistant Fire Marshal Coon of Balti-
more, who came here yesterday to make
study of the fire and tho manner of fight
ing it, stated to n CRITIC reporter this
afternoon that the estimate of Mr.. Drew is
high enough to cover the loss He said
that the fire was fought scientifically, and
lie never saw fte of such magnitude
handled better.
lie stated that there have been two large
church fires in his city recently and both
resulted In the destruction of the churches.
Ho said the roof is all right on st. D0mi-
MICS. He declared that tho church was a
perfect Undertook, with its battened walls
and wooden roof. He said there was q
double roof, forming a cock.loft, into which
the fire extended, and but for the scen-
tifc methods of the Fire Department the
whole church would have been in flames
In support of his statement he said that
the heat was so great that the pipes OF the
organ, two hundred feet from the point at
which the fire was raging, were twisted out
of shape by the heat. lie said that If the
hose had not been put through the roof
and the temperature of that portion Of the
structure cooled there would have been n
gas explosion, which would have resulted
in the flames increasing to such an extent
that they could not have been extinguish-
ed. The report of Lieutenant b. Greer of
the First Precinct, puts the damage at
| $4,000 and the insurance at $4,000 in
the Howard Insurance Company.
Superintendent of District Fire Alarm
! Miles states that the electrical apparatus
| in the church which cost $1,000 was not
damaged beyond corroding by the smoke
and dampness.
He says tho bell tolled Off twelve strokes
at noon yesterday, aud Mt 9 o'clock last
evening IL struck three tunes and stopped.
| II did not strike at o'clock this morning.
1t subsequently cleaned, aud the time
| was struck as usual at noon to-day. There
| will be no future trouble about the resi-
| dents of South Washington being furnished
with the correct time from this source.
The Fire Department states that tho po-
| lice regulations were better at this fire
| than ever before. Life lines were stretched
| on the opposite sides OF the streets that
| surrounded the church aud tho crowd kept
| at safe distance. Tho police from the
| First, Fifth and Eighth precincts were
| present.
| inspector EntwIsIe's Views.
| Binding Inspector Entwisle was sent FOR
| by the church authorities TO inspect the
| building aud state whethor II could be
occupied for services before repaired and
make a rough estimate of the damage.
| lie spent two hours In examining tho
| structure, and Informed the Father that
| they might hold services there IL they par
titionCd of about one third Of the rear OF
| the church and used the remainder, Ser
| vices will be held next Sunday.
| A carpenter was employed this morning
to board up the broken windows. He
| stated that there was not much damage OF
tho plasteriDg falling.
He said that tho plastering would have to
be eventually replaced Ilo advised the
| church authorities TO hold only short ser
| vices In the church on account Of the
| dampness.
AS to tho damage, he states that the
$4,000 damage will amply cover the loss
dc said the fire was well handled under
the circumstances, but If the house had not
been 30 thoroughly filed with smoke ii
would have been handled differently.
He said ii was AL mistake about the
batteDed walls being ON fire, He said they
were filed with smoke aud hot air instead
OF fire. The roof is intact, Tho principal
loss was ON the altar, organ, floor wains-
eotine, plastering and windows,
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