Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-12
A SERIOUS FIRE TO-DAY.
81. DOMINIC'S CHURCH BURNED.
One ~ the FAAest Churches tn the his.
trics OF C0lumbia Wrecked NV the
RlAnaNR

81. DO1INICS CHURCH BURNED.
Ons ~ The Finest Churches tn the his.
trics OF Columbia Wrecked by the
Flames.
This morning about % quarter past IL O'Clock
Florence McAuliffe, the young man who has
charge Of the boiler room of ~. Dominic's
Catholic, church, at the corner of 9th and E
streets southwest, discovered that the room
was On nre. The boiler room was situated In
the osSement in the rear OF the altar and be-
meath the small rooms In which the vestments
ETC., were kept McAuliffe at once ran TO the
nrst precinct police station, and at ll:2O
O'Clock a telephone dispasch 10 send an engine
was transmitted. The South Washington en-
eins Ct once responded, and the alarm was
turned in at ll;21. SIX minutes later the
names were breaking through the foor spread
ing towards the altar and running between the
tnen sounded, followed In three minutes by the
Ssnerai Alarm. Very soon the entire fire de-
psrtment OF the District was on the ground and
crowd which gathered about the church The
small rooms adjoining the altar were soon
s SS.sso Ent' put some o. the furniture was
ana. notwithstanding the efforts OF the fremen.
kept satnins head way, and At 12:aS O'Clock the
the church was in names. as also many of the
psws. soortiy afterwards the whole interior
The building was not entirely finished until
ture about ss25, 900. The Insurance CT sac 700
u Id Baltimore companies.
SCENE OF DEsoLArroN.
AT haif-past two o'clock this afternoon the
nremen were still AT work on the building, and
great crowds OF people were standing In the
streets, The fre presented no very interesting
sPectAcie 70 the crowds, IS all that could be
seen vas volumes OF smoke issuing from the
great mass Of stone, and now and then a fire.
man. serambIinS over the roof; Occasionally
s sasre r MOULD De nt!le glittering flame
Window Inside al the hour "Ss sm.s 0r Of
scene oI aevast&tion that appalled, the hearts OF
the good fathers. The nre lad ruined all the
along xoSawort aud dsscendea aV 10 tRe eS
gan lo.s al the east end of the church. The or
Eal was Shsrred mass. When the firemen
point ana bad drenched the church with
s wafer. 90 that men At work Inside had TO wade
THE BOILER ROOM
~aers the hre 10 supposed 10 have originated, is
located under the northwest corner OF the
church. beneath tue altar OF ST. Joseph Chief
Crontn said the DIRE had permeated the walls of
tue cnurch IN every direction before il was dis
church. were the wooden bnttens 10 which the
ls,m!Ig is nailed. This made many ines Tor
Carrying the nre, and IL wss impossible 10 tell
wnere IL would break out next.
SAVING TIE vALUABLEs.
Soon after The fire was discovered Father
Morgan, pastor OF the church, assisted by
number OF the gentlemen Of the congregation.
began the work Of saving the statury and the
0tner valuable articles pertaining TO the altar.
ny ny battling their way through dense smoke,
tncy saved ihe valuable statues Of II. Joseph
ana " the Virgin, which stood respectively On
.ne AFFAIRS y the right and left OF the sacristy.
Ihey saved also the fourteen stations, or the
Us F0IeI work, representing The journey 10
Calvary.
THE cLERGfNEN's vEsrNESrs DESTROYED.
Father Horgan stated to q STAR reporter that
nearly all Of the vesunents OF the clergymen,
which were kept ia the room in the rear OF the
sacristy, had been destroyed. There were only
O few sets left.
THE OLD CHURCH.
II Is expected that the congregation win wor-
ship In the old St. Dominic's church. a wooden
structure on the same square, which served the
parish as church before the handsome stone
structure was erected. This has latterly been
used as public hail. but can easily be fitted up
as church again.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The flames apparently originated from an
overhested hue, and spread with great rpidity
up between the walls and the plastering. The
priests and their assistants At once began the
work OF removing the altar furniture, the bap-
and In short time everything Of value was re-
moved that could be removed. The fine altar
ap the main sanctuary, as well as the smaller
tackled the building nom ali sides,
but but owing to the .sloping character OF
unable to make very effective light from the
roof The Dire crept about In the walls In very
insidious way, and the 6relnen were Kept busy.
door Of the church. which was raised but a few
ieet nom the ground The hose was run IN
nom the front and the entire auditorium was
break out from the upper windows In the sane
tuary put the names were very slight The
smoke We; very great y seemed to issue from
Chief CrOnin Of the are department told a
STAB reporter, about two O'Clock, that he could
net tell what the extent OF the Dire would be, as
He had but little hope of saving the
roof
HISTORY OF TIE CHURCH.
The erection Of the present church edifice was
begun Nov. I'd, 1899, the congregation then
occupying the small building at the corner of
Sth and streets, now used as q school. Under
Inc direction Of Father bokel. with the approval
work was carried ON for seSu sese sns
years when the building operations ceased for
lack Of funds. The work was resumed March
June, 1875, by Archbishop Bssiey. It was a
very handsome and well constructed building
SSthS ss s Sagsey WAS about
gurance OF between forty and fifty thousand
dollars ON the building, mostly in Baltimore
SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN ON FIRE SOME TIME.
The theory was held by some this afternoon
that the church had been on fire for some hours
before the flames made themselves manifest.
The IRE is supposed to have snouldered in the
battened walls. This theory gained plausibility
from the statements made by some members OF
the congregation, that they had noticed that
the church was unusually warm last evening
and this morning.
The walls being battened, the flames spread
with much rSpidity, and was still burning at
o clock. The altar, OF marble and wood, costing
about $4,000, was completely wrecked, and
some OF the vestmsnts badly damaged, Most
81. Joseph being removed about lao O'Clock.
Most OF the priests early gave up saving the
church, and one OF them retired TO his study.
Nearly all lost by injury to their vestments.
ACCIDENTS TO FIREMES.
Charles Burke, Of No. 4 engine, had his left
nearly severed from his hand at the
Joint by the falling Of O piece of heavy glass
One Of the flremen was overcome with smoke
and nearly suftocated.
FIRE NOTES.
The building ID a large and handsome stone
edince, over 200 feet In depth and about so
feet In width, on the ground plan, and 20 feet
and, az stated above, was considered TO
be one OF the finest church eGifices in
tue District and cost about 100000. IL was
insured for about SOC, 600. which will not nearly
The church was built in 1873 by Building In.
spector Entwise. The stone walls stood for
several years before the building was finished
and the contract given TO Mr.. Entwisle.
the church have been busy preparing Tor
grand eociable, to be given about the middle
Of April. for the purpose OF assisting to pay the