New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-03
FIRE IN ST. LUKE'S CHANCEL
THE ORGAN RUINED BY THE FLAMES.

| MEMORIAL WINDOWS BRoKEN-CAUsED BY A NEW
| HEATER-HisToRY OF THE CHURCH.
ST. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church, in
Hudsnn-st, opposite Grove has long been LETT FAR De-
hind By uptown aow OF fashionable life. It's con
gregaon is zeal bot not wealthy 1t does not expend
money in adornment. Lately it has congratulated
itself getting furnace whereby the congregation
ard school children might bo kept comfortably warm
Sundays The furnace peoI le applied the finishing
touches to 1t yesterday afternoon and started fire that
the church might be well warmed when the services
should begin this morning. flue passes behind the
organ which Is btllt the north side OF the church
| adjoining the chancel
Shortly after o'clock last night smoke was seen
issuing from the northwest OF tue church The
fire alarm sounded The se1ton's assistant reached
the church just the first fire eengDe arrived and found
the organ abaze and flames playing about the chanceL
| In few minutes the church surrounded By fire
engines The street stopped and the long line
O; rcd lights extending aud down Hudson ST. looked
Ike bivouac fires on battlefield. The fire was under
control In less than hour. The remen piled axes
vigorously the flooring around the chancc and In tho
smoke and dim light OF their lanterns appeared like so
many agents OF the evil wrcakng vengeance on the
scared building The assistant rector the Rev. Clarence
Buell. worked energecay in carrying of portable prop
erty ard was much rejoiced find the Bible and memo
rial cross unIiured. The damage will amount to
900 The walls not injured. The organ, worth
about 00O completely ruined aud the chance was
wrecked Recently ~ 900 had been expended In resco
work and various repairs. all OF which will have to he
done again Two memorial windows, costing $500
each werebr0ken But the vestrymcn and old members
OF church who gathered around 1t found comfort In
the fact that the church is insured for $4,000. The
Rev Dr. b. f. DE Costa offered the OF his church
the sunday OIL which is attended by 700 chdren
Tue offer gratefully accepted.
William ". Willard, the librarian Of tho sunday school
told interesting facts ahont the history OF the
church. Work begun on 1t in 1921. The locality
was then known the village of Greenwich. Green
fields stretched all around IT, Houses were few and
scattered Hudson ST. presented the appearance OF an
ordinary country road Back Of the church stood the old
state prison Trinity Church promptly the ground
for .thc church and added two lots for the
churcbyard. The yesry projected building OF the d
mensions forty feet by ffty-hvc feet and not
without misglvngs that they attempting too much
enlarged the plan to forty eight by sixty three feet
John Heath contracted to build 1t for $500. Mr..
Labagh, Jealous laymnn, prepir tho conversions at
his expense At tho time the me was Laid, only
one stage, twice day. ran from Greenwich to New
York The population the city stll concentrated
tho BATTERY. The ceremony OF laying the corner
stone was performed by Bishop Iobcrt assisted by the
rector tho Rev. DR. George Uphold. and most OF the
clergy OF the city. PentiDR the building OF tho church.
service. were held !n n room watch house dt
Hudson ana Christopher sts Greenwich soln bucamc
"a. ayore summer. resort some cnterprising chuTch-
men z,nluu. To secure FOR - Iukcs winter cOugrcga
ton Induced capitalists to cxprencn IN the erection OF
houses. wnirh.prOyed success lhe parsonage was one
~ the first dwellings erected In Hudson at. Tue church
became ambitious and In the third year Of ts existence
procured organ with 3la 0ctaves FOR OcondiOna
however securing voluntary music und an orgau-t.
The parish steadily Increased and In 1870 hal about 100
families After aroctor'hip of clght years the Rev Dr.
Upiut gned and accepted the charge OF ST. Thomass
church.
The Rev Levi = I've, became the scOnd rector OF St.
Luke- During rcct0rshp of three years the vostry
enlarged church cost Of about $4,000 At this
time also Minis Louisa Gi!liughaU engaged 10 sug
"a the unprecedented salary of $3.50 year. on June
~ 1891 the Rev. ". X. Wittinehan, formerly Bishop
o. Maryland acccI tel tEe,rcctorship oi 81 Lukes. Ho
enthusiastic advocate ~ pnrochill cnucatnu
oon tho walls ul tic large building standing on the
uuthwrst corner OF Hudson and Grove SITS began 10
rise enterprise proved too costly for the means
~ the parrish In August 1884, the Rev. John Murray
Pnrbcs called 10 MI the vacant rcctolship. He re-
inincl IN charge for sixteen ycAs, and The congregh-
-teadl, Increased lie went to the Church OF
Rome hut subsequently returned To his former belief.
The present incumbent the Rev. Isaac II. Tutte, be-
cameo rector of -. IuEo's juno 30 1880. aud the
church emerged from the shadow which Mr.
Forbess drfcrtiun hal thrown over IL. large school
room as wing on the south OF tho chur,n was soon
erected II proved insufficient and another large
wing subsequently built the north ~ the church
In s7J still further enlarged at the eN-
penso OF Trinity Chur,h ty an addition % the rear
thirty eight by eighty feet. The congregation Ot -.
Iukcs church Numbers aycragc 100 persons, more
than double that number being on It's rolls.