The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-13
THE FIRE RECORD.
The Furniture and Fittings Of MOOdy's Chi
cagO-Avenue Church Destroyed.

The Furniture and Fittings Of MOOdys Chi
cago-Avenue Church Destroyed.
CHICAGO, Nov. 12-At $50 o'clock this morn
ing fire was discovered in the basement of the
Chicago avenue Church, better known as
Moody's Church, at the corner of Chicago ave-
nue. and Lasalle street. An alarm was given
but before the engine could respond the flames
had burst through the first floor into the lecture
room. Here their fury was checked for while,
as was supposed, but, concealed by the dense
smoke, the fire had crept up to the second floor
and soon eaten its way into the auditorium of
the second floor Fed here by the multitude of
cushions and other inhammable furnishings, the
flames spread with surprising rapidty and re-
doubled ferceness. A second alarm was hastily
turned in. The burning cushions and other ma
teral gave forth almost impenetrable volumes of
dense black smoke which for time repulsed all
efforts of the fremen to enter the church The
stained glass windows, which had begun
to crack from the heat were dashed
in with axes, and in few
the fire, which chung with obstinate persistence
to the furniture and other light combustbles in
the room. After nearly three quarters of an
hour of hard work the flames were got under
control and the fire confined to the church build
ing. The smoke still too dense to permit an
investigation of the extent of the damages, but
it is believed that the interior is entirely Quilted
The stained glass windows were almost entirely
destroyed. The walls it was thought. are about
all of the structure that could be preserved for
future USE The pastor. the Rev Mr. Goss, es-
tmated the loss at 000 ana said that the
church and furniture were covered by insurance
to that amount Incendiarism is believed by
some to be the cause OF the fire. 1t is said that
at 1:30 o'clock this morning policeman saw
some one In the interior of the building. MIR d.
b. Turner, the janitor, said that all the members
of his family had retired at that hour The
Rev. Mr.. Goss could not conceive of motive
any one might have, but admitted that he could
not understand the origin of the flames in the
part of the building where they were discovered,
unless the fire was set. He said there might
have been overheated pipe from one of the
seven furnaces which are located in the base
ment.
The Church Society was organized by the Rev.
Dwight l.. Moody. the evangelist, in 1869 and
occupied small building on Chicago avenue,
near Franklin street, until the great fire in 1871
Immediately after that time Mr. Moody built
the present church structure soliciting and re-
ceiving contributions from ali parts of the
globe until 100000 was rased. Mr.
Moody continued as the pastor until ne
present pastor of the church is the Rev. c. F.
Goss 1t has grown from a small beginning to
be one of the largest churches in point of mem
bership in the city. The Sunday-school rolls
include the names of over sixteen hundred chill
,lren. A. H Revall. j. II. Hitchcock, A. H.
Lowden, r. F. Atchison and John Morrison are
at present deacons. The auditorium of the
church is the largest in Chicago though perhaps
the plainest in design Since the building was first
erected alterations and improvements have been
made to the extent of $25, 600. The walls of the
church are uninjured and the total loss will not
exceed $4,000.