St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-03
The First Congregational Church, Valued
at Thirty Thousand Dollars, Goes
Up In Smoke.
5. B. Chase, Prominent Young Man,
Drowned While Rowing in Lake
Calhoun.
spicy Gossip About the New Coppers
Who Protect the City--Large
Meeting Of BARRIERS.
The Turner Anniversary Pleasantly
Celebrated musements Dur
ing the Coming Week.
I'm ASHES.
The First COngrega tiOuaI Church
Almost YOtaIly DESTROYED.

Shortly before o'clock yesterday after
noon people passing by the First Congrega-
tional church, at the corner OF Fifth street
and Second avenue southeast, noticed
smoke Issuing from the windows, which
was rapidly increasing in volume. An i'll
yeStigatiOn revealed that the interior of the
church was on fire, and that the flames had
nearly reached the ceiling. An alarm was
given as soon as possible, and the people
Sho had been attracted at once broke in
sHe doors and began to remove the furni-
ture. Very little of course could
be taken from the audience room,
but the piano, Sunday school library and
furniture i'll the lecture room at the rear We're
saved. By the time of the arrival of the
fire department the flames had gained great
Roadway and were already bursting through
the roof. The church was frame one and
of course burned radidly. Within less
than an hour the roof had fallen in, the
spire had toppled over and the four walls
were nearly demolished so that the structure
was practically destroyed. notwithstanding
the vigorous eXertions of the firemen and
perfect deluge of water.
THE LOSS
is between S25. 900 and $50. 0OO The build
ing when first erected cost $3.50 and
$4,000 has since been expended in alter
atlonS. y pipe organ, the gift of Gov.
Plilsbury, valued at 81, 900, and furniture
valued at 81, 600 was also destroyed. The
loss is only One-half covered by insurance,
which footS up S13, 000 as follows: On the
building, $1,000 in the Home Insurance
company; 81. 600 in the Fire and Marine
OF ST. Paul, $4,000 in the Hartford. Conn.
In addition there was 1000 insurance on
furniture in the Hartford and 50, 900 on the
organ in the New York Underwriters.
The cause of the fire can only be sur
missed. The church was heated prior TO
the morning service to remove dampness,
but the fire in the furnace was allowed to
go out as it was supposed. The flames
seemed to start from the center of the
large audience-room, and it is likely had
their origin from defective pipe leading
to one of the registers. Il. j. VerrilI, who
lives at 31S Fifth street southeast, just in
the rear of the church, noticed the smoke
as early as any one, perhaps, and says that,
locking through a window, he saw that the
room was densely filled with smoke, and
noticed flames coming up from the floor
at about the center. 1t may
have been, however, that the fire started
in the basement near the furnace. and grad
ually worked its way through the place be-
fore discovered. At any rate it is evident
lIldt tllG HE lldu Dceu UuIillllS 1OI SoN-
eral hours and SO had gained strong head
ing before the smoke came through the
windows to the outside in sufficient quanti-
ties TO attract the attention of casual OBJ
servers walking along the street.
THE CHURCH
was dedicated June 20, 1874, and at that
time was one of the most commodious
houses of worship in the city, 1t was
frame building, OF plain exterior. but was
handsomely finished within. Shortly after
the commencement of the pastorate of Rev.
John L. Scudder in 1882, it was found that
the house was too small for the rapidly
growing congregation, and it was enlarged
by increasing the size of the auditorium SO
as to afford seating capacity of 500, and by
adding a lecture room at the rear. The
new audience room was occupied for the
first time Nov. 9 and rededicated Dec. 9 of
that year. The First Congregational church
society, which is thus bereft of its house of
worship, us one Of the oldest religious bod
les in Minneapolis, being organized Nov. IS,
1851. when the services were held il a
school building erected by the town of ST.
Anthony, between University avenue and
Manchester college. The first church build
ing erected by the society was located at
the corner of Central avenue and Fourth
street. The membership has rapidly i'll
creased since the advent of Rev. J. L.
Scudder, who only week ago closed his
pastorate, to respond to call from Jersey
City, and at present numbers nearly 400.
1t was the expectation, in the event that
MI. Scudder's successor proved as popular as
he, to still further enlarge the seating capac-
ity by the addition of q gallery. Now that
an opportunities thus unexpectedly offered
to rebuild upon more extensive scale,
there is little doubt that one of the hand
soonest and largest church editces in the
city will in short time mark the site OF
the ruined building. The trustees are John
S. Pillsbury, president; P. d. Mcmillan,
clerk, George 4. Wheaton. Charles H.
Pratt and D. NJ. Clough. The board will
call a meeting at once to take action looking
toward rebuilding and the securing Of tenn
pOrary church facilities.