The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-13
EVANGELIST hOODY'S
CHICAGO CHURCH Quilted BY
ANGRY FLAMES.
The Begrimmed Walls the Only
Monument Of That Great
Temple Of Worship.

CHICAGO, Ill, November l2.-At
$3.50 o'clock this morning fire was dis
covered in the basement OF the Chi
cago Avenue Church, better known as
Moody's Church, at the ccrner of
Chicago avenue and LaSalle street.
An alarm was given, but bsfore the
engines could respond the flames had
burst through the first floor into the
lecture room. Here their fury was
checked for awhile, as was supposed,
but, concealed by the dense smoke,
the fire had crept up to the second
floor and soon eaten its say into the
auditorium on the second floor. Fed
here by the multitude of cushions
and other inaammsble furnishings,
the flames spread with surprising
rapidity and redoubled fercsness. A
second alarm was hastily turned in.
The burning cushions ard other ma
terial gave forth almost impenetrable
volumes OF dense black smoke, which
for a time repulsed all efforts Of the
firemen to enter the church. The
stained glass windows, which bad be-
gun TO crack from the heat, were
dashed in with Sxes and in few
minutes half a dozen streams were
paying on the fire which chung with
obstinate persistence to the furniture
and other light eombustibles in the
room. After nearly three quar-
tiers Of an hour of hard work,
the flames were got under control
and the fire confined to the church
building. The smoke was still too
dense to permit an investigation Of
the extent of the damages, but it is be-
lieved that the interior ia entirely
Quilted. The stained glass windows
were almost entirely destroyed. The
walls, it is though, sre about all of
the structure that could be preserved
for future use. The pastor, the Rev.
Mr.. Goas, estimated the loss at $50, 900
and said that the church and furni-
ture we're covered by insurance 10 that
amount. Iucendiarism il believed by
some TO be the cause of the fire. tits
said that at 80 o'clock this morning
a policeman saw some one in the in
tsTior of the building. Mr.. d. B. Tur-
ner, the jar itor, said that ell the men,
beers of his family had retired at that
hour. The Rev. Mr.. Goss c,uld not
conceive OF motive any one might
have, but admitted that he could not
understand the origin CT the flames in
the part of the bu lding where they
were discovered unless the fire was
set He said there might have been
an overheated pipe from oGe of the
seven furnaces which are located in
the basement. The church society
was organized by the Rev. Dwight l..
Moody, the evangelist, in 1869, and oc-
cupied small building on Chicago
avenue, near franklin street until the
great fire in1871. Immediately aIterthat
time Mr.. Moody built the present
church structure, soliciting and re.
ceiving contributors from all pats Of
the globe until 100000 YVES raised.
Mr.. Moody continued as the pastor
uptil he began his general evsDgel-
istic work. The present pastor OF the
church is the Rev. O. F. Co.'s, 1t has
grown from small beginning TO be
one of the largest churches in point OF
membership in the city. The Sunday |
school rolls include the names OF over |
1900 children. A. H. R vel, j. II.
Hitchcock, A. H. Lowden, r. F, |
Atchison and John Morton are at
present deacons. The auditorium OF
the church is the largest in Chicago,
though perhaps the pIainest in design.
Since the building was first erected al
terations and improvements have been
made to the extent Of $4,000. The
walls of the church are uninjured,
and the total loss will exceed $4,000. |