St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-10
Total 81 p eces.
A SANCTUAE.Y AEsG.4EE.
Centenary Church, Minneapolis
Gers n Mimic ~ S,o.o,,;.o

Centenary Church, minneapolis
GeIs a Midnight ScOrchirg.
About II 80 last night as Officer Tom Cor
rims. of Minneapolis, was patroling his beat
he smelled smoke. At first he thought il
came from the Syndicate block, and
began search for it. In about
twenty minutes he discovered that it emar-
ated from h. basement of the Centenary
church, on the corner of First avenue south
and Seventh street. An alarm was immedi
ately turned in. The patrol wagon, contain.
ing Officers Caldwell and Grace, was first
on the scene, and as they approached
they heard call for help
come from the building. The front
doors were broken in. but by the time thi.
was accomplished the person who had called
for help had escaped by one OF the basement
windows. He was John j. Davis, the janitor,
who had sleeping apartments in the base
ment. The fire department was soon on hand
and in few moments twenty streams vera
pouring irto the basement. Great difficulty
was eIperien EEL l raj IL ly any foothold. as
the heavy black smoke which poured out pre-
vented any of the fireman from entering the
building. There were seventy-f1ve cords of
pine wood in the basement, and it
seemed as though all this was
blazing Window after window was knocked
out and water poured in, but there was no let
up to the smoke, which continued to roll out
and hide everything from view At 2 o'clock
there was over two feet of water in the base
ment. and the firemen were still pouring
water in on the main floor in aa
endeavor to drown the flames. They were
finally subdued, but it was nearly morning
when the last engine left. From what
what could be seen, when the smoke
lifted little, it is supposed the
basement fixtures are entirely Iuined and
the main floor partially to. The smoke has
ruined all the fixtures and many of the hand
some and costly stained windows are broken.
The loss will probably amount 10 about
$4,000, which will be nearly covered by
insurance. The lecture room is entirely ruined
the fixtures that were not burned, or smoked
being soaked through and through. John
Davis the jan tor, said "At IL o'clock l
made my round and saw that the fire in the
furnace was properly fixed and everything
put in shape. Then I went to bed. do
not know how long slept
was aroused by the shouts of fire and found
the rooms filed with smoke. 1 could not get
out the door owing to it's being locked. After
calling awhile / thought of the basement
windows, and finally got out through one
nearly dead from the smoke. / cannot think
how the fire could have started In leaving
the building Mr.. Davis failed to take all his
clothes with him. Besides this he left in his
room pocketbook containing SIS. Centenary
church was built in 1867 b the Centenary
Methodist Episcopal Church society OF Mime
apolis. The building cost something
over $4,000, and at the time was
one of the finest churches in the
Gil y. Last fall it was frescoed and refurnished
at cost Of over $1,000 The work of decorat-
ing the interior of the church for Christmas
had just begun and all the decorations are a
total wreck. Rev. DIR. Van Anda the pas.
tor. was absent from the city, but has been
advised of the fire by telegraph.