The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-28
MINNESOTA.
The Church of the Redeemer Fire.

The Church of the Redeemer Fire.
We copy from the Minneapolis Trib-
une, of Monday, Jan. 16, the following de-
scription of the fire which destroyed the
Church of the Rsdeemer First Univers-
alist), in that city on the previous day, of
which loss mention was made last week:
Yesterday the Universalist Church OF
the Redeemer, one of the largest and fin
est churches in Minneapolis, was destroy
ed by fire. OF that large and elegantly
furnished building where every Sunday
hundreds were happy to gather and list
en- to the religion of Christ, only the
stone walls and the tall steeple are stand
ing. Windows are broken, and in the
place where the grand music of the great
organ accompanied the voices of the peo-
pie in songs OF praise; where the preach
or spoke the words of life, and the audi
ence listened, is great mass of blacken-
ed and burned ruins. The fire began at
$50 in the morning, and the manner OF
it's beginning is in doubt. At first it did
not seem to be of much consequence and
two hours after it Started the, firemen
and others were in the building. But it
had started back in the wall behind the
organ, and the firemen could not locate
it. The flames spread all along the walls
between the stone and the mortar, and
in the floors, and began to burn through
in places. Several of the fireman broke
through, but luckily none we're hurt. The
fire, hidden from sight, had burned off
some of the ioists of the floors, until
there was danger of their falling, then
the firemen had to retreat and begin to
fight the flames from the outside entirely.
1t was long, hard fight, beginning as it
did, at about o'clock in the morning
and continuing through the day and all
through last night The fight was hard
or because of the extreme cold, and the
suffering of the firemen was terrible. All
of them were chilled by the cold and
choked by smoke, and fully dozen, in
GLIDING Chief Stetson, we're overcome
and had to be taken to their homes.
Up to noon no flames could be seen
from the outside, but from all over the
building there arose an immense volume
of smoke. To one standing near the
burning church, nothing but steam and
smoke, with firemen looking like moving
icicles moving about in the midst, and
kha div,, 0rztIina ~ tho oh uroh aout1 ha
seen; bat from the Tribune building the
sight was grand one. The day was
clear and the sun bright, and as the
great volumes of smoke rolled up from
the building, now covering the church to
the top of its tall spire and hiding it
from view as if it meant to destroy it at
once, and then breaking away as if re-
pulsed in its attempt, it did not seem so
terrible, for the sun gave it silver lin
ing that varied with the rolling OF the
mass as it rose toward heaven. Shortly
after noon the flames began to come
through the roof on the south side, and
shortly after three O'Clock, the roof fell
in, sending up great cloud of burning
and burned pieces Of wood, that fell like
rain in the adjoining lots. Had it not
been for the snow on the roofs of the
houses, the sparks that fell in such great
quantities would have caused more prop
erty to be destroyed.
The church was one OF the first among
the large churches built in this city, it
having been begun in 1873 and complet-
ed in 1876. 1t was built at cost of $780,.
600 which is a good deal cheaper than it
could be built for to-day, because the
stone which is in its walls was quarried
within the present city Unite. 1t is
one of the wealthiest churches in the city
and contained on the Second avenue
front a beautiful memorial window OF
the Washburn family put in by Hon.
w. ID. Washburn at a cost OF $1,000.
This was destroyed; but the tower con-
tanning the chimes and clock was saved,
as was also the library and great
part of the church furniture. To-day
thousands of people will visit the ruins
anu IIl6y dIo WolA WOiOh q VISIT LOI buo
walls are covered with a solid coating of
ice from top to bottom and ice is piled
upon the sidewalk. 1t will sight SINH
lar in beauty and msgnifcence to that
which all Minneapolitsns remember
after the burning of the old Academy of
Music. The church is insured for almost
enough to cIver the loss; it will be re-
built as soon as possible.
The church is almost entirely Quilted
but the walls remain standing, and rs the
stone walls are said to be lined with an
eight-inch brick wall, experts think that
they will be safe and serviceable for the
restoration of the edifice. The original
cost of the building including the land
then very cheap, was $4,000, but owing
to alterations and improvements since
pade, the building as it stood before the
fire was worth not less than 100000 OK.
elusive of the site.
Bohme speaks Of the soul as the fire