The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-30
TALMAGE'S CHURCH BURNED.
The Brooklyn Tabernacle De.
stroyed by Fire.
Electric Light Wires Thought to
Be the Cause.

DR.. Talmage's church, the Brooklyn Tabea-
nacle, has been completely destroyed by FIRE,
including the furniture and magnificent
organ.
At 2:45 A. NJ. Patrolman McCaffery, while
patroling his beat, saw flames issuing from
the small window over the main entrance OF
! the Tabernacle. Hea once sent out an alarm.
| The Fire Department responded promptly.
The flames made rapid progress, and before
the water could be directed On the building
a solid column of fire Illuminated the sky.
a second alarm was sent out and, realizing
that there was no hope of saving the build
! ing, the iremen directed their efforts toward
! saving the surrounding houses
/ Within half an hour the immense building
was mass of flames. The heat was intense,
| causing the firemen to keep at respectful
distance, peeling the paint from the houses
opposite and destroying nearly every pane
of glass in the buildings within 300 feet Of
| the Tabernacle.
Inside the Tabernacle the auditorium re-
sembied huge furnace, the flames licking up
everything with wonderful rapidity. In
twenty minutes after the discovery Of the
fire the wooden and iron girders supporting
the roof gave way and fell with a tremend-
ous crash, carrying with them both side walls
and large portions of the front and rear main
walls. Simultaneous with the crash an i'm
mense volume of flames, smoke and sparks
mounted high in the air. After the collapse
Of the roof several streams of water were
turned upon the burning mass, but it was
not qucnched until nearly every vestige Of
woodwork had been destroyed.
With the morning hours came thousands
famous Tabernacle. They were kept at a
safe distance, however, as the remaining por-
tions of the front wall were liable to fall at
any moment.
All that remains of the once handsome
building are the front and west gables al
most intact, and portions Of the rear and side
walls, which are completely bare The in
terror Of the building was completely gutted,
not vestige remaining Of the organ, plat
form, gallery, seats or other furnishings.
The wooden doors in the main en-
frances were consumed by the flames
while the entrances themselves are
filed with masses Of brick and other debris.
The polished marble pillars which orna-
mented the base of the front gables and the
sides of tho entrances are intact, as is also
the small sign bearing the name Of Sexton
John Dey in gold letters at the left of the
east entrance.
How the fire originated is complete mys-
terry. Some of the firemen charge it against
Iile cleCGIlC l9uU "hcS " ulCu WclS pun III uuc
Tabernacle. The flames could not have
been started by the furnaces, rs there was no
fire of any description in the building
1t is conceded that the fire started in the
gallery, as the flames first discovered issued
from the windows facing Schermerhorn
street, directly in the rear Of the gallery. No
fire had been startedi in the furnaces since last
spring, the trustees not considering the
weather cold enough to render the use Of the
heat necessary.
A member of DR.. Talmage's family saw
the flames of the burning Tabernacle and
aroused the Doctor from his slumbers. Ho
mounted to the observatory at the top of
his house, and there for time watched
the flames. After becoming satisfied that
it was the Tabernacle that was on fire ho
dressed himself and, accompanied by his son
Charles, hurried to the scene, reaching there
i'll time to witness the falling Of the roof.
He was very much overcome by the destruc-
ton Of the building, and was soon induced to
return to his house, after seeing that tho
building was doomed to destruction.
DR.. Talmage, with the consent Of the trus-
tees Of the Tabernacle, has issued an appeal
for liberal response to the request for
lofS 70 e,I,,,i16 fto