New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-23
PART II.
DEC. %, 1890.
FLAMES WRECK A CHURCH.
a SEVERE BLOW TO ST. BERNARDS PARISH
,rprvgy HAVE A DIFFICULT TAsK-THE LOSS
ALMOST COVERED BY INSURANCE

,rprNEy HAVE DIFFICULT TASK-ThE Loso
ALMOST COVERED BY INSURANCE
90. porosyd,s Church. in Fourteenth-st.. between
90 ava ninth ayes which was finished in 1870
- cost Of over Sls3.oOO. and was The hIs' i'o'"'"
~,h,uc plaec Of worship 10 be dedicated ny III
american Cardinal, was nearly demolished ~ NV
.os,eriay morning. The interior OF the ouo"'e We"
oceed completely the roof was deetroyeu' '''" WY
~, o>'s remained uninjured when the flames "eIc
Wv, ont i, was believed that the loss eNoeedcu
g., 900 Tie insurance, placed among se'"" H"o
,sh companies amounted to @o3'Ooo'
- ~ danes were discovered soon after $50 a. m.
g. ,he Roy. James Mclaughlin. an assistant priest ol
" rarisb who was IN his room. ON Inc SECOND
sor of the parochia house next door 10 inc c''"'"
n, WAS IN bed when he noticed rcd Eiae at inc
o,r window Of his room. Sprnslhg 10 inc "H"o"
~ NV IN, flames darling into the yard oi the mouse
u the church windows. Tie side wall OF the
Inch extended back the fun lngth OF IN yafu' ana
,he pre,t could that the interior "i 'he 'huic"
rlo,e lie ran to call Father Gabriel A. He"ly,
A., tor OF the church. who was IN the mouse.
roootber they ran ont into The street to gVa
Iarr No policeman was N sight.
s there was 10 sign Of fire at
~, t,t Of the church. The priests ran I" NlhihaVe
w med in opposite directions. Father fle'y going
"av,n IIudson.st Al Thirtecnth-st the pastor met
man who had hrc-hcy anu 'io ""''" ''N 0'''
the nearest signal box
WI, tina fire engines got in front Of the church the
60, could see only little smoke rising above Tie
LOT # was still an hour before the time for early
mas and the sexton had not arrived 10 open inc
church The engineer, who also had KEYS I" 'le
hsinc had gone home after banking the hrcN III inc
holer room on sunday night, and he hdd moi Tc'u"cu
v,hout waiting for the KEYS. the frcmen broke open
tho front doors. They were met by dense ci"hoN oI
.mohe which drove them back. \ third alarm was
- calling extra engines but for time there seemed
o. IL, no way TO get water on the flames Chlei Bon
ner sent some of the hremen through ue P''"''l'l
-. with lines OF hose to attack the fire from tho
,-d and Others on the roof of the house west OF the
church. but the flames spread unchecked. several
ladders wer, placed in position and frcmcn tried l."
get ON The peaked roof. the ridge pole Of wh'h OK
tended from the front wall fully 100 feet to The rear
u lint tbc roof va, too steep and the trcmen oouId
not -ct "a foothold anywhere.
Presently the hanes burned their way through u'e
,oof and rose high in the air like huge i'rch' I",'
su,ed am upward current Of air which drew the >h"he
from the front part Of the church ana "ho"'d INC
t,e,cn 70 get i'm by that way, streams Of water were
M thrown from the roofs Of the adjoining houses upon
tl,e flames Tut ii too late to prevent the ch"''n
tou, helm, -uttcd. The best that The hicmcn conId
a. So, 10 ,ve the walls from destruction ahd prevent
damage 10 the houses on each side Hot uhtii 4i"I
a. m were the flames under control anu III, Al,-'
worked until nearly noon before the last >pdIh> {" "'c
ine priest. and many of the parishioners who lad
i,,erdad IT, attend mass stood m Fourteenth = aiu
,.,,.hed The work of destruction with expression, OF
s,r,v Hundred, OF other person gathered IN Co"u'
opiae Nh, fr, lines aud remained 10 look az the idt'
Wlcg the french able T. Srt Inside ue "HIl' 40
lo,L ,louf thtv saw traces ruin eNcTNWhclc' 81"
moi Wa burned away. except That pieces OF me il'
vo~h r~msiued hanging here and there ana tut'i"i' u
H. fall 40 aay moment There was hd\ q ud'c ~
of mn. altar although against the rear wall sun T'n
Lr- wooden cII>S and t. the east OF II wa Tie to
fe>si5nal box used by Father leaR me oreaA' "' Il
cost - 900. Was wrecked. Most OF the pew III INC
rear had been Destroyed, but those IN the fOhi part
OF the church had the backs burned on.
Part OF the WOODWORK In the Ne>uDule ol NY 'uu4
renamed uuniUred, and the framework Oh ul' sue
sal cries stu stood firm. Nearly all O the phe> u
tie stained -las windows we're broken. In tlc bae'
Heut where the sunday school ana VcetiichV
rooms the woodwork had been reduced 10 ASHES
Large safes contained the priests ve>unents ana the
tect.d them from serious damage The chiLTh wa
heated by steam and the flame, were SUPPOSED 10 nave
oricuated In the boiler room in the rear ol ue Dds'
re1t Father Healy said il the afternoon tLat u;
To- hy the flames could De determined then. h't
II probably would exceed the amount Of Insurance.
TIE church WAS insured for $4,000, and tn ora,
for $1,000 Father Healy received many oilers ~
assistance but he saih the work Of restoring the church
would be begun a soon a possible. =. ,.,h,i.,,
= Iernards Parish Drcapizcd by Archbishop
YcClo,key. IN 1-6~. and Father Healy was placed l
chargo. The first place Of worship wa a WAGON
factory. IN West Thirteenth st. which wa used a. a
chapel Father Iealy purchased the lott Nos 80
81 AID 334 West Fourteenth St. on which Ne chn7h
hid pn Nav II. 1-73. Two wears later Cardinal No
Clp-hev Dedicated tie completed church. Tie church
built Of brick. with the exception OF the frnt
wal and had two square towers which are ~ brown
te $3.50 30. There is stll an unpaid mortgage Of
S7O.0O