The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-27
FLAMES IN A SANCTUARY.
A Panic AVeTted at Wesley NOnu-
mental Church.

DR.. Hammond Fad Just Concluded
his Sermon, When the Smoke Was
Detected-The Ushers and Ministers
Quietly Cleared the Church - The
Firemen Summoned and the Blaze
Soon Put Out, With Small Damage.
Dr.. Hammond, Unsubdusd, Contin-
ne His Services in Opsa Air.
A defective fiue and a consequent slight
fire at the Wesley Monumental church
about D o'clock yesterday afternoon came
near causing panic, which might have
resulted seriously for someone, but which
was happily averted By the thoughtful
ness and presence of mind OF the ushers
and others who first discovered the
smoke.
The church was crowded with a highly
interested audience to hear Rev. E. P.
Hammond, the evangelist. The service
was somewhat longer than the two pre-
viously held, but was conducted in the
same manner.
The service opened with the singing of
the hymn Jesus Lifted Up, :" composed by
Dr. Hammond, Mr.. Robinson, Of the In
dependent Presbyterian church choir, lead
ing. DIR. Hammond then spoke briefly, relat-
ing his experiences in missionary work and
during his talk he showed a crown
OF thOTns presented to him in the Holy
City By the wife OF a bishop of the Church
Of England, Dr. Dollar stationed at Jeru-
salem.
DIR. Hammond also told few stories to
the children in a manner which he alone
seems to possess and his little hearers
gave close attention to the words. Sim
ple were the stories, but deep the lessons
ffsr.FH "a q
ished speaking. and the choir had com
menced singing Come to Jesus" the
smell o. smoke was detected, which rap
idly grew more perceptible, and the au-
dience commenced to leave the church,
which in short time was entirely empty.
PANIC AvERTED.
The fire was first discovered when a
gentleman connected with the church
went up to Col. G. H. Olmstead who was
present and said to him:
Colonel. this house is on fire. You ar
range to get the people out quietly
In another moment this word was
passed around among the ministers and a
few others in charge who without a
moments loss Of time and without word
spoken above a whisper, were able to get
the people near each Of the doors started
out. and then the others following, until,
in an incredibly brief time, the whole
audience was dispersed.
This was cause for special thankfulness
because there were present hundreds of
young children, in q room which is on the
second floor of the building, and one CRY
of alarm would certainly have precipi-
tated fearful calamity in the crowded
passages
For short while the fire could not be
located, but eventually was discovered in
the basement. The ceiling. at the point
where the pipe from the heater entered it,
4 TOD ars1 h4a.- 81.
few bucketfulls ofwater eXtinguished the
blaze, which had burned hole about 2
feet in diameter.
THE FIREDIES CALLED OUT
An alarm was turned in as soon as the
trouble was discovered, and as soon as the
church was emptied the department was
on the scene. Assistant Chief MoUro
made an investigation, which disclosed
the fact that the fire originated from the
heated pipe which had fired the ceiling.
II was fortunate that the fire was so
slight as there was very large crowd of
people congregated upstairs, and if a
panic had broken out many would have
been Injured, and perhaps killed.
As it was, the damage was slight
When the department arrived all the
blaze had been eXtinguished but to avoid
its breaking out again the wainscoating
was partly cut away and the fire extin-
guisher freely used. Beyond this slight
damage, which was necessary, and the
burning OF the ceiling, the loss was
nothing.
CONTINUED HIS SERMON
Mr.. Hammond himself was specially
seryiceable, both in emptying the church
and also in causing more abundant sup
plies of water to be brought for extin-
gushing the fire.
AS soon as il was under control his
practiced eye and earnest heart recog-
nlZed in the immense crowd which had
collected on the outside one more opportu-
nifty for service. He was met with in
slant consent on his asking two gentle
men, who had driven up, for the use of
their buggy, in which he stood up and
preached most pointed and appropriate
appeal, illustrated with marvellous readi-
ness. All present were the more ready to
hear, from the general feeling of graft
tude for the spared life of the
children, and the rescue of the church
itself, which is dear to so many.
HELPED SWELL THE CONGREGATION.
The news of all this, naturally helped to
swell the great audience which gathered
at the Independent Presbyterian church at
s O'Clock in the evening DR.. Dripps con
Quoted service of song, the
second IN a series of such services which
are held in this church on Sunday even
ings and the volume of hearty singing
AaAs
Vass and Bowman were also in the pulpit
and the latter, by request OF Dr. Dripps,
led the congregation in an expression of
thanksgiving for the deliverance of chill
cren and church IN the afternoon. Dr.
Nass made the closing prayer Mr. Ham
mOnd' address brought out special points
of the great revival on the day OF Pente-
cost, with application to the circum-
stances Of to-day. The incidents
with which he closed his brief
address were particularly striking and
impressive.
Notice was given of services for chill
dren and youth at the First Presbyterian
Church to-day and Tuesday at 3:45 p. m,
and for adults at the Wesley church at
s:l5 p. m. of the same days with the
understanding that il it proved impossible
TO remove the vestiges of the fire in time,
the evening meetings also would be held
in DR.. Nass church.
GETTING ITS BOATS RACK