Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-03-23
FREMONT TEMPLE.
An Important Boston Building
Again Destroyed By Fire
ADJOINING PREMISES DAMAGED
The Loss Approaches 500. oOo-The Con-
dagration Makes the Third For
the Inflated Build
Ing.

BOSTON, March 20.-Fire broke out
about : clock in the fremont Temple
| on Trc.-.ont street, opposite the Ire
mont house, and before noon the entire
structure was Quilted, entailiug a loss
roughly estimated at 1915. 000 Fireman
Patrick Dunn of engine 26 had a leg
! broken and another man, name I'M
| known, is reported to have been seri-
ousIy injured.
The fire in the Temple was discovered
! by one of the guests on the fourth floor
of the Parker house adjoining. He had
| first been aroused by smoke and on go
| ing to his window was startled by see
| ing flames darting from the window
fronting him. He thought it was the
hotel and smashing the glass on one of
! the signal boxes on his floor sent in the
first alarm. The hotel guests proceed
ed to remove themselves and their eff
fects and mishaps are reported.
The Temple was a fiery furnace
twenty minutes after the first alarm
The blaze poured from all the upper
windows, threatening the Durham
building, placing the Parker house and
the Parl, hotel in danger in the rear
and alarming the fremen lest it should
get down among the rookeries on Pro-
vince court. The firemen ran lines of
hose up through the Parker house and
the Park hotel, and both buildings were
| damaged by water.
At $3.50 o'clock the fire was well I'M
der control. The 1000 occupants at
the Parker house and Park hotel were
returning to their rooms, and the in
surance- brigade was busy covering
goods, guarding as much as possible
from the water that damaged more or
less all the adjoining buildings and
contents.
The loss on the Temple is variously
estimated at So 20, 900 to 1915, 900, while
the Parker house is believed to have
been damaged by water to the extent
of $50, 900. Besides the Union Temple
church there were a number of offices
in the building, including the American
Baptist missionary mission, the Home
Mission society, the business and ed
itorial departments of the Waterman
and the Baptist Social union,
the office of the Woman's Voice
and the Loyal Women Of America.
Under the Temple was the store
occupied by Federhen & Sons, opticians,
and Mrs. Sam Mcdonald, gloves. These
stores were badly flooded and the stocks
much damaged.
Numbers 90 to % fremont street is
the building occupied by William S.
Butler. dry goods. This building was
not damaged by fire, though some of
the stock was damaged by water
The Durham building was occupied
on the ground floor by S. A. Beci1ard,
gentlemen's furnishing goods, and at
&c by Lubin, trusses. Both were dam
aged by water.
,,t,
ally theater, has been one of the
most conspicuous public buildings of
Boston in the current generation.
Since 1868 it has been celebrated all
over the country as the largest Baptist
church in New England, if not in Amer
lea, and the headq uarters of that de-
nomination. The purpose of taking it
for religious purposes was stated in the
original appeal for purchase money to
found a free church in Boston, where
all persons, whether rich or poor, with
out distinction of color or condition,
might worship
On December Z, after remodelinT, the
house was dedicated, but on the night
/ of March 81. 1872, the telnbie was
burned and John Hall, a citizen, was
killed and George Estes, a fireman of
engine z, CharIestown. had his back
broken and died shortly aTterwarei.
The loss was SITS, 500; insurance. S45.-
244
A new building on the old site was
completed, however, in Deem Der, 1878,
at a cost of 1926, 900 On August IA.
1879, the building was destroyed again
by fire, but was promptly rebuilt and
reopened on October II. 1850, at cost
of more than 5000. 600.
The auditorium was one of the larg
est in the country, being 122 feet in
length, ~ feet IL width and &c feet in
height The seating capacity was
equal to an audience of 1000 people.
Beneath this great hall was the Melon
ian, with a seating capacity of ] 200.