Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-03-24
FREMONT TEMPLE
DESTROYED.
The Historic Home Of The BaptiSty
Baptized in Fire.
The Fire Discovered Behind the Great
Organ-InteriOr Of Temple 6utted-
Narrow Escape Of Parker House
Loss Between s2OO,OOO and $780,.
900.


is third time in ruins the result of a hre
which was discovered about IT'S O'Clock
sunday morning, and which, before under
control had destroyed the interior OF the
Temple, including the magnificent organ
and several halls and newspaper and BUSH
ness offices. rs well as causing a dam
age by smoke a. water TO the Parker
House, Park House and ". s. Buffers large
lry goods store on fremont street adjoining,
the total loss amounting TO about 500 900,
and being unattended by any fatality. The
cause Of the fire is not surely known, but it
il supposed to he either defective electric
light installation or an Overheated steam
pipe. Most OF the loss will have TO be borne
by the insurance companies, who have
within 4 week raised the rates In this dis
riCt.
The first person to discover the fire was
probably Engineer Neptune Of the Temple
building although there are as many claim
ants OF that honor a. there were body SER
wants to George Washington.
lie had Just reached the place when he
.meled smoke. and on opening the door
back Of the bi. organ was driven back for a
moment by the cloud Of it which greeted
him
He tried to eXtinguish il himself. and
while doing so some one in the Parker House
sounded the special alarm in that building,
oOX ~.
The automatic fire gongs in the Parker
House for awakening the guests were also
pounded at the same time and the employees
here organized fire brigade under the d.
lection OF Mr.. Whipple, Steward Lindsay
md others. and had five streams on the
Temple building which is only about IS feet
away from their own, before the arrival of
he fire department
The remen made the roof of the Parker
House a fort from which to direct their bat
cries OF water, and they also fought the
blaze from fremont and Bosworth streets,
and from all alley leading off Chapman
place.
A Hard Fight.
Il was a hard job and a long one, but thew
made determined stand aud gained a vie.
ory for which they deserve all the praise
which they received. Had the flames gone
beyond the limits of the Temple, the conha-
grafton Of few days ago might have been
duplicated.
The Temple was completely Quilted. The
walls remain standing, but those on the
,Outh and east sides are cracked and are con.
,idered unsafe. The front wall and that on
he nOrthcriy side appear to lie In good con-
liton. The one thing feared late in the
afternoon was the falling Of these walls or
IF the BIZ bare trusses which support the
electric wires on the roof.
The interior is totally wrecked The
NeIonaon, the chapel the boiler room and
'eyeral committee rooms took up the entire
basement, and at twill sht they were con-
verted into small lake.
Some of the Sufferers.
Lubiu'> pharmacy was located at the store
numbered 70 fremont street, on the first
loor OF the Temple, aud the water pouring
Town there ruined large part OF the stock,
notwithstanding the prompt covering of the
Arnt IantrItnnnf 1om DO
:ou.hly placed Mt 5000.
The next store in the Temple building
was jointly occupied by John Federhen Il
Sous, opticians, and Mrs S. A. MacDonell,
gloves, ETC. Luckily Mr.. Federhen locked
lpnll his goods except about 1920 worth,
which was wei wet down. lie Is well
covered bv insurance.
Mrs. mcdonnell was not SO fortunate. In
her store was about $4,000 worth of gloves
and host ~, winch was so badly watered
that the loss vii be almost total The In.
surancc is for sl2, 800
Back OF these stores were the offices Of
Drs Sargent. Bailey, Whittier, Crabtrec and
Batcheldcr, Sup,. Ilartshorn, Rays employ.
mcnt agency and the BIish school of 81 atory.
On the second and third floors were the
offices of the Waterman, the Loyal Women
Of American Liberty and several other So
ctclies. Back of these offices was the main
auditorium OF the Temple. The losses to
these offices is roughly estimated at 81 600.
The entire top floor was occupied by the
American Baptist Missionary Union. Rev.
Edmund f. Merriam, one of the correspond.
ing secretaries Of the association, gave
Herald reporter the information that the
Union occupied Il rooms and sub-let three
Of these to the Womans Baptist Foreign
Missionary Society, and to ". q. CUrthel |,
publisher of the Baptist Missionary Maya.
zine, the Helping Hand and the Kings Mes.
seuger. The officers Of the Massachusetts
Ba ti,t state convention and the New Eng.
land representative of the American Baptist
Home Missionary Society were also located
on this floor.
The Missionary Union, he said, was the
northern headquarters OF the Baptist for.
eign missions. About 500 missionaries In
Burmah, Assam, Siam, In ia, China, Japan,
the Congo district and all Central and east.
ern Europe reported there, ard he feared
that the correspondence was totally de.
strOyed.
A library of 20OO volumes was also con-
sumed, but he thought the big safe which
contained valuable securities and the
archives were not destroyed, although the
collection Of curiosiles was almost wholly
destroyed. This collection has been made
by missionaries during the past 80 years and
is valued beyond price. 1t was moved from
Bedford street just in time TO escape the
big fire OF about dozen years ago. He
thought that $4,000 would cover the dam
age to the union.
The Temple building cost t295 900, and Is
assessed for 100000. 1t was estimated that
the loss to that building alone would reach
$4,000. 1t Is owned by the Evangelical
Baptist Benevolent and Missionary Society,
composed Of two delegates from each OF the
Baptist churches in and about Boston, and IS
Insured for about 100000
From this society the fremont Temple
Church leases the main auditorium, the
Melonaon and the chapel for stated occa.
slons, the society reserying the right to lei
The building at the dates not specified.
The building on the southerly side, how
ever, was not so fortunate. William b.
butIer Co., dealers IN dry goods, occupy
Two floors of it, and the smoke and water
damaged the cOrset, underwear, upholstery
and hosiery departments to the extent Of
about 10000. The firm carries an insurance
Of $3.50 900, however, so that their loss will
beratircly made up
District Chief Regain managed the tire IN
the absence Of Chief Web or, and received
many congratulations for his success.
The browning event of the day was the
pTescntetion by Mr.. J. Reed Whipple, owner
OF the Parker House, Of q check OF $500 to
each of the following orders: The Police Re
llef Association, the Firemen's Relief Asso-
citation, the Cooks Benevolent Association
aud the Waters Benevolent Associate n, a.
arecognitlon of the good work which repre-.
sentatyes Of these various bodies performed
during the day
The first report that went flying through
The city like wildfre was that the Parkei
House was afire, and all sorts of pictures o.
fleeing guests aud exciting Incidents were
conJured up by those familiar with the loca
uon OF the hotel and who know In what
central spot 1t stands.
The Parker House may be damaged to the
extent of $4,000 or s20,0O0-not more than
Ihnt-and as the insurance held by Mr..
.Nhipple on the furnishings inside amount
tQsljG,CO0, the loss will not be consider
able.
Origin Of the Fire.
1t is true, as | was informed at the