Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-20
SMOULDER|NG RUINS
All That Remain Of The
fremont Temple.
LOSS IS ABOUT $l5O,OOO.
An Interesting Bit Of History Concern.
ing the Building.

| '''l'' - - Hih's 'thh WIS 't' HkbIN
In part Of a fire which visited Boston
Sunday morning Despite the fact that
only the Temple was destroyed, a big
con hsgration was narrowly averted the
Parker House having narrow escape
from being consumed by the devouring
| flames
The total loss will probably reach nearly,
| II not quite, 10000. aud the most OF this
loss will have TO be- borne by The insurance
companies, who but recently raised the
rates OF the Insurance IN this district.
| Fortunately there WAS no los of lives,
| but il is dreadful 20 think what would have
| been the consequences II the fire had come
few hours later, when the big Temple
would have been filled by large congre-
| cation.
The fire, which was discovered shortly
after O'Clock, must have gained tremen-
dous headway, for when the fire apparatus
arrived the whole building was In flames
and was doomed. 1t was hard fire 20
| fight ~ il was badly situated for the fire
men % get at. On the south side OF the
Temple is the large dry goods store OF
| William S. Butler d Co. and the fremen
ut first were fearful that this building was
doomed and that the Parker House was
| Liable to He Destroyed.
| The fire originated In the basement OF
the Temple from some cause at present
unknown, and when discovered had gotten
such headway that the whole rear was in
| flames. The doors Of the Temple were
| locked, and it was some time before they
were broken in. The fire was at that time
| principally confined TO the upper floors,
| but streams from the outside Of the build
| ing were unable 10 reach the inside OF
| these floors, for the upper part Of the
| Temple IL not provided with windows the
| front part being a solid mass of granite
| with only dummy windows In the front
| So the firemen had To carry their hose
lines on TO the adjoining buildings and up
through the many flights Of stairs Of the
| Parker House
Several streams were soon pouring onto
the flames from the roof of the hotel and
other close buildings, and the flremen were
also trying 20 fight the flames from the in
side Of the Temple. In short time the
| fremen were ordered TO leave their posi-.
| ti4n In the Temple ~ it was fearful that
the walls, roof and foorings would fall on
them They vacated the building. and
none too soon, for in a few minutes there
was "A loud crash and a pile OF debris was
seen to fall through the huge Temple
Into the Meionaon.
| After a couple Of hours Of hard fighting
the fire was under control, but IL was many
| hours afterward before the flames were
| suhdued
| FIom appearances Of the fire II seems
| more than probable that the fire had been
smouldering for long time before II was
discovered, and perhaps it had been for as
long as an hour or so The engineer Of
| the Temple smelled smoke soon after his
| arrival at that place, and when he investi-
gated the cause Of the smoke he found that
the whole inside OF the Temple was in
flames, the big organ being completely
! surrounded with the all devouring ele-
ment. He ordered the fireman TO draw
the fires so as TO prevent an explosion and
then went 20 give an alarm, but by that
time the firemen were arriving
The fire undoubtedly started beneath
the organ, near the woodwork, and worked
its way slowly along behind the organ,
where IL burst into one huge flame The
fremont Temple building had many occu-
pants, and most Of these will be large suf-
ferers.
Building with q History.
fremont Temple, though the headquar-
ers for the Baptist denomination OF New
| England. was the best known hall in this
| city for all kinds Of public assemblies. It
was first used as a place Of divine worship
on Dec. S, lsf}, by the First Free church
| tBaptist), which was organized in 1899
Rev. Nathaniel Culver, j. d., wus the first
minister and was the spiritual director OF
the society for l2 years
| This building covered l2,OO0 square feet
Of ground, was IS feet high and the front
was covered with mastic. On the night OF
March 81, 1852, the Temple was burned
with loss OF life caused by the walls fall
ing into fremont street. John Hall and
George Estes were killed. The loss was
sl7s ,365; insurance s45, pa
A cornerstone for new edfce on the
same site was laid on July |, 1853, aud the
building was completed in Decem ber Of the
same year at a cost Of sl26, 900, Members
OF the Baptist churches In 1857 formed
themselves into an incorporated body un-
der the name Of the Evangelical Baptist
Benevolent and Missionary society, and
this new organization thereafter used the
Temple. Public meetings OF all kinds
were held in this edfce the New England
forum of the Baptist sect
On Aug H. 1879, the building was de-
stroyed again by fire but was rebuilt and
reopened on Oct IL, 1850, at cost Of more
than $4,000
The Building Itself
was composed Of three halls and a large
number Of offices on the fremont street
side. The large hall. fremont Temple
proper, was l22 feet long, ~ feet wide, %
feet high, with balcony extendingthe en-
tire length Of the south aud west sides II
had the best acoustic properties Of any hall
In this city. IL had a seating capacity OF
tG0O people
On the east end of the hall was an ele'
, tated platform covered by seats aud at its
rear was an organ, one Of the largest and
finest In the country
7 Meinioan hall was the second largest
[ hall. IL had seating capacity Of 1909 and
the remaining hall, Chapel hall a seating
capacity of about 500 The exterior of the
building was built OF granite
The large hall was used ~ church 10y
the Union Temple church. and the Baptist
Y Missionary union aud the Home Mission.
sry society occupied offices In the building
Tine Baptist Social union met in the build
q ing, and the weekly conference ~ the Bap-
G tist ministers also met there Rev George
o {. Lorimer is the present minister Of the
Union Temple church and has been such
g since 1891, having been called from Chicago
ANN n