St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-20
Third Time That This Struet-
ure Has Been a Target
for Flames.
Celebrated as the Largest
Baptist Church in the
United States.
The Loss on the Temple and
Other Buildings Foots
Up $425,000.

BOsToN, March 19.-Fire broke out
about : o'clock this morning In fremont
Temple, on fremont street, opposite the
fremont house, and before noon the en-
tire structure was gutted. entailing
loss roughly estimated at S375, 600. Fire
man Patrick Dunn, of Engine 20, had
leg broken, and another man, name un-
known, is reported to have been serl-
ously injured. The fire in the Temple
was discovered by one of the guests on
the fourth floor of the Parker house, adj
Joining. He had first been aroused by
smoke, and, on going TO his windOw.was
startled by seeing flames darting from
.he 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 proceeded to remove themselves
and their effects, and no mishaps are re-
ported. The Temple was
A Fiery Furnace
twenty minutes after the first alarm.
The blaze poured from all the upper
windows, threatening the Burnham
building, placing the Parker house and
the Park hotel in danger IN the rear
and alarming the firemen lest it should
get down among the rOOkerleS on Prov
ince court. The firemen rah lines of
hose I'D through the Parker house and
the Park hotel, and both buildings were
damaged bV water. At $50 O'Clock the
fire was well under control, the 1000
occupants at the Parker house and
Park hotel were returning to their
rooms. and the insurance brigade
were 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
from 1925. 900 to 1915, 900, while the Park
er house is believed to have been DAM
aged by water to the extent of $4,000.
Besides the Union Temple church there
were a number of Offices in the build
ing, including the American Baptist
missionary mission, Home Mission So
ciety. the business and editorial de-
partments of the Watchman, and the
Baptist Social union; Office of the Wom-
ans Voice, Loyal Women of America.
Under the Temple
was the store occupied by Federhn d
Sons, opticians, and Mrs. s. A. McDon-
nell, gloves. This store was badly
flooded, and the stocks much damaged.
Numbers 80 to 9S fremont street is the
building occupied by William 5. Butler,
dry goods, etc. This building was not
damaged by fire, though some of the
stock was damaged by water. The
Burnham building was occupied on the
ground floor by S. A. Bedkard, gents
furnishing goods, and at No. rs by
Lubin, trusses: both damaged by water.
fremont Temple, which was originally
a theater, has been one of the most con-
spicuOus public buildings of Boston In
the current generation. Since 1863 1t
has been celebrated all over the country
as the largest Baptist church in New
England, if not America, and the head
quarters of that denomination. The
purpose of taking it for religious pur-
poses was stated in the original appeal
for purchase money, TO found
a Free Church
in Boston. where "all persons, whether
rich or poor, without distinction of color
or condition, might worship" On Dec.
z, after remodeling, the house was ded-
icated, but on the night of March 81.
1872, the Temple was burned, and John
Hall, citizen, was killed, and George
Estes, fireman of Engine z, Charles
town, had his back broken, and died
shortly afterwards. The loss was S11S,-
800; insurance, $40, 244. A new building
on the old site was completed, however,
in December, 1873, at a cost of $126,OOO.
Aug. IA, 1879, the building was de-
stroyed again by fire, but was promptly
rebuilt and reopened Oct. II, 1850, at a
cost of more than S230,OOO The audito-
TIumGVas one of the largest in the coun-
try, being l22 feet in length, Y in width
and &c feet in height. The seating ca
pacity was equal to all audience Of 1000
people. Beneath this great hall was
the meiOnian, with seating capacity of
1000.