The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-21
FREMONT TEMPLE IN RUINS.
The Famous Boston AuditoriInt
Wrecked by Fire.
The Parker House Damaged by Water.
The Lose ON the Temple Estimated ~
sss5,ooo-The Headquarters OF the
Baptist Denomination--A Dangerous
Fire = A Fireman injured Boston,s
APPALLING Fire Record.

...rz-
BOSTON. Mass, March 2O.-Fire broke
out about O'Clock yesterday morning
in fremont Temple, on fremont street.
opposite the fremont House, and before
noon the interior was wrecked, entailipr
loss roughly esti mated at 1926. 900.
Fireman Patrick Dunn, of engine %,
had a leg broken, and another man,
name unknown, is reported to have been
seriously injured.
The fire in the temple was discovered
by one of the guests on the fourth floor
of the Parker House. He had first been
aroused by seeing flames darling from
the window fronting him. He thought
it was the hotel, and, smashing che
glass on one of the signal boxes on his
floor, sent in the first alarm.
Pedestrians on fremont street had
noticed the smoke issuing from the
upper story Of the Temple and they sent
in an alarm from box 50, quickly fol-
lowing it with second. When the
an employe of the Parker HOUSE,
sounded the gongs of the different floors
to arouse the guests, and quickly the
occupants of the rooms hurried out in
great excitement.
When it was seen that there wa
immediate danger OF the fire
the hotel, the guests procee
move their trunks. The %
partment DID much to save
of the house from the wate'
down through the open
mishaps are reported 'te vAs7.
House guests. Inc protective depart
ment turned its attention to the saving
Of carpets and furniture.
Before the FIRE department arrived
six streams were turned on the fire
from stand pipes in the Parker House,
and Landlord Whipple feels quite
elated at the work of his employees in
the assistance rendered.
Through open windowa in. the upper
floors great volumes; Of smoke poured
in from the burning hull ding which
was fiery furnace twenty minutes
after the first alarm, 81 -
The blaze poured from all the up}
windows, threatening Tie DG
building and w. S. Butler's
| adjoining on fremont street.,
the Parker House and the Park
in danger in the rear and alarmil
flremen less it should get down
the rookeries on Providence Cor
firemen ran lines of hose up
the Parker House and the ps
and both buildings were 10
water. Sssss
at $50 o'clock the fire was welIuA
control. The loss on the Temple
estimated at SEES, GOO, while the Parker
House is believed to have been damaged
by water to the ex tent of $50, 600.
Besides the Union Temple CHI
Rev. DR.. George @. Lorimer, PASTOR
following were among the concerns o.
cupying offices in the Temple Building
Bliah School OF oratory, American Bap-
tist Missionary Mission, Home Mission
Society, the business and editorial de-
partments of the Watchman and the
Baptist Social Union, Office OF the Wo-
America.
Union Temple Church held their Sum
day services at tho Mt. Vernon Church,
on Ashburton Place.
fremont Temple, which has been
one of the most conspicuous public
buildings OF Boston in the current gem
GRAFTON, stood on fremont street, oppo-
site the fremont House. Originally the
structure was widely known rs the
fremont Theater, an old.ti resort
for dramatic entertainments for by
gone generation.
Since 1858 it has been celebrated all
over the country as the largest Baptist
Church in New England, II not in
America, and the headquarters of that
denomination. The purpose OF taking
1t for religious purposes was stated In
the original appeal for purchase money
to found q free church in Boston, where
"all persons, whether rich or poor.
without distinction or color, or condtr
tion, might worship. ~SSs
The price paid for the place was S55sS
600, to which S25, 600 was added for fur,
nishing and remodeling. On December
z the new house was dedicated but on /
the night of March 81, 1859, the temple
was burned, and John Hall, "a citizen,
was killed, and George Estes, fireman
Of engine 2, Charlestowp, had his back
broken and died shortly afterward. The'
| loss was Sl7S,355 insurance, SS, 244. a
new building on the old site was COM
| pleted ,.OI .Eer, in December, 1858, at
q cost CrSf26, 600.
On August IA, 1879, the building was
destroyed again by fire, but was promptly
rebuilt and reopened on October It, 1880.
| at a cost Of more than $3.50, 1000.
The auditorium was one Of the largest
| in the country, being 1a3 feet In length
10 in width and &c feet in height. The
seating capacity was equal to "A audi
ence of 1000 people. Beneath this great
hall was the Meioman, with seating
capacity of 1000.
| Boston's fire record is growing alarm
ing. Only nine days ago, on E'ridays
March 10, four and half million dol
lars worth of pronerty in the whclasaI
| business district was destroyed and Ave
lives were lost. On November rs. fSSg
two and o half acres OF business heaaes
were burned, causing s loss Tot Bout