Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-03-20
IS A GREAT LOSS
The Famous fremont Temple
Destroyed by Fire.
ONLY ONE PERSON INJURED
The RlAze wA~ Discovered ~ =
Guest OF she Parker House,
Ln~-. s3s5.00os

about O'Clock this morning IN fremont
temple. on fremont street. opposite the
fremont house. and before noon the en-
tire structure was gutted. entailsns a
loss roughly estimated al s3s,uO0 Fire
man Patrick Dunn OF engine n, had a
leg broken. and another man. name IN
known. is reported 10 have bcen seri
ously injured.
Box 10 was rung in about 1.l0 o'clock.
This is the special box of the Parker
house and people pictured with the ring
ing big hotel coniiagsation and all lts
attending horrors.
Ii was not the Parker house ablaze.
but the fremont adjoining. The lire
In the temple had been discovered 10y
one OF the guests on the fourth floor Of
the Parker house. He had first been
aroused 10y the smoke and on going 10
his window was startled by seeing hames
darting from the window fronting him.
He thought il was the hotel and smash
ing the glass on one of the signal boxes
on his floor. sent in the first alarm.
Pedestrians ON fremont street had no.
ticed the smoke issuing from the upper
story OF the temple and they sent IN an
alarm from box 30 quickly following with
the second. When the Parker house box
was rung in. an employe OF the Parker
house sounded the gongs OF the differ
ent floors To arouse the guests and
quickly the occupants of the rooms hur-
ricd out in great excitement
How the Fire Burned.
a.
diate danger of the fire reaching the
hotel the guests proceeded to remove
their trunks. The Protective depart
menf did much 10 save the interior of
the house from the water that poured
down through the open stairway. No
mishaps are reported to the Parker
house guests
The Protective department turned its
attention 10 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 Whippie feels quite elated
at the work Of his employees in the as
sisfance rendered.
Through open windows in the upper
floors great volumes OF smoke poured in
from the burning building. which was a
fiery furnace, twenty minutes after the
first alarm was sounded The blaze
poured from all the upper windows.
threatening the Burnham building and
w. S. Buffers building. adjoining on
fremont street, placing the Parker housss
and the Park hotel in danger in the rear
and alarming the firemen lest II 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.
The Damage.
At go o'clock the fire was we'll under
control. The loss on the temple ~ vari
ously estimated at FROM s's,5.up 10
$y75.O00. while the Parker house is be
lieycd to have been damaged ny water
Ia the extent of $4,000. Besides the
Union Temple church. The Rev. DIR.
George &. Lorimcr. pastor. the following
were among the concerns occupying
offices in the Temple building: Bliss
school OF oratory. American BAPTIST Mis-
sionary mission. Home Mission society.
the business and oratorial departments
of the Matchmsn and the Baptist Social
Union. Office IL Woman's Voice and
LOYAL Women of America. Union
Temple church held its Sunday services
at the Mount Vernon church ON Ash.
burton place
fremont temple. which has been one
~ the most conspicuous public buildings
~ Boston i'm the current generation
stood on fremont street. opposite the
fremont house and adjoining the Par
ker hous.. Originally the structure was
widely known "a the fremont thea;er.
an old time resort FOR dramatic enter
tainment Tor bygone generation.
Since is.;p IL has been celebrated MI
over the country as the largest baptist
church in New England. II not in Amer
ica. and the headquarters Of that demon
nation.
Purpose of fremont Temple.
The purpose for taking il for religious
purposes was stated m the appeal for
purchase money 10 found a free church
in Boston. where "ail persons whether
rich or poor. without distinction ~ coier
Or condition might worship.
The price paid for the place WIS So.
upn 80 which sl15.en VAS added Tor fur
nishing and reDosiehng. On Dccember
the new house was Dedicated. bat on
the night ~ March 81 i-.2. The tenEl,
was burned aud John Hall a citizen
was killed. aud Gcofgc Estes. a iireinau
~ engine No. :. ChariesinWn. had his
back broken and died shortly after
wards The loss was sls1sbi5. Insurance.
sls.2si. 4 new building or the site. Was
com pIeied. however "a December. l<ti
at . cc.si ~ si3i0N
On August "a. ls7a. the building was
DESTROYED again ~ Ere. hat wa.
promptly rebuilt aud reopenszi on ocie
her h. ls-a. Al q csef = more thar
szg.po. The auditorium sss one =
the largest IN the ceontry, ieing IL
feef IN length. = in width and - feet n
hight. The seating capacity ~.
equal - an au6ienre - 100 reoyl.,
beneath this efeaf han VAS re Ne
ionisn. With 2 stating CAPACITY e liss'
The are originated IN lie orgsn laft
The definite caD=e - unknown iuf II y
aisrilaied - either detective eieftfis
light eire< ~ usefheated sfean fipps
4 lzfer ssfsaste q The toss irinee -,
,ssfal df,31 e. sZEsfss Trfnfopt Ieu1 3.
vas nas snsiseiv furpel The aanse.
exfen1el g. ~ rpf. destroying 80
cane as1 gerer1iit wrtcking tho IA
ierior. while tat renssander n THE build
lng 49, fasif,I