People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-05-18

BEooKLrX. y. I. Nav l5.-Just
after services at noon yesterday, and
while Dr.. Talmage was shaking
hands with members Of his congrega-
ton. fire burst out between the pipes
Of the organ and within ten minutes
the big tabernacle was doomed TO
total destruction. Adjoining the
church was the Hotel Regent, eight
stories high, with a from tage Of nine
" feet on Clinton avenue and extend
ing back 200 feet to Waverly avenue.
The fire spread from the tabernacle
TO this hotel and then to the dwelling
houses on Greene and Waverly
avenues. opposite the tabernacle.
The wind carried the blazing end
ers in such quantities I'M southeastern
" direction that dwelling houses on
Washington avenue, two squares
away, and also the Summerfeld
Methodist church. were set on fire by
them, but the greatest loss On any OF
these structures did not exceed Slj,-
0OO. The total loss, however, reaches
over Sl,000,0O0.
The doctor held quite q reception
at his home during the afternoon. DR..
Talmage made q graphic statement OF
the incidents connected with the fre.
lie said;
AT the close Of the church service
! was standing at the foot of the pull
pit shaking hands with hundreds Of
people from all lands. l was about
through and walked toward the cen
ter of the church where my wife
stood. when she called my attention
10 fire springing from the top OF the
organ. l saw at once that IL was IN
der full headway and my first impulse
was to look around and see how many
people were then in the church, and
10 my great JOY there were only about
twenty, and with twenty-five doors
through which to get ont, felt that
they would all escape.
Il then went into my study, back Of
the platform, passing under the blaz-
ing piping, to get my hat and coat,
and then said to myself: Is it manly
10 run Off walked up and down
nv study room, rejoicing that the fire
had occurred when there was no
chance Of a fatality.
while in this sort of brown study
New York friend rushed into the
room and taking my arm, cried: Get
ont of this room Immediately or you'll
not get out at all We went out into
the church. One-half of the organ
was down ard the fire had leaped 10
the roof. | saw that nothing could
save the building and l came out"
The tears were cOursing down the
1eett,.,s- OhoalsS and his voice broke as
he told the story, but in an instant he
spoke with his old vigor.
There is mercy on topof the disas-
ter. If it had occurred half an hour
before it would have been the calam-
ity Of the century. The church and
all the rooms adjoining were packed
with people, and the panic would have
left the whole scene one of indescrib-
able horror Or if it had occurred two
or three hours later, when the Sun
day school was in session, there would
have been a thousand households be-
reft in Brooklyn. Little children.
helpless children, what would they
have done? God cared for them, and
even in this calamity His mercy is
infinite.
Personally | feel not the least
item of DISAGREEMENT, nor less faith
II God, nor less of hope for the future.
The long procession of disasters is
inexplicable-like what occurs some
times in family, four or five dying
from scarlet fever-it is inexplicaJle:
we must simply accept the fact
Our church has been burned three
times, and it has always occurred on
a Sunday. 1t is mystery that l ad-
journ till the next world shall let us
know
1t is the Lord Let Him do what
seemeth good in His sight
When asked for his own opinion as
10 the cause Of the fire, he said en-
phatically:
Electric lights; electricity caused
this fire, as il did in the last taberna-
Gle, on Schermerhorn street"
Continuing, Dr. Talmage said: THE
fire may change my entire program,
and do not think | will start on nv
trip around the world as ! intended
tomorrow night. |, however, do not
know what shall do"
The furniture in the hotel, which
cost from 100000 to S2jO,OOO, is en-
tirely destroyed, the total loss on the
building and its contents footing M
in the neighborhood of $3.50. 900. This
loss falls upon the Brooklyn Hotel
company, and will be largely in
creased by the individual losses to the
guests The loss on the church is
not far short Of 100000.
The trustees of the Tabernacle met
last night and decided to rebuild the
church, bat not on the same site. The
Insurance, the receipts and the money
realized from the sale of the present
site would enable them to paw of
all their debts.