The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-05-30

Hotel Regent, which was the nne@ hote Id
the East outside Of New York City, were
completely destroyed BY IRE, and the Sum-
n,erfield Methodist Church and no less than
.ventv residences were damaged to greater
~ less extent. It was one OF the great
sst fires that Brooklyn has ever seen,
eStaflinc as it did loss estimated at about a
MILLION aud a quarter dollars. 1t extended
over the TWO blocks bounded By Greene, Gin
ton. Lafayette, Washington and WaVerly ave-
nnes. The Fire Department was incompetent
70 handle It, and It was so slow In responding
to the alarm that not only the. whole OF tho
church, where the fire started, was in flames,
Int thew had spread to the hote! which ad-
foined Il before the first engine was on the
scene. Then, TOO, the pressure OF water was
insufficient. Guests otthe hotel had to Zee
for Their lives. Some of them came down
the,fire escapes, and one woman was carried
down. DR.. Talmage himself had an e1-
tremely narrow escape from death, nnd SO
did several OF the officers OF the enurcn:
Less than ten minutes before the ffre was
discovered there had been 5000 persons in
the church listening to the Sahhath morning
sermon. Had the discovery heen made
while they were there, ther>. would In all
probability have been stampede and
fearful loss of life.
The celebration Of the close OF the twenty
ffth year OF DR.. Talmage's pastorate was
concluded in the church several nights be-
NAMED In the building. DR.. Talmage had
preached upon "a Cheerful Church." anil
referred to the joyous features Of the occa-
sion. He had also spoken Of his intended
trtp around the world, and expressed the
hope OF meeting his people when he re-
turned after six months absence. He was
prpp1ring to 60 upon an extended trip TO the
Holy Land at the time Of the last fire In his
church, and the work OF rebuilding went
held in the Academy OF Music. Arrange
mants had been made for tho Rev. B. Fay
Mills. the we'll known evangelist, to I'LL the
Tabernacle pulpit during DR.. Talmage's
projected trip to Australia and India, upon
which he had planned to sail from San Fran
cisco on May 80.
. DR.. Talmage had concluded the services
and dismissed the congregation. He re-
Inained upon the platform to shake hands
with those who wished to speak with him,
and the organist, Henry Eyre Brown,
Edward ". Adams smelled smoke.
he had Just shaken hands with DR.. Tai
mage and called his attention to the fact
Mrs. Talmage was waiting in her pew for
her husband, and she saw flames mounting
amid the organ pipes. young man had al
ready told the sexton, James Day, that fire
had broken out. He ran down to the base
ment and could discover nothing in the
mo.or-room, and he sent bis assistant up
into the organ. The latter reported i
that there was much smoke, but
he could find no blaze. In the
meanwhile fire alarm was sent in. Efforts
were made to save the furniture in tho
church and Sundcy-school room. but the
building filled with smoke and flames SO
quickly that nothing could be done. DR.. Tai
mage was in his study when he was warned
to escape. Treasurer Birkett and some
of the trustees were counting the collection
when they heard the cry OF Fire !" and
they had to fee from the building. Many OF
the congregation had not left the vicinity
of the church and people from the other
churches in the vicinity were on their way
home, so that q great crowd OF spectators
was speedily assembled. The church was
n mass Of flames when the 1remen who re-
sponIed to tho two alarms ksent out ap-
peared. The walls were not plastered, but
.,covnred with papier-nache board, whicn
wac saturated with oil and paint, and added
to the inflammability OF the interior. Inc
aro soon burst through the windows
and reached the ceiling. The flames rose
above the roof for few minutes
and then the beams fell with cras" md the
whole interior of the edifce was G The
walls were left standing, except ..pon the
Waverly avenue side Of the Sunday-school
structure adjoining and forming portion
OF the church, where the wall fell Into the
street.
Meanwhile there were scenes OF excite
ment in the spacious Hotel Regent adioin-
ing. This had ninety feet frontage In Clln-
ton avenue, and depth OF 200 feet extend
Ing TO Wayerly avenue. The fire, which first
sommunlcat ed to the hotel through the party
well, was extinguished by the fire brigade
formed of the employees, but when the
Tabernacle was fully afiame the botel caught
in so many places that it was found that 1t
could not be saved. The suites OF rooms
were occupied by about 100 guests and there
were njnety-three servants. Some Of the
guests were in their rooms, but all made
their why down by the elevators orthe fire
escapes.
Mrs. A. Loon Of Savannah, Ga, was
sick in her room, but she WAS carried down
the ire-escape by William Francis. and taken
toanciShboring house. Mr.. Francis assisted
two other women to escape.
Miss Keene, the housekaeper. was over
come by smoke in the effort to save some ar.
ticles and had to be carried out George P.
Mccoy went up in the elevator to his rooms
on the seventh floor and secured such OF his
personal effects as he could carry. and then
made his way down the fire-escape.
One Of the occupants OF the hotel
was Judge Henry A. Moore, but he and his
vile were out Of the building. They. lost all
their property, as did the other occupants.
saved. In the safe was personal property
valued at $50, 900 belonging TO the guests
The wind Carried sparks across Wav-
erly and Green avenues, and set fire to ser.
eral houses. At Greene and Clinton avenues
there was o loss Of $4,000 on the house OF
Louis Hrsch, No. SS5 Clinton avenue. Ad-
joining this, at No. 12S Greene avenne, there
was loss Of $4,000 on the house OF DR.. Mon
Ter. At No. 130 the loss to S. W. Reeves
was $1,000. AT No. 1872 ]. q. Pepper lost
$500 on his store and house above ii. The
next block, on tho south side OF Greene ave-
nue. IS occupied by the Summerffeld Metho.
dist Episcopal Church, and this was dam
aged to the extent OF about S2500. There
were two small houses and stable
burned in wavcrly avenue, opposite the
Tabernacle, with loss OF about $1,000. Cn
the north side of Greene avenue, and be.
tween Waverly and Washington avenues,
there were five HOUSES, the loss upon which
was about $4,000 each. On the Washington
Kretzschmar, at No. 402, was damaged 915,-
600. At No. 404 George Harvey's house SUI
fered damage amounting to $4,000. At No.
400 an unoccupied house was damaged
$4,000. At No. 395 Washington avenue there
was loss OF $1,000 10 the house OF Freedom
G. Smith. The aggregate OF these losses was
little over $4,000.
The damage to the Tabernacle was about
S300.O00. The property was valued at $780,
600, and the site is worth $4,000. The debt
upon it was about s175,oo0. not including
interest Of $4,000 more. There Is mort