Evening journal., 1894-05-14

such an emergency. II spread with light
ninglike rapidity and before sunset had
destroyed property to the value of nearly
s., 100000.
DR.. Talmage believes the fire was caused
by the crossing of electric wires behind
the organ pipes, for it was from the organ
pipes that the flames were first seen shoot
ing out by Mrs Talmage.
Meanwhile ex-Supervisor John II. Reed,
who was rehearsing with the choir in the
Summerfield NJ. +. church at Washington
and Greene avenues, two blocks in the
rear of the Tabernacle had discovered that
the building was on fire and sent in an
alarm to fire headquarters. This was
quickly followed by a second, third and
fourth alarm, which brought out all the
apparatus in the western district OF the
city.
1t was nearly 90 minutes before the fire.
men arrived on the scene, and then half
hundred streams of water were turned
upon the blazing pile. But the church
was doomed, and every effort was devoted
to saving adjoining property. In three
hours only the bare walls of one of the
costliest structures of Brooklyn remained
standing.
Spectacular Fire.
Long ere this, however, it became evil
dent that the Hotel Regent was also
doomed. The fire started there in the sec
ond story, but was speedily extinguished.
This proved to be only a temporary relief,
for a little later flames were discovered in
an upper story blowing fiercely up the air
shaft.
A tremendous crowd gathered, flocking
from all sections of the city. They surged
and swayed around the burning buildings,
and the police reserves had to exert them
selves to the utmost to drive the ever gath
ering hundreds back to place of safety
The heinfiammable nature of the material
and the great open amphitheater of the
| Tabernacle gave such a draft that the fire
was forced into the air in columns of glow
| ing flames that made fearful picture OF
destruction. Flakes of burning wood and
redhOt cinders were shot up as from a vol
canO, and carried by a strong breeze they
swept through the air in every direction.
The heat, too, blistered the fronts of the
houses on the opposite sides of the streets,
and before long both sides of Greene ave.
nue. were in a blaze. So, too, were the
houses on Waverly avenue, but as fast as
they broke out the people and the firemen
extinguished them.
Then the walls of the Tabernacle began
to crumble and fall, and the great rush OF
flames which followed started the houses
! burning again, and at the same time flames
were seen bursting forth from the roof
of the Summerfeld NJ. +. church, a short
distance away. The streets were cleared
as well as possible by the police, but hun
dreds of people remained and chung within
the courtyards. too eager to witness the
sight to obey orders.
Hotel Burned Also.
Within half an hour the magnificent ho-
tel was seen to have joined the Tabernacle
on the road to destruction, and no water
could reach the fire there. From every
window on three sides Of the building the
glowing flames poured. They grew hotter
and hotter and the smoke more dense as
the fire spread throughout the huge struc-
ture. An occasional crack signifed to the
spectators the cosapse Of a floor. and soon
, with tremendous crash and an outburst
of smoke that filed the streets and garden
the rear and side wall on Waverly avenue
toppled over.
) The guests in the hotel had lost no tim,
in making their escape. They waited only
to snatch up a few valuables and run, but
wearing apparel and other effects had L
> be left to the greedy flames
There were not wanting dramatic lhci
{ dents during the day. From the fifth foo
of the house Mrs Loomis, one Of th'
guests, and her newly born babe had to b.
carried down the fire escape to the street
This was done successfully, and mothe
: and child were removed to the Seney hos
: pital, where they were said to be in N
danger
just as Mrs. Loomis had been rescuel
: from what might have been horribl
death a woman appeared at a window ol
the eighth floor, frantically shrieking an
waving her hands to the horror stricke
crowd below. In less time than it takes t
write il, however, the woman, who turne
out to be the assistant housekeeper Mrs
Keene was brought down the fire escap
in safety and removed to the house mex
door, where she was taken care Of an
found TO have sustained no injury beyon
the shock. Almost Immediately after tn
a man, who proved to be President 81
gardus of one of the Brooklyn street raj
roads, carried out his own trunk and II
umphantly deposited it on the sidewalk.
BY this time the excitement Of the crow