Evening journal., 1894-05-14


had occurred two or three hours later,
| when the sunday school was in session,
there would have been thousand house.
holds bereit ia Brooklyn. Little children,
helpless cdldreu-what would they have
donc' God cared for them, and even IN
this calamity his mercy is infinite.
Personally feel not the least item OF
disheWtenment. nor less faith in God nor
less Of hope for the future This long pro
cession of di,asters Is inexplicable-lik
what occurs sometimes in family, foui
or five dying from scarlet fever-it is in
explcable We must simply accept the
fact
Three Times Burned on Sunday.
"Our church has been burned three
times, aud it has always occurred on Sun
day. II is a mystery that / adjourn till
the next world shall let us know.
1T is the Lord Let him do what seem
sth good in his sight
1.-TWO OF our trustees had a narrow es
cape They were in their room and knew
nothing OF the fire until it was nearly toe
late for their escape They were Mr..
Mathews and Mr.. Pitblado. and both re.
quired assistance in their escape"
When asked for his own opinion as TO
the cause OF the fire, he said emphatically.
Electric lightsl Electricity caused the
fire, as it did that Of the last Tabernacle
on Schermerhorn street"
The doctor then crossed two fingers and
continued: 1T was some misarrangement
OF the wires. Electricity Is a force that Is
only partially harnessed Il is one of the
greatest agents of benefcence and power
in the future, but just now It has the bit
in its mouth and is almost beyond our
control. Electricity was undoubtedly the
cause Of the fire"
Continuing, DIR. Talmage said; 1.-THE fire
may change my entire programme, and
do not think will start on my trip around
the world as ! intended tonight. /. how
ever, do not now know what / shall do
This thing has been so sudden have not
yet had time TO think about it,"
The doctor was then called into a con.
ference IN his back par lor with the trustees
and elders Of the church, who were all
present
D The Church Organization.
; The board, the members Of which said
they were hopeful for the future, il com.
posed at present Of Leonard Moody, presi.
s dent; Thomas Pitblado, treasurer; T. ID.
I Dimon. secretary; James w. Birkett L
I G. Mathews, A. r. Coates Louis Klopsch.
+ Joseph T. Carson and A. W. Kendrick.
! Some Of the trustees are also elders, and
the names Of the Others are f. H. Branch
, and Messrs. Redheld, Wadhams and Frost.
d The Tabernacle has membership OF
d over 1900 on the pastors books, but the
4 congregation is only bounded by the ca.
|. pacity Of the building
B, In the Sunday school there are 12Ol
u scholars registered, the attendance vary
g ing with the circumstances and seasons
from zoo TO l,S0O, and when in session th,
children are controlled by just 100 officers
i, and teachers. Mr.. Louis klopsch Is super
/. intendent, and he is assisted by r. NJ. Law
a renee and Il. L. Redfeld.
I Mr. W. Martin Of Chicago said; 81 wa
!. in the aisle behind Mrs. Talmage waitinl
n for the doctor to get through his hand
y shaking. / had message for him from
a Chicago, and Mrs. Talmage told me L
Il wait, and she would call him in a few min
4 utes. When she saw the fire and gave tn
alarm, 1 remained by her, and when tn,
10 doctor ran up the platform into his stud,
I accompanied Mrs. Talmage to the door
q. The fire spread very rapidly, and in a min
a ute or two the roof was wrapped in flames
p When the doctor was brought to us few
I. minutes later, he and Mrs. Talmage wen
!. away together, the doctor frequently look
ing back at the burning ediiice."
=. DIR. Talmage's Latest Sermon.
s The morning sermon by Rev. Dr. Ia
m mage was on "a Cheerful Church" hi
n. text being, Behold, thou art fair, m
10 love'-Solomon's Song iv, /. He referee
to the past week Of prolonged congratula
b. tion that they had passed through in tina
4. for 25 years they had been permitted to as
,e sociate with each other in the relation o
pastor and people.
Then, reverting to this day as the begin
ming of the twenty-sixth year Of their re
lationship, DIR. Talmage closed with: M
closing prayer this morning is that 60
will have mercy on the dying population
Of our great cities, and that the Who'll
world will put on bridal array for the com
ing OF her Lord. Ride on, King Jesus
Ride onln
There seems to be fatality about th
Brooklyn Tabernacles and the times a
which they have been destroyed by fire.
The first, on Schermerhorn street, wa
burned down on Sunday, Dec. %, 1872. IL
successor was an elaborately decorate
amphitheater that, next to Plymout
church, was the great attraction of Brool
lyn, and it was crowded at every service.
On Sunday, Oct. 10, 1889, electric wire
set fire to that supposed fire proof buildin
Of corrugated iron, and IL went up lik
tinder, its destruction including that {
the great organ used at the Boston jubile
and purchased for the church.
10 The Tabernacle burned yesterday wa
oi the most handsome and commodiou
Of church edifce in the city and wes dedica
,v ed in July, 1891. The cost Of the buildin
was so great that the society Of the churc
m had great difficulty in keeping it. tn
ee mortgage Of Sl25,000 held by Russell Sag
I'd was placed in the hands Of parties to for
We close "A short time ago. and things loolre
OF so discouraging that Dr. Talmage tendere
his resignation This led to an effort
10 wipe out the debt. and the amount of suI
II scriptions was so encouraging that the re
Ie ignation was recalled, and the doctor d
III cided to continue his pastoral relation
- until such time as he could put off q
harness and take a well deserved and CO.
q. tinuous rest from his labors.
q WIN Build Another Tabernacle.
he The trustees Of the Tabernacle met Ia
night at the residence of DR.. Talmage al
as talked over the situation. They decid,