Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-05-19
FOLLOWED BY FIRE.
For the Third Time Talmage's
Church Ediflce Is Destroyed.
Flames Reduce to Ashes the Magnificent
Tabernacle ut BrooIslyn-A Hotel and
Several other Buildings
Also Burned.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 50, 900, 900.

BROOKLYN, May 14-Just after serv-
ices at noon Sunday and while DIR.
Talmage was shaking hands with men,
bers of his congregation fire burst out
between the pipes of the organ and with
in ten minutes the big tabernacle was
doomed to total destruction. Adjoin-
ing the church was the Hotel Regent,
eight stories in height, with frotage
of 80 feet on Clinton avenue and ex-
tending back 200 feet to Waverly ave-
nue.. The fire spread from the taber-
nacle to this hotel and then to the
dwelling houses on Greene and Waver-
ly avenues, opposite the tabernacle.
The wind carried the blazing cinders
in such quantities in southeasterly
direction that dwelling houses
in Washington avenue, two squares
away, and also the Summerfield Meth
odist church were set on fire by them;
but the greatest loss on any one of
these structures did not exceed $15, 900.
The total loss, however, reaches over
S2O00,O0 Dr. Talmage said that he
thought electric lights caused the fire,
as it did that which destroyed the last
tabernacle on Schermerhorn street
The tears were coursing down DR..
Talmage's cheeks and his voice broke
as he told the story of the fire, but in
an instant he spoke with his old vigor.
"There is mercy on top OF the disaster. II 1t
had occurred half an hour before 1t would have
been the calamity 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 indescribable horror. Or
II II had occurred two or three hours later
when the Sunday school was in session there
would have been 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 dis
heartenment nor less faith In God nor less Of
hope for the future, This long procession OF
disasters is inexplicable - like what occurs
emetimes in family, four or flve dying from
scalet fever-it Is inexplicable, we must sim
ply accept the fact
"Our church has been burned three times,
and II has always occurred on Sunday. 1t is
q mystery that cannot solve until the next
world shall let us know. 1t is the Lordl Let
Him do what seemeth good in His sight"
The members of the board of trustees
of the tabernacle met at the residence
of DIR. Talmage Sunday night A let
ter was prepared, signed by the men,
bers of the board and presented to Dr.
Talmage asking him If he would con-
tinue to serve as pastor if new build
ing, free from debt, should be dedi-
Gated. DR.. Talmage sent this reply:
Having buried the dead, baptized the In.
fants and married the young people of this con-
gregation my heart is with them. l would
rather serve them than any other people on the
fac Of hR I 1yil
request%
Acting upon this promise Trustees
Matthews and Dimon were appointed a
committee to look for temporary ac-
commodations for the congregation. A
secret conference was then held, after
which it was announced large sum OF
money was pledged toward the erection
of new tabernacle. Trustee Leonard
r. Moody made the announcement that
the people of the whole world would
| be appealed to for financial aid in car
rying cut the proposed plan of rebuild
| ing the tabernacle.
1t was decided that Dr. Talmage'.
tour around the world should begin to
day, as arranged. He will start in the
evening for Philadelphia and proceed
from there to Atlanta, Ca After visit
ing some southern cities he will go t
San Francisco and sail from there tt
Honolulu and afterward to New
| Zealand, Australia, India, Spain, Eng
land and other foreign countries
= 1.-THE Brooklyn tabernacle, which was burne,
| Sunday, is the fourth church which has bee
| occupied by the congregation over whic
| Dr. Talmage has been pastor for twenty
fra ha ipin nnl Sti ~
in Schermerhorn street. and has been use,
| for many years az public school This
| unlike the three which have succeeded it, an,
| which have been burned one after another, va
| not called the Tabernacle" A strange coin
| cidence is that the original tabernacle wa
| burned Sunday morning, December22, 1872; tn
second tabernacle was burned Sunday morn
ing, October l3, 1889, and the newest and great
| est tabernacle was burned Sunday.
| The official name OF the society was 9Th
| Central Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn,
| but upon the organization of the Central Re
| formed Presbyterian church Of Brooklyn, an
| Its advent TO the orthodox presbytery, thi
oficial title was lost sight of, and by commo
| consent 1.-The Tabernacle" became the onl
| name by which Talmage's church is known.
| The building which was destroyed Sunda
| was erected when the old church, which stoo
| In Schernerhorn street. near Nevins street
Brooklyn, was burned on the night of Octobe
|
up a new building it was thought bes
| TO change the site, so the new build
ing was erected on the northeast corne
| of Greene avenue and Clinton street an
extending back to Waverly avenue. II wa
completed in April, 1891 and was dedicate
Sunday, April 20. 1891. It was by far tn
largest church in Brooklyn. and would sea
twice as many persons as Plymouth church
the Layfayette Avenue Presbyterian church
the Tomkins Avenue Congregational church
or the Marcy Avenue Baptist church, tn
largest editices ip the city now occupied Tn
former tabernacle would hold about 1900 an
the new one between 5000 and 5000 1t wa
nearly of the same size as Spurgeons tabei
nacle in London, but IL was greatly exceede
by the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City
which. il is claimed, will hold 10000 persons.
The entire cost OF the building and site wa
about S350,00O, OF this sum abo ut one.half wa
secured from the insurance on the burne
structure the sale OF lots on which II stoo
and the subscriptions received. The remainde
was covered by mortgage, part OF the secul
ity for which, while the building was not ye
compile ted, was an insurance policy on Dr. Ia
mages life for $4,000 The mortgage is he'll
by Russell Sage,l
| Colored Democratic Convention.