The morning call., 1894-05-14

world shall let US know. 1t is the Lord.
Let him do what seemeth good In his
sight,
When asked for his opinion as to the
cause of the fire he said emphaticalIy:
Electric lights-electricty caused this
hre, as it did in the last Tabernacle on
Schermerhorn street."
Continuing DR.. Talmage said: This
may change my whole programme. and l
don't think | will start on my trip around
the world. as intended to do tomorrow
night"
The fire spread with lightning rapidity,
and before sunset had destroyed property
valued at nearly $2,000.000 Ex-Supervisor
John Reed, who was rehearsing with the
choir in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
wo blocks in the rear of the tabernacle.
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 twenty minutes
before the fremen arrived on the scene
and the streams of waller were turned on
the blazing pile. But the church was
doomed, aud every effort was devoted TO
saving adjoining property. In three hours
only the bare walls of one of the costliest
structures in Brooklyn remained standing.
Long ere this. however, it became evil
dent that the Hotel Regent was also
doomed. The fire started here on the
second story, but was speedily extn-
guished. This proved TO be only tenn
porary relief, for little later the flames
were discovered in an upper story, blow
ing up fiercely through the air shaft. The
infammable nature of the hotel and the
great open amphitheater of the Tabernacle
have such a draft that the fire was forced
in the air in columns of glowing flames
that made fearful picture of destruc-
ton.
Flakes of burning wood and red-hot cln-
ders were shot up as from a volcano, and
carried by strong breezes they swept
through the air in every direction. Be-
fore long both sides of Green avenue were
abaze. So were the houses on Waverly
avenue, but as fast as the flames broke out
the people and firemen extinguished them.
The walls began to crumble and fall and
the great rush of flames which followed
started the houses burning again. aud at
the same time flames were seen bursting
forth from the roof OF the Summerfield NJ.
E. Church. short distance away.
Within half an hour the magnificent
hotel was seen to have joined the ia ber-
nacle on the road 10 destruction, and no
water could reach the fire there. The
guests lost no time in making their escape.
They waited only to snatch up few valu-
ables and run. Wearing apparel and other
effects had 10 be left to the greedy flames.
From the fifth floor of the house Mrs.
Loomis, one of the guests, ana her newly
born babe had to be carried down the fire.
escape to the street a woman appeared
at window on the eighth floor shrieking
and waving her hands to the borror-
stricken crowd below. She was brought
down the fre-escape in safety.
The heat of the showers of sparks and
embers had made the situation most try
ing one Tor the Fire Department and one
mau. George Cunningham of Engine Com
paDy 10, had TO be carried from his post,
when the heat was most intense, but he
aflerward returned.
John Lately of engine IA had an epilep-
tic fit from the heat and was removed to
the hospital
The trustees of the Tabernacle met to-
night and decided to rebuild the church,
but not on the same site. The insurance,
the receipts and the money realized from
the sale of the present site would enable
them to pay off ali their debts. Then. ac-
cording TO the plan. they would raise
$500. 600 and within a year would begin to
build. About $4,000. it was thought.
would be sufficient to pay for site and
less expensive building would be decided
upon.
II was decided that DR.. Talmage's tour
OF the world shonId begin tomorrow. as
arranged. he will start in the evening for
Philadelphia and proceed from there to
Atlanta. Ga. After visiting some South
ern cities he will go to San Francisco and
sail from there to Honolulu and aflerward
to New Zealand, Australia, India, Spain,
England and other foreign countries.
1t was impossible tonight to ascertain
the amount of insurance. 1t was learned,
however. there was S13O.OOO on the Taber-
nacle in the Liverpool and London and
Globe. the Royal. the Phenix of Hartford
and Ph9Dix of Brooklyn. The residences
damaged were fully covered.
After the flames had licked away the
on the north wall Of the hotel, large por-
ton OF the wall Itself fell into the mass of
de bris with roar like distant caGnOnade
This was quickly followed by the fall of
section about thirty feet in height on the
Waverly-avenue side Of the hotel, and
from that time up to P. NJ. huge masses
of wall continued to fall. at last accounts
two more firemen-Edward Sheridan and
John Kelly Of truck had been pros-
trated by heat.
The furniture In the hotel, which cost
from 100000 to S25o.OOO, is entirely de-
stroyed, the total loss on the building and
contents footing up in the neig borhooti
of S850,000. The loss falls upon the
Brooklyn Hotel Company.
The list of losses apart from the Taber-
nacle aud the Hotel Regent is about as
follows: 385 Clinton avenue, occupied by
Louis Hersh. S2500; u Green avenue, DR..
MODmony. $1,000; 130 Green avenue, S.
W. Reeve, S25Oo; corner of Green and
Waverly avenues, J. Fl. Pepper. $500;
141 Green avenue. corner of Waverly,
Joseph Hart, $1,000; 143 Green avenue,
Mrs. Catherine Crawford, boarding-housp.
$4,000; 145 Green avenue. unoccupied. $500;