Fair play., 1894-05-19

,,a;r,iu,rS and Guests household goods.
will amnnnt To a bout Sroo. 900. The loss
on III. tabernacle is about Sio'.oo''
and the adjoining buildings are re
ported IL be damaged to the extent ot
so. 900. Ii is said that the hotel was
insured for $500. .Oo1-
-Four tiremcn were overcome hy heat
during the progress nf the flames and
| had to be removed from the scene.
All subsequently recovered
II is supposed the fire was caused by
a spark from one of the electric light
wires behind the organ in the tater-
| uaclc
nuriug the progress of the tire an
immense crowd gathered and watched
, the flames The intense heat of the
fire. combined with that of the SUM-
caused several prostrati"ns III the
crowd of on,lookrrs The victims
were taken away hy friends.
Exprr>sions nt regret at the mis-
fortune which had overtahcn Dr. Tai
mage were heard on all sides The
reverend gentlemen stood with the
crowd near the church and witnessed
the destruction III the beautiful ed
flee His expression WAS Il sorr"wfut
one and he was nearly moved tu tears
He was surrounded toy large gather
| ing OF friends when the reporter APP
preached him.
Thank God" said the minister.
Gods mercy overtowcrs the disaster.
| II was all 81 sudden that | cannot eN-
plain il Had the fire occurred half ar
hour sooner there would have been
| terrible loss Of life. The church WAS
crowded fully 5000 people were there.
a stampede would have occurred and
many would have been crushed To
| death"
Rev. Talmage added that he was un-
"A hlr to tell whether the fire would in
,erfcrc with his future plans. lie had
| intended leaving Brooklyn this even
| ing on his summer trip t" Europe. ie
did not know if the disaster would de-
| lay him.
The subject of nr. Talmage's sermon
Yesterday morning was "A Cheerful
| Church" The text was Soiomons
song, chapter iv. first verse, Behold,
| Thou Art Fair. Nv Love"
1t WAS only on Thursday and Friday
| last that Rev DIR. Talmagc celebrated
in the tabernacle the completion Of the
| twenty y-fif,h year of his pastorate.
| The tabernacle occupied 4 lot of
ground 200 feet by lis feet in dimen-
sions. The style of architecture was
| Romancsquc, the material corsehil
stone. and rainwashed brick in red
mortar. The roof was covered with
| Spanish tiles. The main tower at
| Green and Clinton avenues stood 100
feet in height. The main entrance
was at Clinton and Green avenues, u
second WAS on Clinton avenue, and Il
third on Waverly avenue. The Green
and Wavcrly-avenuc entrances led to
the Sundav-school hall as well rs to
the main auditorium. The vast inte-
rior held seats for $500. The general
slope was amphithcatrical.
The lofty ceiling was domed and di-
vided into panels, the material used
being of patent fire-proof wood.
which, incidentally. was destroyed with
the rest of the building.
The magnificent organ in the loft
| over which the fire appears to have
| the woodwork incasing it being of ash,
| nicely plancd and ornamcnted with
| carved columns. The glass used
throughout the building was n com
| bination of frosted crystal and various
! shades of yellow, giving very mellow
| light.
There were two galleries finished
with stereo relief work. There was in
| the tabernacle Il library and a kitchen
| and supper room to be used in connec-
| iinn with fairs The tabernacle had a
| debt of s20O. 900, and recently Mr.. Tai
| mage threatened to leave the pastor
ate. but financial aid was promised and
| DR.. Talmage then decided To stay.
| The first fire which affected Dr. Tai
mage occurred in December. 1N11, at I
| o'clock in the morning. The church
was then situated at Sackett and
| Schermerhorn streets. Another church,
| was built on the same site and on De-
| ,olrr 9. 1889, WAS burned down at.
| O'Clock in the morning The congrc-
! cation then moved up town to Greene
| and Clinton avenues, where fire for the
| third time overlook DIR. Talnagc and
! burned his church down.
| The board of trustees of the Ia bcrna-
| Gle last night held meeting in the
/ house Of DR.. Talmagc, at which it was
/ decided la rebuild the ti bcrnaclc. The
/ trustees say that DR.. Talmage is 10
/ start on his trip around the world as
! at first intended.
{ The statement given out by the
! trustees i that from the insurance re-
/ cciptS and money realized for the sale
/ of land. they will pay all debts
I Within a year the work Of rebuild
( ing will begin.
I The tabernacle was insured for $780,
{ 900. in four companies, viz: London
( and Liveraool the Eoval Insurance
/ Co. the Phoenix of Hartford and
/ Phnnix IF brooklyn.
/