Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-14
AGAIN IN RUINS.
CCon:inued from LIST page.

was l00xl20 feet, and had seating capac
| ity of $500. The school room was fsrg'
| enough to hold 1900 persons. The building
was put up At q cost of 100000, including
the organ, which cost $50 600.
The first fire which affected DR.. Talmsge
occurred in December, 1872, the churci
then being situated at Nevins and Scher-
merhorn streets. Another church Was built
on the same site and Oct. 81 1880. wa;
burned. The congregation then built the
edifce that was burned today. On Wednes
day last DR.. Talmsg, celebrated his Esd,
anniversary as pastor OF the Tabernacle.
Perhaps the loss Viii b will grieve DR.
Talmage most is the memorial stones that
he brought from the Ess. and which wer,
set in the wall at the right of the organ
They were four in number. The top BLOCK
was from Mount Cavalry and bore the word
Sacrifice" The stone below was from
Mount Sinai and bore "The Law" The
bottom stone was from Mars Hill anc
bore the inscription Gospel" The
fourth stone vas unmarked.
Rev. DR.. Talmage was seen this after
noon, surrounded by large gathering OF
friends who had called to express thei'
sympathy. He said Had the fire occurred
half an hour sooner there would have been
terrible loss of life. The church wa,
crowded at the mornings service. Fully
COCO people we're there. A stampede would
have occurred and many would have been
crushed to death or suffocatad. II the fire
had occurred an hour later when the Sab
bath school was in session, there would
likely be hundreds of bereaved homes in
Brooklyn.
81 ran under the shoulder of the plat
form, right underneath the blazing piper,
into side room, to get my hst and coat,
and after securing them started back. but
as reached the door, l thought, "Is il
best for me to go this way?" and concluded
to change my route, and went out the rear
door to Clinton avenue. Seeing no imme
rate danger, re-entered the church and
learned that the organ pipes had fallen to
the platform. Had recrossed the plat
I'm l would have been crushed by them"
When asked if the fire would change his
plans for n trip around the world, DR.. Tai
m,ge replied that it would. He had ar
r,nged TO start Tomorrow for Philadelphia,
Washington and San Francisco, leaving
the latter city, May 81, for Honolulu. THE
latter part of the programme" said Mr..
Talmage. will be carried out, but l shall
stay in Brooklyn several days"
The subject of DR.. Talmsge's sermon
this morning. was "A Cheerful Church"
The t. xt was Solomon's song, chapter 4,
first verse: "Beholi, thou art r.. my
love-"
Thieves were active during the fire. The
fire was witnessed by large crowd of peo-
pie. The intense heat of the fire, with that
of that of the MONDAY sun, caused several
prostrations in the crowds of onlookers.
The board of trustees of the Tabernacle
tonight held meeting at the house of DR..
Talmage, and decided to rebuild the Table,
nacle. The trustees say Mr.. Talmage il tc
start on his trip around the world as was
first intended.
The statement given out by the trustees
is that from the insurance money and
money realized from the sale of the land,
they will pay all debts They will sell the
land where the fire occurred and move to
another site and buy it cost of not more
than $40 000 The Tabernacle was in
sured TO; Sl30,000.
tt trustees have prepared letter 10
DR.. Talmage asking him if he would accept
the pastorate of new Tabernacle if it was
built free from debt, and he replied tina. he
would. A trustee said tonight that Russell
Sige would accept $l25 900 in full ply
ment of all Gle inns.
Mr.. Sage, who holds first mortgage for
$l25,000 on DR.. Talmsge's Tabernacle, and
who is a creditor to the society for about
SIS 900 back interest in addition to the
mortgage, said he would stand by the church
and help them get ON their feet.