St. Paul daily globe., 1894-05-14
THRICE INCINERA1ED.
The Third Talmage Taber-
nacle Burned Down.
DESTROYED At HIGH NOON.
Or. Talmage and Others We're
in the Church.
THE BLAZE SPREADS RAPIDLY
Hotel Regent and Many Other
Buildings Burned.
LOSS AT LEAST $1,000, O00.
DR.. Talmage Says He Is Not
Disheartened.
LOSS AT LEAST S2,000,000.
DR.. Talmage Says He Is Not
DiSheartened.
TIE TRUSTEES WILL REBUILD.

BROOKLYN. May 13.-Just after serv-
ice at noon today. and while DR.. Ial-
maze was shaking hands with members
OF his congregation, fire burst out be-
tween the pipes of the or-an. and With
in ten minutes the Big tabernacle was
doomed TO total destruction. Adjoining
the church was the Hotel Regent, eight
stories in height. with frontage OF 80
feet on Clinton avenue and extending
back 200 fee: to Waverly avenue. The
fire spread from the tabernacle to this
hotel, and then TO the dwelling houses
ON Green and Waverly avenues AMI op-
poSite the tabernacle. The wind blew
the blazing cinders in such quantities in
a southeasterly direction that the
dwelling houses on Waverly avenue,
two squares away, and also the Summer
field Methodist church, were set on fire
by them. But the greatest loss Oil any
one of these structures did not exceed
Sl5, GEO. The total loss, however, reaches
over sl,5O0.OOO. Mrs. Talmage tells the
following story of the fire:
The doctor was still on the pulpit.
shaking hands with the people. of whom
there were nearly hundred probably
left. His back was to the organ. L was
standing up at the end OF the pew,
talking with Nj. Martin, Of Chicago,
who wanted to See the doctor with mes
sagcs from loved friends in that city. l
locked up towards the ceiling and saw
\ TONGUE OF FLAME
burst out between the pipes of the Or
gan. at once called aloud: 'Dnctor,
the church is on fire. He turned and
told all the people to retire, while he
went into the study TO get few things.
l waited for him at the door. The
flames spread very rapidly, so quickly
that some of the trustees were over
come and had to be helped out. The.
doctor joined me soon after, and we
went down to Lafayette avenue to a
friends, where we remained until we
could hear that friends in the Regent
were out Of danger, and what prospects
there were CT saving any of the
church"
The doctor had quite a reception at
his home during the afternoon. Dr..
Talmage made graphic staten ent OF
the incidents connected with the fire.
He said:
al the close of the church service l
was standing at the foot of tue pulpit
h,H- = hn, l. oe
from all lands. l was about through
and walking toward the center of the
church, where my wife stood, when she
called my attention to fire springing out
from the top of the organ. | saw at
once that it was under full headWay.
and my first impulse was to look around
and see how many people were then in
the house, and to my great JOY there
were only about twenty, and with
twenty-five d0Urs to get out through.
felt that they would all csc ape. | then
form, passing under
TIE BLAZING PIPING
to get my hat and coat, and then said
70 myself, is it manly to run off?' |.
walked up and down my study room
rejoicing that the fire had occurred
when there was no chance for fatality.
While IN this sort or a brown study a
New York friend rushed into the room
and taking my arm said: Get out OF
this room Immediately or you will not
get out at ALL We went out into the
church. One-half of the organ was
down, and the ire had leaped to the
roof. saw that nothing could save the
building and | came out.'
The tears were coursing down the
doctors cheek, and his voice broke as
he told the story, but in an instant he
spoke with his old vigor.
There Is mercy on top OF the dis
aster. Ii 1t had occurred half an hour
before it would have been the calamity
of the century. The church and all the
rooms adjoining were packed with peo-
pie, and the panic would have left the
whole scene one of indescribable hor-
Tor. Or if it had occurred two or three
hours later, when the Sunday school
was in session, there would have been
thousand households bereft in Brook
lyn. 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 disheartmcnt, nor less
faith in God, nor less of hope for the
future. This long procession of disas-
tiers is ineXplcable-like what occurs
sometimes in family, four or five diving
from scarlet fever-it is ineXplicable: ::
we must simply accept the fact. Our
church has been
BURNED THREE TINES,
md it has always occurred ona Sunday.
1t is mystery that l adjourn till the
next world shall let us know. 1t is the
Lord. Let Him do what seemeth good
III His sight,
When asked for his own opinion as to
the cause of the fire, he said emphatic
ally: Electric lights. Electricity
caused this fire. as 1t did in the last
tabernacle on Schermerhorn street" e.
Continuing. DR.. Talmage said: "The
IRE may change my entire programme
RI nrsf hi,,t- 7 ,,,;l