The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-16

story.
BROOKLYN, " Y, May 13-Just
after service a I noon today, and while
DIR. Talmage was shaking hands with
the members of his congregation, FIRE
burst out between the pipes of the organ,
and within ten minutes the big taber-
nacle was doomed 10 total destruction.
Adjoining the church was the Hotel Re
gent, eight stories in hight, with a 'front.'
age of ninety feet on Clinton-ave. and ex-
tending back 200 feet to Waverly-ave
The fire spread from the tabernacle TO
this hotel and then to the dwelling
houses on Green-ave. and Waverly-ave.,
opposite the church. The wind carried
the blazing cinders in such quantities
In a sOutheasterly direction that the
dwelling houses on Westinghouse. two
squares away, and also the Summerfield
methodist church were set on fire by
them; but the greatest loss on any one of
these structures did not exceed $4,000.
The total loss, however. reaches nearly
$1,000, 900.
The fire cpread with lightning-lilIe
rapidly. Ex-Supervisor John Reed, who
Summerfeld methodist episcopal church.
two blocks in the rear of the tabernacle.
had discovered that the building was on
fire, and sent in an alarm to fire head
quarters.
This was quickly followed by a second,
third and fourth alarm, which brought
out all the apparatus in the western dis
trict of the city. 1t was nearly twenty
minutes before the firemen arrived on
the scene, and half a hundred streams
of water were turned upon the blazing
pile. But the church was doomed. and
every effort was devoted to saving ad-
joining property. In three hours only
the bare walls Of ore of the costliest
structures Of Brooklyn remained stand
ing.
Hotel Regent Doomed.
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 extin-
guished. Thi- proved to be only a tenn
porary relief for a little later flames
were discovered in an upper story, blow
Ing fercely up the air-shaft. The in
fammable nature of the material and the
great open amphitheater of the taber-
nacle gave such a draft that the fire
was forced into the air in columns Of
glowing flames that made a fearful pict-
ure of destruction. Flakes Of burning
wood and red-hot cinders were shot up
as from a volcano, and carried by
strong breeze. then swept through the
air in every direction.
Before long both sides of Greene-ave.
were in a blaze So, too, we're the houses
on Waverly-ave.. but as fast as they
broke out the people and the firemen
exuin guished them Then the walls
of the tabernacle began to crumble and
fall. and the great rush of flames which
followed started the houses burning
again. and at the same time flames were
seen bursting forth from the roof Of
Summerfeld methodist episcopal church
d short distance away. Within half an
hour the magnificent hotel was seen TO
have joined the tabernacle on the road
20 destruction and no water could reach
the fire there
Guests All Escape.
The guests in the hotel had lost no
time in making their escape. They
waited only to snatch up a few valuables
and run, but 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. and her
newly born babe, had to be carried
down the fire escape 10 the street. A
woman appeared at a window on the
eighth floor. shrieking and waving her
hands TO the hOrror-stricken crowd be-
low. She was brought down the fire
escape in safety.
The heat and the showers of sparks
and embeTs had made the situation an
extremely trying one for the men of
the fire department, and one man,
George Cunningham of engine company
10 had 10 be carried from his post when
the heat was the most intense, but he
afterward returned.
John Gaffney Of engine IA had an
epileptic fit from heat prOStration and
was removed to the homeopathic hos
pital.
After the flames had licked away the
supports beneath nearly all the fire
escapes on the north wall of the hotel it,
with large portion Of the wall itself,
fell into the mass Of debris with roar
like a distant cannOnade. This was
quickly followed by the fall Of a section
about thirty feet in hight on the
Waverly-ave. side OF the hotel and from
that time up to p. m. huge masses Of
the walf>cOntinued TO fall
At last accounts two more fremen,
Edward Sheridan and John Kelly, Of
truck 10, had been Frustrated by heat.
Estimate of the Loss.
The furniture in the hotel, which cost
from 100000 to S25O.OOO is entirely des-
troyed. the total loss on the building
and its contents footing up in the
neighborhood Of sS50,OOO. The loss falls
upon the Brooklyn hotel company.
List of losses apart from the Tabernacle
and hotel Regent is about as follows:
3S5 Clinton-ave-, occupied by Louis
Hersh. s.. 500; 12S Greene ave, DR.. w. II.
Monmonier. Sc, 1000 100 Greene-ave., S. w.
Reeve- Sz-512i Sorper Greepe5ave. and