Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-14

DR.. Talmage held quite a reception at
his home during the afternoon, so great
was the stream OF sympathizers who
called. In response TO the request fire.
quently repeated, DR.. Talmage made a
statement of the incidents connected with
the fire He said:
"At the close OF the church service I
was standing at the foot OF the pulpit
shaking hands with hundreds of people
from all lands. l was about through
and walked 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 1t was under full headway, and my
first impulse was to look around and see
how many people were then in the house.
As there were only about 20 people and
25 doors to get out through, felt that
they would all escape.
81 went into my study back OF the plat
form, passing under the blazing piping,
to get my hat and coat. While in sort
of study friend rushed into the room
and said: Get out of this room imme-
diately or you'll not get out at all We
went out into the church, one-half of the
organ was down and the fire had leaped
to the roof. / saw that nothing could
save the building and / came out"
A Philosophical View.
"There is mercy on top OF disaster. One
half hour before the church and all the
adjoining rooms were packed with people,
and the panic would have left the whole
scene one of indescribable horror Or, IL
IL had occurred two or three hours later,
when the Sunday school was in session,
there would have been a thousand house
holds bereft in Brooklyn. Personally,
feel not the least bit Of disheartenment,
nor less faith In God, nor less of hope for
the future.
"Our church has been burned three
times, and IL has always occurred on Sun
day. 1t Is a mystery that adjourn till
the next world let us know"
When asked for his own opinion as to
the cause of the fire. he said emphatically:
Electric lights; electricity caused this
fire as it did that of the last tabernacle on
Schemerhorn street.
The Tabernacle has a mem bership of
over 1000 on the pastors books but the
congregation is only bounded by the Ca
pacity of the building. In the Sunday
school there are 1900 scholars registered,
the attendance varying with circum.
stances and seasons from zoe TO 1900, and
when in session the children are controlled
by Just 100 officers and teachers.
Flames Quickly Spread.
The fire was the most destructive, rapid
and furious that has visited this city for
years. 1t started shortly after noon, when
fortunately nearly all of the 1000 morning
worshippers at the Tabernacle had de-
parted, and at a time when the guests of
the big hotel were somewhat prepar ed for
such an emergency. 1t spread with light.
ming like rapidity, and before sunset had
destroyed property to the value Of nearly
q, ,0O0, 1000.
In three hours only the bare walls of
one Of the costliest structures of Brook
-lyn remained Long ere this, however.
| It became evident that the Hotel Regent
was also doomed. The fire started here
on the second story, but was speedily ex-
tinguished. This proved only to be q
temporary relief, for little later flames
were discovered In AN upper story, blow
ing fiercely mp the air shaft
The infammable nature OF the mate
rial and the great open amphitheater of
the Tabernacle gave such draft that the
fire was forced into the air in columns Of
glowing flames that made q fearful pict-
urs Of destruction. Flakes OF burning
wood and red-hot cinders were shot up as
from "a volcano, and, carried by a strong
breeze, they swept through the air in
svery direction.
The heat blistered the fronts Of the
houses on the opposite side of the streets..
and before long both sides Of Greene ave-
nue. were In blpze. So were the houses
on Waverly avenue, but as fast as they
broke out the people and the fremen ex.
tinguished 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 we're seen bursting forth fiom the
ROOT OF Summerne.d .l. "A. church, . short
distance away.
Within half an hour the magnificent
Hotel Regent was seen to have 10 ned the
Tabernacle on the road to destruction
and no water could reach the Are there.
FROM every window on three sides Of the