Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-05-18
TALMAGE'S TABERNACLE IN ASHES.
ec:a -: -:
The Famous Edince ..Burnsd$ ;ISir:
the Third::Tipe# 4ts :s>*:::: ::*
Existence.
ONE HUNDRED PERSONS. INJURED.
Serious Panic Follows an ExplO-
sion OF Benzine at Brad
ford Fire.

BROOKLYN, May l4.-Just after serv-
ice Sunday, and while DR.. Talmage
was shaking hands with mem bers of
his congregation, fire burst out between
the pipes of the organ, and within 10
minutes the big tabernacle was doomed
to total destruction. Adjoining the
church was the Hotel Regent, eight
stories in height. The fire spread from
the tabernacle to this hotel and then to
the dwelling houses on Green and
Waverly avenues and opposite the tab
ern:cle. The wind blew the blazing
cinders in such quantities in south
easterly direction that the dwelling
houses on Waverly avenue, two squares
away, and also the Summerield Meth
odist church, were set on fire by them.
But the greatest loss on any one of
these structures did not exceed $l5,
The total loss, however, reaches nearly
$2,O00,OOO
The Fire Spread Rapidly.
Ex-Supervisor John H. Reed, who
Was rehearsing with the choir in the
Summertield 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 the fire headquarters. This
was quickly followed by a second,
third and fourth alarm, which brought
out all the apparatus in the western
district of the city. 1t was nearly 20
minutes before the fremen arrived on
the scene and then half a hundred
streams Of water were turned on the
blazing pile. But the church was.
doomed and every effort was devoted to
saving adjoining property. In three
hours only the bare walls Of one of the
costliest structures of Brooklyn remain
ed standing. 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 to be only
temporary relief, for little later
flames were discovered in an upper
story, blowing iercely up the air shaft.
A Fearful Picture of Destruction.
The infammable nature of the ma
terial and the great open amphitheatre
Of the ia bernacle gave such a draft the
fire was forced into the air in columns
of glowing flames that mado fearful
picture OF destruction. Flakes of burn
ing wood and red hot cinders were shot
up as from volcanoes, and, carried by a
strong breeze, they swept through the
air in every direction. Before long
both sides OF Green avenue was ablaze.
So were those on Waverly avenue, but
fast as they broke out the people and
the fremen extinguished them. The
walls of the tabernacle soon began to
crumb BILE and fall, and the great rush of
flames which followed started the hotel
burning again, and at the same time
flames were seen bursting forth from
the roof of Summerfeld M. E. church,
a short distance away. Within half an
hour the magnificent hotel was seen to
have joined the tabernacle on the road
to destruction, and no water could
reach the fire there. The guests in the
hotel had lost no time in making their
escape. They waited only to snatch up
few valuables and run, but wearing
apparel and other effects had to be left
to the greedy flames.
What Talmage Says.
DR.. Talmage, in describing the fire
and incidents connected with it, said:
"At the close of the church service
was standing at the foot of 1he pulpit
shaking hands with hundreds of people
from all lands. I was about through
and walked towards the centre of the
church where my wife stood, when she
called my attention to fire springing out
from the top of the organ. I 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 20 and with 20 doors to get
through, felt that they would all es-
cape."
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 disaster.
If it 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 people,
and the panic would have left the whole
scene one of indescribable horror.
''Personally feel not the least item
of disheartenment, nor less faith in
God, nor less of hope for the future.
Our church has been burned three
times and it has always occurred on