The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-15
THREE TIMES GONE.
DR.. Talmage's Brooklyn Taber-
nacle Again the Victim
of Flames.
With 1t Goes a Pine Hotel, While Other
Buildings Are Damaged-Thc
Loss About 1000. 900.

mage was shaking hands with his con
gregation to-day. and about 200 people
were left in the Tabernacle. some one re-
marked. Il smell smoke \ tongue Of
fire was seen to leap out from between
the pipes of the organ. DIR. Talmage
commanded the people to leave the
church, and they lost no time in obeying
the command. Two Of the trustees who
were in their room in the tower. were
overcome 10y smoke. and had 10 be car
ried out. Within ten minutes after the
fire alarm had been given the church
was doomed. and the flames had extend
ed to the Hotel Regent. which was soon
beyond control of the firemen. The tab
ernacle and Hotel Regent were totally
destroyed. and the Summerfeld Metho-
dist Episcopal church together with
about twenty residences. were more or
less damaged. The fire spread with
lightning rapidity. and before sunset had
destroyed property TO the value of nearly
100000. EN-Superyisor John Reed,
who vas rehearsIng with the Methodist
Episcopal church two blocks away m
the rear Of the Tabernacle. sent in an
alarm 10 fire headquarters. This was
quickly followed 10y a second, third and
fourth alarm. which brought out all the
apparatus IN the western district If the
city. II was nearly two minutes before
the tiremen arrived on the scene and
streams were turned on the blazing pile
But the church was doomed. and every
effort was devoted 10 saving the adjoin-
ing property. In three hours only the
bare walls Of one of the costliest struc-
lures in Brooklyn remained standing.
Long ere this, however. il became evi-
dent that the Hotel Regent was also
doomed. Fire started here in the second
story, but was speedily extinguished.
! This proved to be only a temporary re-
lief. for little later flames we're discov.
cred in the upper story. blowing up
| tiercely through the air shaft The in
fiammable nature ~ the church and the
great open amphitheater of the Taber.
nacle gave such draft that the fire was
forced in the air in columns OF glowing
flames that made fearful picture Of de-
structIon. 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 lost no time
IN making their escape. They waited
: only to snatch up few valuabes and
run. 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. \ woman
appeared at a window on the eighth floor,
shrieking and waving her hands. to the
| horror Of the stricken crowd below. She
was brought down the fire escape in
safety.
| After the flames had licked away the
supports beneath nearly all the fire es-
capes on the north wall of the hotel a
large portion of the wall itself fell into
tn mass of debris with a roar like dis
tant cannon. This was quickly followed
by the fall of a section of about thirty
feet in height on the Waverly avenue
side of the hotel and from that time up
to 5 p. IN. huge masses of wall continued
to fall
Flakes of burning wood and red hot
cinders were shot up as from a volcano
and carried by strong breezes. they
swept through the air in every direction,
Before long houses on both sides ni
Green avenue were ablaze. So were
those on Waverly avenue But as fast
as they broke out the people and the
tiremen extinguished them. The walls
of the church began to crumble and fall
and the great rush of flames which fol.
lowed started the houses burning again
and at the same time flames we're seen
bursting forth from the roof Of the Sum
merfield Methodist church some dis.
tance away. This was saved from total
destruction. however.
The total lots on the Hotel Regent and
contents foots up in the neighborhood
OF e85O.OO0; the furniture, which cost
from $4,000 to e25O.OO0. being entirely
destroyed. Tho loss falls on the Brook
lyn Hotel company. The list Of losses
apart from the Tabernacle and hotel. ID
about $4,000.
The trustees Of the Tabernacle have
decided to rebuild, but not on the same
site.
Persons desiring the Anaconda Stand
ard or Helena lndependent, may hays