The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-05-14
HAUNTED BY FLAMES.
Talmage's Brooklyn Tabernacle
! Again Totally Destroyed.
A BIG HOTEL ALSO WIPED OUT.

Two Million Dollars--Tho Catastrophe
Undoubtedly Caused by Electric Wires.
@BRooKLYN, May 14.-"Talmage's Taber.
nacle burned down." is an old story in
Brooklyn. Three times has it been told
20 the world, and just at present 1t is
question IL there will ever be another
"Talmage's Tabernacle" in Brooklyn,
though pledges OF assistance have already
been made since the structure was de
stroyed at noon yesterday. This edihce,
the fourth in which the doctor has
preached in Brooklyn, WIS situated on
the northerly side of Greene avenue and
extended fAom Clinton avenue on the west
TO Waverly avenue, 200 feet away. Ad.
Joining the church was the Hotel Regent,
sight stories in height, with frontage Of
20 feet on Clinton avenue and extending |
back 200 feet to Waverly avenue. The /
fire spread from the Tabernacle to this
hotel, and then to the dwelling houses on
Greene avenue and Waverly avenue oppo-
site the church. Both the Tabernacle and |
hotel were totally destroyed. The wind
carried the blazing cindcrs in such guam
titles in q southeasterly direction that
dwelling houses on Washington avenue,
two squares away, and also the Summer
field Methodist church were set on fire by |
them, but the greatest loss on any OF
these structures did not exceed $4,000. |
The total loss, however, reaches nearly
ea,0OO, 900.
When informed OF the fire DR.. Talmage
commanded the few people remaining to
leave the church, and they lost no time
pheying the command Two of the trus-
tees, who were in their room in the tower,
were overcome by smoke and had to he
carried out. With ten minutes after the
lrst alarm had been given the church was
doomed and the flames had extended t.
the Hotel Regent, which was soon beyond
control OF the flremcn.
There were not wanting dramatic Incl
drnts during the day. From the fifth
floor OF the hotel Mrs. Loomis, one of the
guests, and her newly born babe had to
be carried down the fire escape to the
streets. Mother and child were removed
to the Sepey hospital, where they are said
TO be In no danger. just as Mrs Loomis
had been rescued from what might have
been a horrible death a woman appeared
nj window on the eighth floor, fran
tically shrieking and waving her hands tc
the horror stricken crowd below. In less
time than 1t takes to write 10, however,
the woman, who turned out to be the as.
sistant housekeeper, Mrs. Keene, was
brought down the fire escape in safety,
Almost Immediately after this a man,
who proved to be President Bogartus, OF
one Of the Brooklyn street railroads, car,
rird out his own trunk and deposited 1t on
ths sidewalk. George Mccoy, another
boarder. went back after some valuable
papers, against the protests of friends, but
came out successful. Fireman Gaffney
had an epileptic fit from heat prostrntion,
and two other firemcn were prostrated.
The trustees Of the Tabernacle met last
night and decided to rebuild, but not on
tbs same site. The Insurance, the re
csipts aud the money realized from the
saie OF tho present site would enable them
TO pay Off all their debts. Then, accord
Ing to the plan, they would raise S2G0 600.
and within a year would begin to build.
About $40, ,0C0, it Is thought, would be suf-
Heient to pay for site. aud less expen.
sire building would be erected. IL was
=. dtcided that DR.. 1almnges tour around
y Che world should begin tonight MS ar
ranged. He will start in the evening for
Philadelphia and proceed from there to
Atlanta, Ga. After visiting some south
srn cities he will go to Snn Francisco, and
anil from there to Honolulu, going after.
ward to New Zealand. Australia, India,
Epain, England and other foreign coun.
trsss.
DIR. Talmnge held quite reception at
his home, No. South Oxford street, dur
tng the afternoon, so great was the stream
of synpathizers who called, among them
Rev. Teunis S. Iamlin, OF Washington
He had preached the dedication sermon Of
the building then burning some three
years ago, and when he grasped the hand
Of Or. Talmage he saidi
doctor, you have my deepest sympathy
but you should not be 30 fiery"
The two men clasped hands for q mo
ntnt, aud then DIR. Tslmage replied:
at Is blessing that only the building
II gone; the work will continue, and We
can all thank God that no life or limb is
Injured"
DR. Talnage made Il graphic statement o.
thr incidents connected with the dire. II,
said:
AT the close OF the church service
was standing at the foot of the pulpit
shaking hands with hundreds II people
from all lands. was about through ant
walked toward the center of the church
where my wife stoud, when she called mi
attention to fire springiug out from tn,
top of the organ. l saw at once that Il
was under full headway, and my first i'm
pulse WAS TO look around and see how
many people were in the house, and TO m,
krrat joy there were only about twenty
people, and with twenty-five doors to ge
out through, l felt that they would es
cape. l then went into my study back o
the PLATFORM passing under the blazing
piping, tn get my hat and coat, and with
which | soon returned.
There is mercy on tap OF the disaster
II it had occurred half an hour before i
would hnye been the calamity of the cen
fury. The church and all the rooms ad
Joining were packed with people, and TIN
manic wOuld have left the whole scene on
Of indescribable horror. Or if it had oc
curred two or three hours later when th
Eunday school was In session, there woult
have been a thousand households bereft
"Persopally | feel not the lesst disap
pointment. none the less faith in God no
less of hope for the future. This long pro
eession Of disasters is inexplicable - lik
what occurs sometimes in family, fou
OF five dying from scarlet fever--it Is inex
plicable: we must simply accept the fact
Our church has been burned three times
and it has always occurred on Sunday
1t Is a mystery that l adjourn till the mex
world shall let us know
When asked for his own opinion as Il
the cause OF the fire, he said empiatically
Electric lightsl Electricity caused thi
IRE as it did that of the last tRbernncl
on Schermerhorn street. 1t was some mis-
arrangement of the wires. Electricity /
sforcs that Is only partially harnessed
1t Is one of the greatest agents of benef
eence and power in the future, but jus
now it has the bit In it's mouth and almos
beyond our coatrol. Electricity was ur
doubtedly the .Suse Of the fire."
QuEYEc. May l4-Four men named Bo
Yin, La Chance, Devarennes and Bilodeau
while sailing in small boat on the 81
al rlnu int