The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-05-16
The Tabernacle Burned.

Iuo laDerQaCl6 DuTueus
NEW York, May 13.-Firo seems to be
tho nemesis Of Rev. II. Dewitt Talmage
aud the members OF his congregation.
Their beautiful tabernacle at tho corner
of Clinton and Greene avenues, Brooklyn,
was destroyed by fire this afternoon.
Flames broke out in the church ediiice
lust after those who had attended tho
morning service had left the building.
Not only was the church destroyed, but
the nearby hotel and a number Of build
ings were also greatly damaged. Had
tho fire broken out one hour earlier,
while tho building was filled with wor-
shippers, it is almost certain that dread
fu! panic and loss of life would have
resulted.
This is the third time that the Talmage
tabernacle has been destroyed by fire.
BY singular coincidence, each fire oc-
Cured on Sunday.
Everything in the tabernacle to-day
was destroyed with the building. Per-
haps the loss which will grieve Dr. Tall
mage most, is that Of the memorial stones
which he brought from the East and
which were set in the wall at the right OF
the organ, encased in stereo-relef work.
They were four in number. The top
block was from Mount Calvary and bore
the word "Sacrifice." The stone below
from Mount Sinai, bearing on it "The
Law" The bottom stone is from Mars
Hill and bears the inscription Gospel"
Tho front stone was unmarked. n
more unique collection never was gath
cred in one place." DR.. Talmago says of
them.
The fire was discovered shortly after
12 o'clock, just after the congregation
had been dismissed from the morning
service. Dr.. Talmage was in the church
shaking hands with number of people
when flames burst from the organ.
Ex.Supervisor Reed, who was in the
Summerville NJ. e. Church, directly
opposite from the tabernacle, had also
seen the smoke coming from the taber-
nacle window and had sent in an alarm
of fire. BY the time the tircmen arrived,
the flames were bursting from all the
church windows. Two extra alarms,
bringing all the engines in brooklyn and
Williamsburg 70 the fire. The flames
spread with tightening like rapidity and
the sparks flew in all directions. The
greatest excitement prevailed.
The interior of the church was seeth-
ing, roaring mass of flames inside OF
thirty minutes after the fire was discov-
cred, and by / o'clock the roof and the
handsome steeple had fallen in.
Great Jets of flame shot across the
open space between the tabernacle and
the Hotel Regent. which is next to the
church, on Clinton avenue, and in
short space of time that portion of the
hotel nearest the church was burning
fiercely.
The Regent was family hotel. The
guests fled in dismay. Some OF them
stopped to throw their valuables and
clothing from the windows, while others
hurried to places of safety just as they
happened to be apparelIed when the
panic struck them.
At the time of the fire there were IS
| guests and 90 servants in the hotel and
many of these had narrow escapes. The
| fire extended to the hotel between the
| first and second floors. Before the en-
ployes gave the alarm, they attempted to
get it under control. The fire soon spread
up to the third and fourth floors, how
ever, and the guests and servants rushed
pell nell into the street. There were two
| ladies in the hotel, who had to be carried
out. On the fifth floor, Mrs. Loomis, of
Savannah, Ga, was lying i'll with her
young baby, few days old. She was
carried safely from the burning hotel.
and with her child was removed III an
| am bulance to the Homeopathic hospital.
Miss Kean, the assistant housekeeper
| of the hotel, was also carried from the
building. She had just passed through
| severe illness, but was convalescent.
The flames spread rapidly through the
| hotel and it, too, was soon atire from
cellar TO roof. The firemen then devoted
| their efforts to save surrounding property.
A number Of dwellings in the vicinity
caught fire again and again, but the fire.
men each time flooded them with water
and extinguished the flames. The Sum-
merville NJ. e. Church, at Greene and
Washington avenues, also caught fire
from flying sparks, but the flames were
soon extinguished.
The numerous small fires continued
until o'clock by which time the fire.
men had gotten the fumes in the taber-
nacle and hotel under control. The
| tabernacle and Hotel Regent were COM
pletely gutted. Nothing remains but the
walls. At 5 o'clock, portions Of the rear
wall of the tabernacle fell. The total loss
| is estimated at little over million dol
lars. The loss on the Hotel Regent, in
Guiding the building, paintings end the
guests household goods, will amount to
about 100000. The loss on the taberna-
Gle IS aDOuI StUU,Vuu anu tuo auJo'ntnS
buildings are reported to be damaged to
| the extent of $4,000. It is said that the
hotel was insured for 100000.
Four firemen were overcome by heat
during the progress of the flames and
had to be remove d from the scene. They
all recovered. 1t is supposed the fire
was caused by spark from one of the
electric light wires bohind the organ.
The tabernacle was insured for $780,
900.
The board of trustees Of the tabernacle
tonight held meeting in tho house of
DR.. Talmage, at which it was decided to
rebuild the tabernacle. The trustees say
that DR.. Talmage isto start on his trip
around the world, as first intended.
The trustees prepared letter to DR..
Talmage asking him if he would accept
the pastorate of a new tabernacle ifit was
built free from debt, and lie replied that
ho would do so. The trustees expect to
have new tabernacle built in year,
| free free from all incumberances. One OF
The trustees said tonight that Russell
Sage held mortgage on the tabernacle
property, which now amounted to more
than Sl25,000 but that Mr.. Sage would
accept $25, 900 in full payment of all his
claims.