The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-31
SET FIRE BY LIGHTNING
CENTERVILLE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
SPIRE IN FLAMES,

The Electric Bolt Hit the Iron Cross on tho
Steeple and Then Killed Horse--The
People Turn Out in the Pouring Rain and
Finally Save the Building.
The Centerville Episcopal church was
struck by lightning yesterday after
noon and the building where Centerville
Episcopalians have worshipped since
1921, when the church was consecrated,
narrowly escaped destruction by fire.
1t was during yesterday afternoons S
heavy shower, when the rain fell in tor
rents and the lightning was sharpest,
and the magnet that drew the bolt was
an iron cross that surmounted the
steeple, over 100 feet from the ground.
The electric shaft set fire to the top of
the spire, and, passing out Of the build
Ing killed horse belonging to Lewis
Joyce of Mt. Carmel, which was hitched
in shed near by.
Mrs. William Spence, whose home is
near by, saw the fire, and rushing out
into the pouring rain gave the alarm
The old wooden steeple, kiln dried by
long service, afforded fuel in the interior
for the electric spark, but the exterior
was drenched with rain.
1t did not take long for some one to
enter the church and sound the alarm
by ringing the bell in the belfrey of the
steeple that was on fire.
NOT +hinlyIx y,onr,Io q n
community, but even in that downpour
of rain men turned out to save the
old wooden church, nature meantime
sending cloudburst of water upon the
building to quench the fire.
Men employed in Bella A. Mann &
Co.'S webb factory, half mile from the
church, were discharged from work and
went to aid in saving the church. There
is no fire department in Centerville, nor
any public water service, but the Webb
company is amply protected against
fire by automatic sprinklers and en-
gines, and good water supply. A
pipe runs from the shop to Bella A.
Mann's residence, which is about mid
way between the factory and the
church. Men from the Webb shop hur-
ried to the hydrant in front of Mr..
Mann's house, the pumps at the factory
We're set to work and a line of hose
stretched to the church.
The hose, however, was not long
enough to send stream to the top of
the steeple, where the fire was burning
slowly, progressing downward toward
the belfrey There were ladders long
enough to reach the roof, but by no
possible way could a stream be sent on
to the flames. All these efforts had oc-
cupied some time since the steeple was
struck at a quarter to 3, and by this
time it had stopped raining, and the
| fire was making some headway.
While in this predicament the volun-
teers despaired of saving the church,
and men armed with axes went to the
roof to chop away the steeple, intending
to pull 1t over and in this way save
the building.
The old steeple had been braced
with iron rods running upright and
vertically, and the task was soon found
| to be impossible in the short time that
| it was necessary to remove 1t to save
| the building.
| The New Haven fire department head
quarters was finally called up, and
Chief Kennedy responding to the call
said he could not send an engine out
there, but he sent out 400 feet Of hose
The hose arrived from this city at
$50, and was at once connected with
the Webb company's line There was
not sufficient power to throw water on
the flames, but with the aid of ropes
thrown around the spire the hose was
| drawn up to where the fire was burn
ing, and a steady stream played in this
| way checked the fire, and at $50, near
| ly four hours after 1t was started, 1t
was out, only the upper portion OF the
steeple having been burned
The church cost $4,000. Its present
acting pastor is the Rev. James E.
Coley of Westport. It's last regular
pastor was the Rev. H. L. Everest.