The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-30

cape of Fire-Fighters.
Fire yesterday destroyed the pretty
and commodious house of worship Of
the First Baptist church, on Scranton
street. The loss was Il total one none
of the contents excepting the pulpit
Bible and two chairs being saved from
the flames.
The church was empty when the fire
broke out Sunday school was dis
missed at 3.4j and about twenty min
utes later the sexton, William Jones,
locked the doors and left for his home.
The pastor, Rev. S. Frank Matthews
| and the sunday school superintendent,
| DR. b. G.. Beddoe, left the church with
| the sexton. Rev. Mr.. Matthews had
| just reached his home at POS North
| Hyde Park avenue, three blocks away,
when the alarm sounded.
The fire was discovered 10y some pass
| ersby. They say that smoke was issu-
! ing from the roof and at the caves all
| along the front of the building when
| they first saw il, the densest volume
| being noticed at the northeast corner
! of the building. where the chimney
| emerges. An alarm was sounded from
| Box 35, corner of Main avenue and
! Jackson street, and later a second
alarm brought the Hook and Ladder
company. the Crystals and Nay Augs,
| but the work of the firemen was un-
availng, so great n headway had been
| gained by the flames and so rapidly
did the wooden structure burn.
SPREAD RAPIDLY.
II appears the fire either started at
the roof or ate its way thither immedi-
ately after breaking out and then
spread rapidly along the shallow attic
which separated the ceiling of the audi
torium from the roof. Though the two
| West Side companies made a very
! quick response the structure was
doomed before they arrived. The attic
| was one mass of seethng flames from
end to end, as was shown by the glare
| through the fssures in the plastered
ceiling, and as was indicated by the
tongues of fire which thrust themselves
forth from every point along the caves.
Half an hour after the fire was under
| way the roof caved in and then the
whole structure became prey to the
flames. The front and side walls, and
the lower portion of the steeple and
turret, were left standing. but so badly
were they damaged that they VIII
scarcely 90 for tlrewood when they are
torn down.
The adjoining buildings escaped
without damage. Superintendent of
Schools George Howell, whose resi-
donce was separated from the church
edifce by only about ten feet, sustain
ed slight loss by reason of his cell
| ~ Id 1Nt,t netI II \
the neighbors were none the worse for
the fire.
LOSS TO THE CHURCH.
The loss to the church is about $1l,-
900, about S6GO0 of which will be borne
by insurance companies represented in
the Phillips & Holmes agency. The
loss on the building was between $4,000
and $4,000, and the contents would rep
resent about $1,000. Two cabinet or
! gans and Il new piano. a silver COM
munion set, a full set of dishes, table
, ware, range and kitchen utensils owned
: by the Ladies' Aid society and stored
in the basement We're some of the ar
: ticles which foot up this latter loss.
Less than q year ago a part of the
basement was set apart for a library
and fitted up with furniture and books
at a large expense. All that was saved
from here We're the books that are In
= circulation. The appurtenances of an
industrial school, conducted by the
Ladies' Aid society We're also in the
basement and are total loss. Anoth-
er item which figures in the loss is
the fresco work recently done on the
ceiling at cost of 1915.
n number of the officers of tho
church and members of the fire de.
partment had an exciting experience
and narrow escape from serious in.
I, jury or possible death when the rool
fell in. As il was Common Council.
y man Joseph Oliver. a member of TN,
. Columbias, was painfully hurt and =
number of others received some hare
knocks by failing to get out of th,
= way of the falling debris.
THE ROOF FELL.
They were in the auditorium attempt
, ing to save some of the furniture o
to carry hose to advantageous point
when the plasterng began to fall /
large patches all around them. The
, beat hasty retreat to the front door
or basement stairs i'm the rear, an
were scarcely out of danger when tn
, | ticlhers and states of the roof cam
down with crash. Mr. Oliver, VIII
was last in getting out was caught b
some Of the falling debris and bruise
about the back and shoulders. Charlie
Corliss, Charles Z. Eshleman, j. FloyC
n James Eaton, A. e. Holmes, Williar
: Fowler and Randolph Jones wer
e among those who had this experience,
Il Later during the progress of the iii
= a slate from the steeple struck Fore
= man James Beavers, of the franklin