Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-11-04
CHURCH s NARROW ESCAPE
Methodist Church Has Marrow Es-
cape from Destruction by Fire
m Sunday Afternoon.
Fire From an overheated Furnace
Burns Joists and Flooring and
Tzf Threatens Building
Prompt and. Efficient Work BY the
= ); Fire Department Prevents Des-
truction Of Church. 4.

.i The Methodist church, at the corner
CT Fourth and Thayer. streets. had a
narrow escape from destruction by fire
Sunday afternoon. In the high wind
that was blowing during the afternoon,
fire caught from the furnace in the
joists beneath the flooring. and for
some time the fire department was
baffled in its efforts to reach the fire.
Before the fire was discovered, the
basement and the interior Of the
church were SO filled with smoke that
it was impossible to. enter either part
of the church. Smoke rolled forth i'm
clouds from the, basement, and drifted
through the side walls and roof of the
building. The fire being in the base
ment and all the doors and windows Of
the building being closed, the fire OBJ
tained no draft, and for some time the
woodwork smouldered without burst
ing into flame, and no evidence of the
fire was visible except the smoke which
rolled cut in great clouds. -, -
The fire department responded
promptly to the alarm, and did gallant
service in confning the flames to the
joists and timbers of the flooring.
When it was found impossible to enter
the building, the fire was fought from
the front and back entrances to the
basement. Two streams of water were
used, and the fire in the basement was
literally drowned out. ]. P. Jackson
entered the church from the back door,
crawled about half way to the front of
the church, saw that there was no fire
in the interior of the church, and the
doors were opened to clear the smoke
from the interior of the church edifce.
This being done shut-off nozzles were
taken into the church and the remain
ing fire was soon extinguished by P
stream Of water poured through the
registers in the floor. The fire was
fought scientifically and carefully.
with the result that when it was ex-
tinguished, there was little damage to
the furnishings in the church from
water, and except for the CARPET,
which was water soaked in the vicinity
of the registers, little of the furniture
was damaged. 49,
1t is supposed the fire originated
from the furnaces. The last services
at the church were completed ait a little
before 2 o'clock, and the fire was dis
covered less than an hour later. The
intense draft given the furnaces by
the high wind, is supposed to have
overheated the pipes and fired the ad-
jaeent woodwork.
The Methodist church is one of the.
large church edifices of the city The
interior was recently refurnished and
Tehtted, new steel ceiling put in place
and other improvements made There
will probably be some damage to the
decorations from the smoke but other
wise the damage in the interior of the
church is fortunately light. The
building is insured for 81 1,50o, which
will cover alla the damage, the prin,
cipal of which is to the floor and floor
joists which will have to be Telaid in
some places. The basement was half
full OF water when the fire was extin-
guished and the coal and wood stored
there was af1oat - y IS