The sun., 1901-07-03
LIGHTNING FIRES CHURCH;
sT. AGNEsS IN BROOKLYN DESTROYED
Loss OVER sasO.00O.

tne borough-Boit ut Tower ana roi-
lowed Electric Light wires Inside Priest
Has Narrow Escape-Firsman Injured.
St Agness Church at Hoyt and Sackett
streets. one Of the finest churches OF the
Roman Catholic faith in Brooklyn. was struc ch
by lightning at $40 O'Clock yesterday after
noon, caught fire Immediately and within
forty minutes was practically destroyed
The loss Is measured by the cost OF the edi-
fee and the furnishings. and is estimsted at
$3.50, 900 Father Louis Braver. one OF the
assistant priests. and two parishioners, who
went into the church after the hre was well
under way. in the hope OF saving some OF the
altar furnishings. narrowly escaped with
their lives
The flames In the front OF the church cut
on their escape. and. In the excitement. IL
was forgotten for time that the priest had
gone into the building. Suddenly some one
remembered that the priest was inside and
raised the cry:
Father Bravers in the church,
Then the fremen punched the glass out
Of one Of the beautiful memorial windows.
found the priest and his parishioners near
the chancel with some OF the altar furnish
ings In their hands and the fire creeping
rapidly upon them. One ladder was run
into the church and another from the pave
ment to the window and by these means the
men were taken safely out
The church faced on Sacket street and ran
back along Hoyt street TO De Graw. Directly
above the main entrance was a tower rising
about 100 feet above the Gothic roof There
had been few flashes Of lightning and few
thunder runbles. heralds OF an approach
ing shower. Then there were few drops Of
rain and crash that seemed to shake all
South Brooklyn. moment later those in
the vicinity saw that the lightning had struck
the tower Of st. Aguess and burned its way
through. Almost before any one realized
that the church was aiire. flames burst through
the roof near the base OF the tower. One
alarm was turned in. folowd by three more
In quick succession.
The home Of Father James &. Duffy, rector
OF tho church, and his three assistants is on
streets Before the first OF the fremen ar
rived on the scene Father Duffy rushed across
the street with key to the church. thinking
before the fire had made great headway
The priest was so overcome with emotion
and excitement that he was unable 10 unlock
the door, and Finn, the sexton. took the keys
and was the first to enter Directly below tho
tower is the organ and choir loft When
Finn got inside the church the woodwork OF
the organ and the choir loft were not only
afire but the haines were racing around either
gallery and TO the woodwork and pews just
insi ide the entrance. Father Duffy took one
overcome with emotion Then II was that
Father BIayer and two parishioners went in
and made their way To the altar
nearly twenty twenty ne minutes 'bY beYore streams 1"s OF
suffioient power 70 reach the building could
be got through the lines Of hose. The first
streams three hardly more than dozen feet.
Why this was has yet TO be explained. and.
judging by the temper Of ST. Agnes's parish
ioners. some ofIicial OF the Water Department
q hardly sG ths NH w
Ssd e'a able SSud ,gsd 1 Ss ChSrc
sas4 sy s tc snd the ss
follow the wires and carry the fire as u ran,
The interior Of the church was finished In
hardwood, which seemed TO burn Ike tinder.
Al $50, forty minutes after the lightning
struck the tower, the roof berant o fall In.
and even by O'clock little more Of the struc-
was the last % fall, The flames ate through
the roof, and little by little the roof fell in.
snll The tower remained standing With
Finally the storm, broke and tho hood OF
ram seemed 20 deaden the flames. A few
minutes sftI, the roof fell in the tower began
TO the Crowd. eH III in the f streets and i've MINUTES
later the tower fell vi til great crash, throw
ing up sparks that glowed and Kissed for a
m3sm,ent in tho fallihs rain; ,,n ,,o s,r,.
we're carried in the high wind block south
and two blocks north along Hoyt street,
setting fire to the roofs OF number OF small
dwellings. These fires were eStlnguished
and little damage was done. Three frencn
we're injured by falling bricks and timber
and were taken 20 nearby hospitals. where
il was reported their inju were not serious,
Two or three other iiremen were overcome
81 AsHes's Church was about twenty.si1
Sny yefi SS ana Il. Hansr SdI Fra % s
seven yesrs later He then entered red s. s. Mary,s
Gibbons, % Who had Just been made Arch
bishop q Baltimore. After few years ss
was delegated BY Blshop LoughlIn e establish
decided 70 found his church at the corner Of
the later ediacs was built. 1t was 10 casual
observers an upattraetive parish and an
unattraotive neighbcrhood There were.
plenty Of factories and lumber and coal yards
The frame building which was erected had
q seating capacity OF 700, II was not long
had % 10 have have an nV~ assistant % The burned edice
was started in 1880 and the CONVERSIONS laid
in 1881. Father Duny insisted on having
the work on the new church proceeded slowly.
1t was dedicated on Aug. 20, 1882. but only
part OF the church was completed
completed. and freed from debt. II was oon-
the church stood cost ,7o. 900 and the church
cost $3.50 900 This cost doe. not include
the memorial windows. seven In number.
which cost about $4,000 Neither does 1t
include the cost Of the organ. which was
italian marble and Mexican onyx the church
contained many rare paintings and some Of
tho recent mural decorations we're very eN-
pen.tve When the cost Of all the interior
hannra tinns is Included the loas by fire 10