The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-22
CITY CHURCHES
WERE HARD HIT
Nearly Every House Of Worship
Has a Heavy Repair
Bill.

The First Presbyterian church, at
Portland and Nineteenth, which had
lust been freed from debt and refur-
nished at cost of $4,000, was serl-
ously damaged. The shapely steeple
crashed into the street and the stone
work underneath broke thru the gall
lery and auditorium floors$to the base
ment The. historic church bell, the
first rung in the city, is buried be-
meath the debris. The steeple walls
show weakness, and it is considered
fortunate that a disaster which mad
been feared by some, happened When
the auditorium was empty. Inc re-
pairs will cost heavily, altho the
steeple will be replaced With only a
capped tower. Part of the roof which
remains will have to be removed, as
the roof trusses are much damaged.
Nineteenth street is completely
blocked by the heavy framework. The
wind deposited long heavy stone on
the end of slight suspended board,
where the slightest touch would have
knocked it off.
The sheetironsy cornice on the front
gable of Westminster church, was
neatly removed and carried to the
street side of the church where%it was
laid carefully around the trunk of a
young tree. The tree was not in
jured and there is no evidence OF
image to the church where the iron
was carried around. The tendency OF
the wind in various places was to roll
the sheets Of iron in neat bundles,
but here the cornicecap retained it's
shape. Part of the stone battlement
was driven thru the west roof, crash
ing down into the basement and splint-
ering timbers and seats. The Sunday
services could not be held in the main
auditorium on account of. the debris,
the chapel being used instead. The
contractor called in for inspection of
the church says the repairs will cost
$4,000 and that they will take six
weeks or two months
1t was a sad band of church mem
bers that gathered yesterday morn
ing around Rev. John Dolphin, pastor
Of the st. Stephens Catholic church,
Clinton avenue and Twenty-third
street, while he read the mass be-
meath a spreading tree in the church,
yard. The building itself was so bad
ly wrecked that Father Dolphin re-
fused to permit his parishioners to
enter for fear that they might be in
jured, so he gathered them about him
in the churchyard and in their behalf
returned thanks for their being spared
a worse disaster than had befallen
them. While the church is badly dam
aged, it will not entail large expend-
iture to put it in order once again.
The spire suffered particularly and
the auditorium was drenched.
At the Church of the Redeemer
two memorial windows were shattered
and the main auditorium was flooded
by the storm which swept thru the
chamber from one side to the other.
Half the tower of Emmanuel Danish
Lutheran church, Twenty-second
street and Twenty-eighth avenue S
was cut off. The structure was bad
| ly wrenched and the decorations
heavily damaged by water.
The Park Avenue Congregations
church, 20O2 Park avenue, suffered its
share of the general loss and disaster
and large ornamental window was
completely wrecked. The wind hat
fair chance at the window and the
strain was so great that the glass
! shattered beneath the pressure.
+ Lightning struck and damaged thu
| steeple of the Fowler M. e. church
Franklin and Dupont avenues. TIL
slate shingles of the, steeple wer'
scattered about the churchyard, bu
fortunately the building did not TAX
fire The loss is slight.
| Oliver Presbyterian church, Bloom
ington avenue and Twenty-seventl
street, was also hit by lightning and
as consequence, the steeple wa
damaged. The building, did not catcl
fire.
The roof of the Swedish Baptls
church, Thirteenth avenue and Eight
street S, was seriously damaged by
falling chimney The debris role
| from the roof to the ground and shat
; tered the stone sidewalk.
The Bethesda. Colored Baptis
church, Eighth street and Elevent