Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-12
FIRE DAMAGES CHURCH
Building Saved With Diff
Guilty From Total Destruction.
THE ESTIMATED LOSS
ST MARKS LUTHERAN coNGRE-
CATION THE SUFFERER.
Meeting of Vestry Called to Consider
Plans for Rebuilding-Other
Fires Elsewhere.

pa-,pIe in South Washington were aroused
FROM their beds last night shortly before L
o'clock by the noise of fire engines passing
over the streets on their way to st. Mark s
Evangelical Lutheran Church. on c street
between 18th and 18th streets. Fire was
discovered in the church about LIB
o'clock. and an alarm sent in from box Al
summoned engine companies ,. and Ia ana
truck c. When the hremen reached the
church they found that the flames were
threatening the total destruction of the
building q story and basement struc-
ture A second alarm was sent in without
DELAY AID engines / and 6 and truck A
went to the assistance of the other COM
panies Chief Belt Assistants Kelliher
and Smith. and Acting Assistant Chief Car
rington FASTENED to the scene to direct the
movements of the flremen. About the time
the first alarm turned in a member OF
the congregation went TO the house or the
pastor. Rev j. Luther Frantz, So1 c street
southwest and aroused him by the vigorous
ringing of his door bell.
The pastor hurried to the church, where
he remained until the fremen mad hnished
their work. about o'clock. The origin OF
the fire is not known. 1t is believed that 1t
started in the basement. The flames had
burned through the floor by the time the
fremen arrived upon the scene. Inc 1ur-
mace was in the basement OF the church,
near the southeast corner of the structure,
almost directly under the organ. 1t is due
to the effective work of the fireHen that
the building not completely destroyed
The walls of the structure are apparently
not damaged and the roof is intact. The
floor is almost i complete wreck. and an
entirely new one will probably have to be
constructed. About ore-half the peWs went
down with the floor in the center CT the
church There was no possibility of saving
the organ, which cost $1,000 as that had
been ruined before the tirenlen arrived at
the church.
Creates Great Alarm.
The sounding of the second alarm created
some excitement in the vicinity of the
church. as those who were aware that an
additional alarm had been sounded recalled
the Baltimore tre. and they thought 1t
might be well to make a start in the dl-
rection of saving their property. Although
the blaze occurred 1T late hour. many
people left their homes and went 10 the
church 10 witness the work of the fremen.
They were e. atty r licved when they found
that In" flames were confined to the one
building and that there was no chance of
them spreading to other structures. W lille
the flames were practically subdued by +
o'clock. some or the tircmen remained two
hours Later to make certain that there
was no further danger.
Truck and No. + engine narrowly es-
cnped getting in a collision when on their
WY To their homes from the fire shortly
after o'clock. Fireman William j. McEl-
Wee, VINO was rFd!nS on the engine, WAS
struck by the truck and painfully bruised.
He was taken to the Emergency Hospital
and was afterward sent to the house of
his company.
chief Belt said to a Star reporter that he
thought the damage 10 the building and
contents would no eX cd 5000. The walls
ard roof are intact and only few OF the
windows We're cracked by the heat 1t is
believed the insurance will be adjusted
without delay, and the building will be put
in shape as soon as the weather Will per-