Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-01-28

sDon,ed. going all the way from
Forty-seventh street and Huntington
avenue To the church, at Twenty ninth
street. between Washington and West
avenues. and arriving on the scene
before the Central engine.
S Fire Burned Furiously.
Ivlring all OF this delay the fire
, %ae raging inriously and flames were
bursting from the windows. Before
the fact that the church was atlre
was fully realized by the great, awed
crowd, Sthe edtice was doomed and
the firemen could only direct their
attention to saving the surrounding
sirame residences. BY O'Clock,
Iiiirec.Giisrt srfosofs. an llohp after the
iirsh alirm, Inc 'rdbr had fallen in. >
Rain Saved Residence.
Flaming brands and sparks were
scattered in every direction and If
the residences had not been thor.
oughly soaked by the rain which had
been falling for two days the entire
block would have been burned. The
granite walls of the church building
confined The fire To such an extent
hat the danger To the adjoining
houses was not as great as il other.
wise would have been
EoW Water Pressure.
Tn addition To the delay in getting
the apparatus to the scene. the fire
department was handicapped by lack
of water pressure. The streams of
water from the plugs were almost
useless. Only the streams forced
by the two engines were strong
enough TO be effective.
The pipe organ. under which the
fire is supposed 10 have originated,
fell in soon after the arrival of the
iiremen. From that time the int.
rior of the church became q roaring
furnace. II burned furiously for two
hours and it was six O'Clock before
The last blaze was e%iingnished and
only The smoking. smonldering rnins
were left TO deal with.
Residents Moved Out
Fully expecting their homes 10 he
burned. the people living in the
houses on either side Of the church
and in the rear on Thirtieih street,
moved their household goods ont into
the streets, considerable damage be.
ing done to furniture, crockery, cur.
tains, etc.
Although The flaming ruins of the
tower fell against the frame house
west of the church. comparatively lii
tie damage was done.
For over three hours IL crowd which
numbered at times nearly 500 PEG
plee. watched the coniiagration Tx.
preSSionS of sorrow were to be heard
at every hand. Many women wept
without restraint and even some of
fhn chpI
helpleSSly and saw the finest church
IN this section. one OF the prides of
the city as well as of it's pastor
and large congregation. go up in
names and smoke.
When ii was all over. Superiniend.
/ ent of Streets Harw0od roped off the
street in front of the ruins TO keep
anyone from being hurt by falling
walls and Chief Reynolds stationed
an officer on guard.
Mr.. William Garner invited the
grimy-faced. weary fremen to his
home on Thirtieth street and there
treated them TO hot coffee and n sub
stantial luncheon. While the fire
| was i'm progress the ladies' I'm the
neighborhood had served coffee to
the ladies.
Mrs. l.. Pe Stearnes, who was III
and West avenue, was moved to a
neighbor's house until after the fire
was out. Mr.. r. NJ Dyson. very
Ill at his home directly across the
street from The burning church. was
conveyed in the general hospital am.
bnlance to the Lexington hotel. Mr..
j. Il. Nelms. who has been i'll at the
Gloucester for long time, was car.
ried to Hotel Warwick until the
danger OF a general coniiagration had
passed.
Sympathy for the congregation and