The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-02-11
CHURCH FIRE
Panic Avoided During Services On
Sunday Morning.

j Worshiping above a basem mt, red
hot with flames that threatened every
minute TO burst through the floor, and
all unmindful OF the pending danger,
was the unusual experience of o con.
gregation at tho First Baptist church
Sunday morning, corner Third street
and Second avenue. The church had
been without pastor several weeks
and the announcement that nev. J. A.
Lapham, OF Central College Pella,
would occupy The pulpit brought out a
large crowd Sunday morning. The
service had been in progress and the
opening ceremonies were all but com.
pleted when the announcement was
made that the congregation would be
dismissed on account Of a fire in the
basement of the church building. The
congregation quickly but quietly dom
ned wraps and left the building by
the entrances. No one seemed much
frightened and there was evident no
crowding at the doors and no sugges-
ton of accident of any kind. "a
The fire was caused by a defect in
the furnace arrangement, one of the
ped. passing within but q few inches
OF the floor. The oYerhcaring of the
furnace caused the wooden beams att
this place to ignite and the flames
quickly spread TO nearby joist. When
ever a hot fire was had in the furnace
II 1I.,,1I
and it has been realized for some time
that the condition was dangerous, but
week after week the furnace was used |
without serious results and the max
ing of the necessary alterations was
neglected. There was a hot fire
In the furnace Sunday, but not really
as hot as on the week before. Sam
Borum is the janitor, but the fire was
no fault of his. In fact the defective
pipe leaves the furnace on the back
side, where it is almost impossible for
the fireman to watch the condition of
the surrounding timbefs. The flames
did not break through the floor and
the carpet is not even scorched. The
supports having been badly burned
and charred, however, may make it
necessary to relay portion OF the
floor when making repairs. |,
The members of the congregation
paid little or no attention to the per
eeptible odor of burning wood pres.
emit in the auditorium nor 10 thel
smoky appearance of the room.
This was an almost an every Sunday
The furnace was defec-
tive. For that reason the appearancel
Of quantities OF smoke in the room
caused no alarm until it suddenly
became quite thick and the tempera-
tire of the room began to be unbe1i
able No one suspected fire, how
ever. fishers were told to raise the
windows. This action gave outlet to
he fumes of the burning wood below
and the smoke came into the roomt
thick and fast. Walter Henderson,
ran TO the basementway and opening
the door of the furnace room theI
flames were seen to be we'll advanced
and to fill the entire room. The alarm
was given Immediately and the fire
company made quick time TO the place.
The fire was hard to reach on account
Of the small openings on the exterior
of the building. Water was thrown
through cellar window that served
as coal hole and by means of the
basement way where a small garden
hose was applied. On account Of the
dlfficulty in reaching the fire from the
outside considerable water was thrown
The damage will amount to several
hundred dollars. The furnace has
collapsed and the badly burned tim
bers of the floor must be replaced.
No damage other than that possibly
caused by the discoloration of thel
smoke was done on the first floor.