Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-24
lube MEMORIAL
FIRE LOSS MAY
REACH $4,000
Interior of Clinton Avenue
Church Wrecked-Edifice
Had Been Closed.

The First Congregational Jube Me-
mortal Church. at Clinton avenue and
Wright street, was wrecked by fire
Saturday night Today Captain c.
| Albert Gasser. Of the Department Of
/ Combustibles and Fire Risks, ordered
the structure roped off. fearing the
sides Of the building would fall in.
The damage is placed at $4,000 by
the Salvage Corps. Captain Gasser
/ believes the damage will total $40 900.
The fire is said to have been caused
/ by spontaneous combustion of oily
rags. Three pianos and an expensive
organ were destroyed.
4 Efficient work by the fire depart
ment saved the adjoining houses. Two
alarms were sounded. When the fire.
men arrived the interior of the church
was like a roaring furnace. A light
southwest wind famed the blaze The
/ inside of the church was recently dec
GRATED and the new paint and oil was
ready fuel
Thousands visited the scene yester-
day and today.
The church was recently closed for
the month, in order to allow the
painters and decorators to complete
their work All Of the pews were
placed in the church parIors to be
cleaned and painted. Frederick Rey-
nolds. the colored janitor of the
church, worked all Saturday after
noon cleaning the pews with oil
and benzine After working hours he
placed the rags in a corner Of the par
1or.
It was s:4s o'clock when the first
alarm sounded.
| Acting Chief NJ. P. A. McDermit
believes that the FIRE was burning an
hour before the fire was discovered.
When the fremen arrived on the
scene the fire had spread to the four
corners of the church. Chief McDer-
nit sent in a second alarm at s:5z
o'clock
The communion set and the records
of the church are intact in the huge
safe in the rear OF the edifice. A meet
i ing of the trustees of the church will
be held tomorrow night, when plans
will be made TO rebuild the interior Of
the church.
About three months ago the church
was struck by lightning. Work OF re-
pairing this damage was about COM
plete.
In the centre Of the chruch floor
there are several cans OF oils and
gasoline. These were left untouched
by the fire.
Frank Gaffney, of Truck No 1. was
slightly cut by a falling piece of slate
during the blaze. Mrs. Elizabeth
Mitchell, of 202 Clinton avenue, COL
lapsed from shock, but was quickly
revived
The First Congregational Church,
now known as the Jube Memorial,
started as a Presbyterian church.
1t was organized as such on May "A
1884, and it's first edifice was on the
. north side of Clinton street Two
years later a building was erected at
the southeast corner of Clinton and
Beaver streets. which was dedicated
March Is. 1885. Here ii remained
| until 1891. but in the meantime, in
1910. the connection with the Presby-
terry was dissolved and the church be-
came Congregational
| After the abandonment of the Gin
ton street church the congregation
| worshipped In a hall while the new
edifice at Clinton avenue and Wright
street was building. The new edifice
was dedicated December 81, 1892, and
in May, 1897, John J. Jube made a
gift to the church, and the words
"Jube Memorial were added in the
name.
The church has had some famous
/ =
pastor from 1850 to 1854. Then came
| Rev. DR.. william B. Brown. 1S55-7s.
I He was followed by Rev. DR.. James
NJ. Wilton. who remained until 1885.
The present pastor. Rev. T. Arid Mof-
fat, was installed October 1. 1906.
At SOP o'clock an alarm for a fire
/ in the tenement house 131 Somerset
| street was sent in from box 295. En-
CINE companies Nos 10 and u and
Truck 5 responded to this station.
/ The fire in Somerset street was of an
ugly nature. and was only prevented
from spreading to adjoining buildings
/ by hard work on the part Of the fire.
men.
Engine companies Nos. 10 and u
were still engaged at this blaze when
box Is, at Clinton and Elizabeth ave.
nues, was sounded for the lube Me-
mortal Church fire. This called out
Engine companies No. 8, in Court
street; No. u. in Belmont avenue,
and No. "A. at McWhorter and Vesey
streets, and Hook and Ladder No. g.
| Engine No reached the scene of the
church fire in about three minutes
time. being the first apparatus to ar
rive. and quickly stretched two
lines One minute later. or four min
utes after the first alarm from box 2S,
/ Chief McDerrnitt sent in the call for
the second-alarm apparatus.
This brought out Engine companies
Nos / and 10. which cover Nos. 10 and
| y while they are engaged at another
fire. and. in addition. Engine COM
panies Nos. ?. ;. 20 and % and Hook
and Ladder No. l. Hook and Ladder
Company No responded to the
alarm from box POS, according to
schedule.