Evening star., 1926-11-29
FLAMES DESTROY
BAPTIST Church
BrookIand Edifice at Twelfth
and Newton Streets North
east, Is in Ashes.

Rushing through the pipes Of ar
Brook'and BAPTIST Church, Twelfth
and Newton streets northeast. flames
Yesterday morning speedily reduced
the building t. charred walls, hasten
plans >already made for the erection
OF new edirice on Sixteenth street
between Lawrence and Monroe
streets northeast.
Originating from a defective flue
according to the pastor, Rev. O. O.
Dietz. who was called from his home
when the fire was dicovered at $3.50
o'clock, the flames crept between the
organ and the baptistry, gaining i'm
petus as they used the pipes of the
organ as hues and gained the roof
In addition to the organ, which cost
10000 he said. six pianos used In
the SUNDAY school were destroyed
Rev. Mr.. Dietz was unable to esti
mate the total loss, which is partially
covered by insurance, since the
building was about 40 years old and
has witnessed many fluctuations in
value.
Congregation Meets Ashes.
The sorrow Of the congregation,
which came to church only to find it
in ashes, with even the steeple pulled
down by fremen lest it totter in the
wind and injure some one. was TEN
pefed by the fact that months previ.
Gus to the fire plans had been per.
fected for the erection of S165, ,00C
four-story building ON the Sixteenth
street site. The contract has been
let to BOYLE & Robertson, Rev. Mr..
Dietz stated, and construction work
will begin in about a month.
In the meantime church services
will be held in the Masonic Hall. used
by King David Lodge. in the adjoin
ing block. Before the embers of the
church had cooled Rev. Mr. Dietz said
the Masons, the Methodists and the
! Catholics had offered the use of their
halls. One of the offers will probably
be accepted, he said for the accom-
mediation of the Sunday school, which
numbers about $50 pupils.
JanitOr Discovers Fire.
The fire was discovered by John
Doye, colored janitor, who turned in
an alarm, which was followed by two
more alarms which brought out extra
fire-fighting apparatus and reserves
from three police precincts, called out
to establish fire lines to protect a
crowd of several thousand persons
aroused from their Sunday morning
slumbers by the shrek of the fire
sirens. The only casualty recorded
occurred when Fireman John Koustre,
30'years old, of engine company No.
20 sustained crushed foot when a
heavy hose neZZle fell on him.
The spectacle of the burning church
was not without it's attendant Incl.
dents of comedy for the crowd A
stray Spark lit on a shingled roof on
Twelfth street, half a block away.
Fireman started to run toward the
glowing ember, axes in hand. The
crowd fixed it's attention on the spark.
Basin Aids Quencliing.
There goes the roof" said a spec
tator, glancing at the axes as well as
at the spark. But he was mistaken
Before the gaze of the crowd the
owner of the house, rudely aroused
from sleep and wearing his, night
clothes, appeared at a gable window
with a basin of water. Twice he
threw basins of water at the spread
ing spark and twice he missed, as the
the house.
But the third basinful hit the mark
and out went the spark. The crowd
breathed a sigh of relief and turned
it's attention to the battle against the
flames at the church, which lasted for
about three hours.