Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1910 — NARROW ESCAPE FOR BAPTIST CHURCH. [ARTICLE]

NARROW ESCAPE FOR BAPTIST CHURCH.

The Baptist church had a narrow escape from destruction by fire Wednesday night between 9 and 10 o’clock, before all had left the church from prayer meeting. The trouble seems to have been caused from a defectiv*e flue to the furnace which let soot into the air chamber and fell down into the basement where the airchamber was wainscoted with pine boards. This soot took fire and all the wainscoting about the airchamber was burned before the fire was discovered, and after a few buckets of water had been thrown on the flames were quenched. A fire alarm was sent in but the whistle was not sounded, and before the fire company had responded a message s came saying the fire was out. Had it caught fire a little later, after the congregation had all gone home, me church would probably have been destroyed beyond repair.