ST. MARY'S CHURCH FIRE
At this hour of writing, (three o’clock) St. Mary’s Catholic Church, in the Fifth Ward, is on fire, and it is feared the entire edifice will be destroyed.
The fire broke out about a quarter past one o’clock. An alarm was at once sounded – a man living near the Church running to the engine house of Eldridge Hose and giving the alarm.
The bell of the engine house was vigorously rung, carrying intelligence of the fire to this side of the river. The dense clouds of smoke seen arising were suggestive of a serious conflagration, and hundreds of citizens crowded the bridges, and looked toward the scene of the fire. When it became known that the Church was on fire, great excitement was created on the street, and there was a general rush of people from all parts of the city to the scene.
The Church is nearly a mile and a half from the hose tower and the heavy smoke made it hard work for the engines to make good time in getting to the fire. Great clouds of smoke were pouring from all the windows, and it was impossible for the firemen to get inside the building. Windows were smashed in, the water forced upon the raging fire. The fire seemed to be raging with greatest fury about the altar, in the north end of the church.
Those first at the Church ran in and endeavored to save some of the Altar furniture and pieces, but only succeeded in getting out two vestments, so rapid was the spread of the flames.
At a quarter past three o’clock, the fire was not yet extinguished. It is difficult to get water in sufficient quantities. The nearest fire hydrant is near the old factory of the Losie Manufacturing Company, two thousand feet from the Church.
It is rumored that the fire started from an explosion in the furnace in which fires had been kindled to get the Church warm for tomorrow’s services.
The burning Church is unfortunate. The walls were blown down in a storm while it was being erected, involving a loss of several thousand dollars. It was erected at a cost of nearly $65, 000, and it has not been occupied for more than three years. It is located on the corner of Franklin and Fulton Streets, just opposite the Southern Tier Orphan’s Home.
The Pastor is the Rev. J.C. McManus. The great loss incurred by the fire will be a serious blow to the society.
At half-past three o’clock the firemen were still at work. The entire destruction of the Church is feared. The Church is a substantial brick one and among the best structures in the city.
Following the fire, the old Church was pressed into service as we read in the Daily Gazette of January 26, 1877.
When the Gazette went to press on Saturday afternoon the fire reported in St. Mary’s Church was in progress, and all the reports from the scene seemed to indicate that the building would be seriously damaged, if not entirely destroyed. Happily the fire was got under subjection sooner than at first was thought possible; and it is a matter for congratulation not only among the congregation, but equally gratifying to the public at large, that the damage of the fire is by no means as serious as was, in the excitement that prevailed at the time, forebodingly anticipated.
There is a hydrant very near the corner of Fulton and Franklin Streets, where the Church is located. This afforded a ready and sufficient water supply. P. Carroll, of Steamer No. 2, when the alarm sounded, at once hurried to Goodell Five’s house and took that steamer to the fire. The other steamers are too heavy to draw through the bad roads to a fire. In a commendably short time three steamers were ready for service. In Lines of hose were taken through the front door of the Church to that part of the Church near the Altar, where the flames were breaking through the floor. A copious deluge of water from the steamer soon checked the fire and eventually extinguished it. The firemen worked discreetly and energetically as they always do. It was almost as much as a man’s life was worth at one time to enter the Church, so densely full was it with smoke; but by means of a side window and through the cellar the firemen ingressed and fought the fire at every available point successfully. All the various Hose Companies were represented. Chief engineer Landy and Assistant Hyde made judicious and effective distribution of their gallant fire fighters.
When the fire broke out the Rev. J.C. McManus, the Pastor, was calling on the Pastor of SS. Peter and Paul’s Church, Rev. Mr. Cunningham. He at once hurried to the scene and coolly assisted in efforts to save the Church. He was first to approach the Altar and at imminent risk of himself succeeded in carrying out to safety the Sacred vessels that rested in the Tabernacle.
The fire originated from one of the registers, the large center one, it is thought, directly in front of the Altar. A fire had been started to warm the Church for Sunday services. The heat may have set fire to the wood work, or paper or some other inflamable [sic] substance must have lodged in the register, ignited.
The Altar was not burned. Quite a large section of the floor in front is burned away or cut into to get at the fire, and about twenty costly seats fronting the Altar, destroyed by the fire. The principal damage is from smoke and water, which defaced and blackened the walls which had been elaborately and elegantly frescoed at a large cost and greatly injured much of the plastering on the walls. Much of this will have to be retouched, ore entirely repainted. The total damage it is judged will be in the neighborhood of $2,500.
There is an insurance of $10,000 on the Church, $5,000 in the House of New York and $5,000 in the London Assurance Corporation of which companies Sly and Frost are agents in this city.
St. Mary’s Church congregation and pastor are fortunate in escaping so well. The loss of the Church, which is one of the finest in Western New York, if not in the state, would have been an overwhelming one to them and a misfortune to the city.
Owing to the extensive damage done to the new Church of St. Mary’s in the Fifth Ward, which will take some time to repair, the old Church, in which the congregation previously worshiped, and just adjoining the brick one, is being fitted up for worship. It will be occupied next Sunday and used until the new Church is ready for service.
We then skip over the years until Father McManus was transferred to St. Joseph’s Parish at Batavia, New York, in April, 1880.
Rev. Michael O’Dwyer, pastor of Salamanca, was appointed to take over St. Mary’s, Elmira after Father McManus Left.
Father O’Dwyer’s career was a most interesting one. He was born about 1828 near Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland.
Father Michael O'Dwyer
Second Pastor of St. Mary's
___________________
He spent some time at the Irish College in Paris. Here he prepared for his life work and later went to Algiers in company with the famous Marshall McMahon, conquerer [sic] of Algiers, where to attached himself to the Marshall’s Staff and remained several years as a soldier of fortune.
In the year 1863 he came to America and was adopted into the diocese of Buffalo by Bishop Timon. He was ordained in 1866 and up to the time he came to Elmira, had been resident pastor at Newfane, French Creek, Warsaw and Salamanca.
We next go to the year 1881 and quote three articles from the Daily Gazette of July of that year.
The dramatic club of St. Mary’s Church, Fifth Ward, will give an entertainment in the school house, formerly used as a church, on Friday evening next the 15th, when the laughable farce entitled “More Blunders Than One” will be produced. (Daily Gazette, July 9, 1881).
The following is the programme of the entertainment for the benefit of St. Mary’s Church on Thursday evening next. The Racket Family Quintette [sic] Orchestra will furnish the Music.
Overture……………………………………………..…………Orchestra
Declamation….….The Fall of King Guillotin….……..Mort B. Sullivan
Quartette……………………………..…Come Where the Lilies Bloom
Recitation….Selections from “Josiah Allen’s Wife”…Maggie Calligan
Character Song……………………………….……….William P. Morris
Select Readings…”Conner”……………………..Miss Emma O’Farrell
Music……………………………………………………………Orchestra
To conclude with the laughable farce in two acts, “More Blunders Than One”, with the following cast of characters: Mr. John Connolly, Mr. J.H. Callihan, Mr. J.H. Keefe, Mr. John D. Sullivan, Miss Annie Lennon, Miss Kate Calligan, and Miss Matie Brady.
There will be a lawn festival in connection with the entertainment. (Gazette, July 18, 1881)
A much larger hall could have been filled last night than the one in which the concert for the benefit of St. Mary’s Church was held. Every seat and all the standing room was occupied. The ceiling of the hall, which is in the old church building, is very low, and for that reason those taking part in the entertainment worked under great disadvantage. The orchestra music was furnished by the Racket Family. Mr. Mort Sullivan declaimed – he has a very good voice. A quartette of unusually good home talent sang “Come Where the Lilies Bloom”, and responded to an encore. Miss Maggie Calligan recited a selection from “Josiah Allen’s Wife”, which was quite fun provoking. Miss Anna Noble sang in her usual sweet and pleasant manner a solo entitled “Kerry Dances”, and responded to an encore, after which Miss Emma O’Farrell gave a select reading from “Conner”. The entertainment closed with a laughable farce entitled “more Blunders Than One”. All the actors of the evening did themselves credit, as every part was well learned and carefully rehearsed. (Gazette – July 22, 1881)
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