| The Courant reported that the cause of the fire a furnace in the basement. This reporting was based on accounts given by members of the church on the scene the morning of the fire. The fire began on a basement timber – a beam supporting the floor above – at a point at which the furnace exhaust flue ("the flue to the smokestack," which was also referred to as a "chimney") was very close to the beam. This point was also directly below the organ, which was at the center of the building. According to members of the church’s general committee, they had protested the placement of the flue in this location, but they had been assured that there was no danger. Nevertheless, a piece of asbestos had been tacked to the beam as a “measure of protection” when the furnace had been installed. |