Fiery Fiend. Early last Tuesday morning, while the better class of our citizens were in their beds sleeping off the weariness of their labor, our city was again attacked by the fiery fiend.
The night was as clear as a bell and not a breath of wind could be felt. Suddenly voices rang out on the stillness of the night the shrill alarm of “fire!” This was shortly followed by the ringing of the church bells and the sound of hurrying feet.
Hurrying from their beds and glancing out their windows, it looked to one and all, as if the whole town was on fire, the glare of the flames being so bright. The very heavens seemed on fire, so bright was the light, while all parts of the city appeared as light of day. Gaining the open air, it was seen that the fire was on the northeast side of the square, and was situated in the cigar and tobacco manufactory of Goodall and Mohler.
When the first persons reached the fire, the whole building was on fire from front to rear and Askew’s block on the South and the building occupied by the restaurant of Elliott and Son’s were threatened as well as other buildings in the near neighborhood. The citizens responded promptly and in a short time the bucket brigades were at work on the threatened buildings. The flames had made such headway on the factory that nothing could be done to save it.
The restaurant next on the West was on fire before the bucket brigade got to work, but by hard and persistent labor on their part, it was saved. A stable belonging to the factory firm was also burned, while the dry house escaped almost unharmed.
The windows in the Masonic Hall in Askew’s brick were scorched pretty badly, and were on fire several times, but were put out. Inside of an hour from the time the first alarm of fire was given, the factory had burned to the ground, the threatened buildings were saved and the citizens commenced to depart for their homes.
The origin of the fire is unknown. But several theories have been advanced. One theory is that it may have caught from the stove needed to dry the tobacco. Another is that it was set on fire and this theory is strongly believed. Especially from the evidence of our esteemed citizen Mr. R. T. Pulley, who was one of the first to discover the fire and give the alarm. His statement is “that when he first saw the fire, the flames were leaping out of a window in the northeast end of the second story, and that the lower sash of the window was either pushed up or had been taken out. Now as the window was closed when the factory was shut up the evening before, it shows pretty conclusively that the fire was the work of an incendiary.
The factory burned was erected last June by Messrs. Frank M. Goodall and David R. Mohler and has been run ever since and was doing a good business. The loss on the building amounts to about $800 and the value of the stock was between $5000 and $6000. The building and stock was insured for $2700. This will put their loss at about $3500.
The damages to the other buildings were slight and can be easily repaired. A large quantity of damaged chewing and smoking tobacco were raked from the ruins after the fire was somewhat abated. The factory will, we understand be rebuilt, at least not here in Marion. The fire of the evening before it shows pretty conclusively that the fire was the work of an incendiary.
The factory burned was erected last June by Messrs. Frank Goodall and David Mohler and has been run ever since and was doing a good business. The loss on the building amounts to about $800 and the value of the stock was between $5000 and $6000. The building and stock was insured for $2700. This will put their loss at about $3500. The damages to the other buildings were slight and can be easily repaired.
(Extracted from the Marion Monitor and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us/ )