Fire destroys big fire trap. North Market Street has lost one of her sorest eye-sores. It wasn’t the will of the city or it wasn’t the will of the owner of the property, but the city has lost the historic old landmark just the same. Flames Monday night about 12 o’clock, did what the city has put off doing – fire burned almost to the ground, the old row of frame shacks located just south of the old Gent hotel building on the west side of North Market St. Thus did the building through sheer kind heartedness on the part of the city daddlings finally and at last, fill the ignoble grave that the building inspector and the fire committee tried to save it from.
The fire broke out at 11:50 Monday night. There is a slight difference as to the place of origin – some claiming that the first glare was seen through the windows of Walter Stone’s small “one minute” quick meal or lunch stand and others claiming that the first sign was to be found at the rear and over the rear of the Italian fruit stand. It matters not where it originated.
It did its work well in spite of the fire department’s seven hours work and the three big powerful streams of water that they played on it continually. The wall of the lower story on the south side was left standing. All the wall of the two stories on the north side was left standing. The livery stable building at the rear is there to be seen in parts.
The loss is as complete as it the whole thing had been eaten up by the flames. The firemen worked in an effort to save the adjoining buildings and they were successful. It was the best fire fighting that the city of Marion has ever seen.
The building was owned by George C. Heyde and the total valuation was about $3,500 and he carried $1,500 insurance.
C.L. Mosely’s store is practically a total loss. His stock was worth $1000 to $1500 and his insurance was for $1000. J.M. Jones carried stock worth about $1000 and had $700 insurance.
Walter Stone’s stock was worth about $200 and he had $150 insurance. Dominick Faraci, who operated the fruit stand, is in St. Louis and the valuation of his belongings is not now known. His father stated the following morning that he had no I and worked insurance and he cried while he talked about it. A search was made among the insurance agents of the city led to no discovery of Faraci having insurance. His stock was all burned up.
John Schaffer, who yet had control of the empty livery barn, had less than $100 in buggy tops stored there. They all burned. John L. Jones, the furniture man has been keeping his delivery horse in one of the stalls of the empty stable. The animal frightened and would not come out when kind hearted ones at the risk of their own lives tried to save him. Assistant Fire Marshal Furlong was overcome while trying to rescue the animal. Ray Ashby and Clyde Gallagher tied a horse blanket over his head and managed to get him out after he had received some burns on his back which might have caused his death. The horse, a fine one was suffering great agony the following day.
Fire Marshal Curt Stilley and Assistant Wayne Furlong and two regular firemen, Mr. Van Meer and Ralph Jones worked for seven long wet and tiresome hours fighting the flames. They were assisted by a bunch of fellows who displayed remarkable nerve and bravery and all of whom deserve special praise. They were: William Lough, Doak Veach, Frank Veach, Mike Schaffle and Tom Berry. These fellows remained right by the side of the regular men and worked hard for hours. It was not until seven o’clock that morning that the water was turned off and the danger declared over.
The water and power people did themselves brown by furnishing the best power ever furnished at a fire. The pressure was so great that at four different times hose burst. The firemen kept three streams playing into the fire from the first.
The hard fight undertaken by Assistant Marshal Furlong to rescue the horse was the most thrilling feature of the fire. The fire originated near the animal’s stall and as soon as the department arrived the horse was found to be in immediate danger. Furlong, while others were hard at work making other hose connections attempted to fight back the flames and get the horse out. He fought the flames all right but the horse balked. He worked with him until he felt himself falling and then crawled out of the building. Others then turned their attention to the horse and by hard work he was at last saved. The moans of the horse as he was being burned filled hundreds with pity but for awhile it seemed that it was hopeless to rescue him.
The building destroyed has been standing there a great many years. It was one of the most familiar places in the city and with due respect to the owner, it was not much of a credit to the street or to the city, especially when compared with the several fine buildings that now stand in the neighborhood. Last season, the building inspector condemned it with a couple of other such places and later the fire committee of the council condemned it and it was ordered torn down. However when the owner approached the council on the matter the doomed building was given a respite.
It was ordered to be torn down on the coming April 1st. It would have been razed at the time if the fire on Monday night hadn’t concluded to do the job. Deputy State Fire Marshal Litton, when in the city recently inspected the building and was planning to order it torn down when he learned of the action of the council and that an order was now standing for the work to be done this spring. He then deferred action in the matter feeling that the city would look after it right.
The fire whistle brought out many from their homes to witness the fire and although it proved to be the “biggest” fire that Marion has had in many long days.
(Extracted from the Egyptian Press and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us/ )