1956, September 27 – Follow Up Report on Heyde Fire

Owners of the TVW Men’s Clothing Store which was destroyed in the Heyde building fire Sept. 18 announced Thursday that the store will re-open immediately in a new location. The new home of the TVW store is at 114 East Main Street in the remodeled building recently occupied by the Sears store and Ted’s Sport Store.

The TVW owners, Ralph Thaxton, Virgil Vinson and Virgil Wilson, purchased the sports store from Carl Absher and took possession Thursday. They have disposed of the sports goods stock and will begin installing their men’s wear stock at once. At the time of the fire, TVW was receiving daily shipments of new fall goods which have been stored in local warehouses awaiting the re-opening.

These stocks can be placed in the new location at once, and additional shipments from clothing manufacturers are expected in time to have the new, modern store completely stocked by about the middle of October. Wednesday, February 6, 1957: Fed by exploding gasoline tanks, a fire swept through the H & H Garage and Body Shop at 1001 S. Court Street after 5 pm yesterday, leaving behind a mass of ruins with damage estimated at more than $50,000.

Nearly 20 cars and trucks in and near the garage were destroyed or damaged by the blaze, which brought fire departments from Johnston City, Carbondale, West Frankfort and Herrin. Kenneth Blackman of Creal Springs, who had been leasing the front half of the building, had bought the structure only Monday from Jack Parks. The building and contents were a complete loss. Blackman, who said the building was only partially covered by insurance, did not decide immediately whether or not he would rebuild. The building alone was valued at $15,000-$20,000.

Many expensive tools were destroyed in the blaze. About eight persons were in the building when the fire broke out shortly after 5. Blackman said the fire started when a spark from a cutting torch touched off gasoline leaking from a truck. A half dozen fire extinguishers were used in trying to confine the blaze. Efforts were also made to pull the blazing truck outside, but the attempt failed as flames ignited a saddle tank on the truck. Marion firemen Lonnie Dungey and Bob Cash answered the alarm and summoned the other Marion firemen and volunteers and fire departments from nearby towns.

Two lines of hose were laid, but the fire spread quickly from vehicle to vehicle, igniting gasoline tanks as it went. In less than an hour the building and contents were complete losses. Big steel beams were twisted by the intense heat. The fire spread so rapidly that few of the cars parked nearby could be saved. Most of them had been locked for the night. One man, Wavell Burton, West Frankfort was injured in the blaze.

Burton, who was in a used car business with Blackman, was cut on the leg by glass as he kicked out windows of some of the cars in an effort to save them. “I was sitting in the front office,” said Burton. “When the fire broke out the cars were already locked. The only way I could move them was to break out the glass. We were able to move away some of the cars parked in front, but couldn’t save a pickup truck parked in the front office. “I didn’t know I was hurt,” said Burton, “until I felt blood in my boots.” He was taken to the Marion Memorial Hospital where several stitches were taken in his right leg. He was then released.

Robert Parks, Marion, who along with Harry Keasler, Marion, operated a body shop in the rear half of the building, said he was working in the back when the fire started. “We were getting ready to close,” said Parks. “We had about seven cars inside and some others parked next to the building.” He said he had a total loss, which would be partially covered by insurance. Parks, whose brother was a former owner of the building, is a nephew of Jack Parks, who sold the building this week. Nearly 20 school buses parked on a lot just north of the blaze, were moved to safety and for some time firemen thought flames might thought flames might destroy the Unit 2 School Bus garage.

Two workers at the school bus garage, Guy Chamness and Hartwell Onstott, both of Marion, said spectators aided in removing tools and other equipment from their garage. “I’ve never seen so much stuff moved so fast,” commented Chamness who added, “and they helped us put it back inside after the fire was over. The only thing left in the building was the furnace.”

Fire broke out all the windows of the bus-garage and ignited the roof. “A shift in the wind saved us,” said Chamness. The Almond Cox home just south of the H and H Garage caught fire but firemen confined damage to one corner. The school buses had been threatened a few months ago by a fire at the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company to the south.

Marion Fire Chief Herman May said that an official estimate was not immediately available. He said spectators did not interfere with the fire fighting and some volunteered their help. May had special praise for the Marion Sea Scout Ship members who aided in traffic directing and the picking up of the hose. More than a dozen men were employed in the combination garage which was constructed about 20 years ago.

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(Extracted  from local newspapers and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us )

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