The $10,000 Fire. About 2 o’clock, Saturday night, an alarm was turned on this slumbering city and the citizens awoke to see flames arising from the Goodall House, a $5,000 brick on the north side of the square, on the east side of North Market Street.

The fire started in Lipstadt’s clothing store and had gained such a head way when discovered that not a garment of the stock could be saved. Smoke awoke the occupants of the Goodall Hotel and many of them had no time to secure all their clothing.

The entire building was doomed and the only property in it that was saved was most of the stock of Barham’s Saloon and a part of the furniture in the hotel. The fire soon precluded all efforts to save the effects in that house and all attention was turned to saving the Spieldoch building just east of it, and only five feet away. It called for heroic work but the safety of the city demanded it, and willing hands were numerous. Had the Spieldoch building burned it would have been impossible to save the east side of the square and all south of there to the city limits, as a stiff north wind was blowing.

The Bucket Brigade turned out in full, and 150 buckets were carrying a continual stream of water to confine the flames to the Goodall House. Inside the Spieldoch building was a terrible place to stay, full of smoke, heat and danger, but determined men under the direction of Mayor Holland, Ex-Sheriff Parke, Shannon Holland, City Marshal Davis and J.D. Pulley fought back the flame, and saved the buildings with the water the faithful Bucket Brigade furnished. It was a grand fight well thought.

The losses are about as follows: Frank Goodall, building $5,000, insured by T.J. Binkley $5,000, B. Lipstadt, clothing store, covered by $2,500 insurance with Dee Hartwell and $500 with T.J. Binkley, Tony Pickard & Scurlock barber shop, insurance $200, Scurlock’s tools $75 no insurance, Claudel Barham $600 saloon stock, no insurance, Barham & Broad, hotel furnishings $300, no insurance, Frank Goodall, piano and furniture, $300 no insurance.

Several guests and boarders at the hotel lost clothing not insured; Geo. Dietrich got his clothes but left his pocket book under his pillow and John Spiller lost some sleep.

(Extracted from the Egyptian Press and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us/ )