Firemen From Area Fight Fire
Fire this morning caused extensive damage to the Eagles Hall building, 612 ½ N. Market, but an intensive firefighting effort prevented the blaze from spreading.
Carl Armes, Eagles secretary, estimated the damage at about $40,000.
The fire was reported at 7:15 a.m. and about an hour later it was under control.
Firefighting equipment from six towns, Carbondale, Harrisburg, Herrin, West Frankfort, Benton and Marion was used. Carterville and Johnston City sent firemen to Marion.
There were no injuries.
Firemen checked the blaze before it spread next door to an auto body shop owned by Mayer Brothers and the Kaeser Lumber Co., two businesses to the south.
Fire Chief James C. Dungey said the fire apparently started in the furnace room in the back of the building and spread up a stairway to the second floor. Most of the fire was confined to the rear portion of the building, but the entire interior received heavy smoke and water damage.
Lucille Campell, employee of Campbell’s Coffee Shop, across the street from the Eagles, said that Walter Kaeser, who was having breakfast, noticed smoke coming from the back of the building and she telephoned the fire department.
West Frankfort’s $80,000 snorkel was put into use for the second time in Williamson County this week. The first time was Monday night in the Johnston City business district fire.
Equipment was taken from the body shop and Kaeser employees removed records from the lumber building just as a precautionary measure.
Dungey praised the efficient work of all the firemen, who prevented total destruction of the 56 year old structure and kept the blaze from spreading.
Kenneth Sims of Kaeser described the effort as an “excellent job.”
None of the Eagles records were lost.
(Marion Daily Republican, January 8, 1971)