Praise for firemen of Marion and adjacent communities who joined in fighting the Goodall Hotel fire early Tuesday was voiced by John B. Tetlow of Peoria, field representative of the Merchants Fire Insurance Company. Mr. Tetlow was among the guests in the hotel who fled from the fire, and lost part of his clothing when the building was destroyed. Discussing the fire afterwards with insurance men and other local citizens, he declared the fire department should be congratulated for the fight it made against the fire. He expressed the opinion that the battle against the fire would not have been handled more efficiently by the fire department in Peoria. Fire Chief Orley Ing and Assistant Jake Perry remained on duty throughout Tuesday after their night battle with flames and smoke. Ing was forced to bed during the afternoon, and received medical treatment for his eyes, which suffered from the intense heat during the fire. One eye was burned, and he suffered much pain, but was up and out again within a short time. A heavy part of the fire fighting was also borne by volunteers who braved danger and underwent hardships. Chief Ing recalled the names of Carl Sorgen, Paul Smothers and Delmar Fluck among those who went to the assistance of firemen at various times while Volunteer Firemen James Anderson, Clarence Goddard, Ed Dearing and Vernon Wheeler were among those in the thick of the fight.

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