Coover Bros. Farm Implement Burns

On August 19, 1931 at 10:45 p.m. firemen were sent to the Coover Bros. Farm Implement building at 17-19 East Burd Street for a building fire. When firemen arrived the century old frame building was heavily involved in flames. It was feared that a major conflagration would occur as the area was tightly packed with frame buildings. The calm night along with firemen arriving quickly and getting five hose lines in service right away averted the disaster. Once the lines were deployed firemen worked on removing cars from nearby frame garages and vehicles from the implement buildings. By midnight the blaze was under control. At 11 :20 p.m. borough fire chief Burkholder had the area roped off and ordered everyone except firemen to stay behind the rope. To enforce the order water was thrown from a stream on anyone that disobeyed the order. An excited citizen phoned the Franklin firefighters in Chambersburg and summoned them to the scene, they arrived in Shippensburg and were sent home by chief Burkholder. One fireman Samuel Railing suffered an electrical shock when a live power line fell. The fire was caused when wiring on an old truck shorted out. The building and most of it's contents were destroyed with damaged estimated at $25,000. After the fire was extinguished and firemen left the scene two former firefighters Anson Goodhart and Leighton Hargleroad were said to have come to blows over what they thought caused the fire. The Vigilant Hose and Cumberland Valley Hose companies responded to the call and remained on the scene almost the entire night.