The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-05-21
MILTON IN ASHES.
Loss ABOUT S2.OOO.OOO.

One of the most destructive fires that has
ever afflicted any community occurred last
Friday at Milton.
The fire was first discovered about half
past II o'clock in the boiler house of the
main workshop in Murray, Dugsl & Cos
Car and Bridge Works. There was strong
Northwest wind blowing at the time, which
famed the flames to such an extent that they
were soon beyond control and began spread
ing rapidly. Lawson's Machine Works,
which were close to the car works, were soon
blazing, and the authorities, seeing the Fire
Department was unable to cope with the
flames, telegraphed for assistance. The course
| taken by the fire was from the Susquehanna
| river bridge, on Front street to Broadway,
the main thoroughfare, and on through the
town, destroying in its way the Academy of
Music, the Armory, the Presbyterian and
other churches, the Adams and Philadelphia
| and Reading Express Offices, Western Union
Telegraph Office, Philadelphia and Erie pas
senger depot, the Miltouan and Indepedent
news paper offices, the gas works, all the
hotels, banks, places of business, stores, fac
tories, tanneries and workshops, rendering
about fifteen hundred people homeless most
of whom that night had to sleep in the open
air. Some, however, were provided with
tents The Reading Railroad depot and
telegraph office, on the opposite side of the
river, were not damaged. The Western
Union men saved nothing but their books
A clear swath of about one mile long and a
half to three quarters of mile wide was
burned through the place. The greatest ex-
citement prevailed. The citizens of Danville
and Willamsport were first to respond to
the wants of the people, train containing
goods reaching Milton from these points at
$50 o'clock that night. Governor Hoyt
cities asking them to furnish aid to the
stricken families.
The fire reached its worst phase about 8
o'clock, when the town presented the ap-
pearance of sea of flames. Among the
residences destroyed were those Of ex-Gover
nor Pollock and the late VIM. Cameron,
brother of General Simon Cameron. All the
hotels in the town, except frame building,
and all the churches, except the Episcopal "a
small edfice, and about 100 business houses
were destroyed, many of which were large
and costly. The churches were the Presby-
terian, Baptist, Catholic, German Reformed
Methodist, Evangelist, Lutheran and Cow
enanter, involving loss of 100000 in
church property alone The hotels were the
United States, Huff House and Broadway,
worth about 100000. The most costly bull
dings destroyed were the car works and Re-
ber's tannery, valued at 100000 The in.
surance on the car shops is s75, 900, and on
the tannery $4,000. Altogether about 45O
buildings, comprising two-thirds of the
town, are in ashes. The insurance on these
properties is about 100000, representing
onethird of the loss. The following named
companies suffer by the fire. Fire Associa
ton, Franklin, North American, Pennsyl.
vania, Girard and America, all of Phila-
delphia Farmers, of New York, Mutual,
of Danville; London Liverpool and Globe;
Germania and Watertown, New York, and
Lycoming. The latter loses nearly 500, 900.
Only three business houses of the one hun
dred in the town are standing and only one OF
any consequence-Wilson's fly net factory.
The rolling mill and nail factory, two grist
| mills aud two planning mills, in the suburbs
we're saved. The Milton National and First
National banks were destroyed and all the
printing aud newspaper offices. The prop
erty burned represented in value about four
fifths of the entire Milton proper. A man
named ]. Angeny, aged about sixty years,
was overcome by the smoke and heat
and burned to death. He was found
in an alley burned in frightful manner.
He was an inmate of the Poor-bouse. Many
of the families who have been rendered
homeless are camping on Aliens Island,
opposite the town. Others passed the
night in open fields and ether exposed points
The large number of sufferers are being
sheltered in Lewisburg and other surroun-
ding towns, while the citizens whose houses
escaped are doing all they can to accommodate
the homeless, Provisions are being sent in
from all directions, and are being distributed
from three points in the town. Large guam
titles of household goods were loaded
on cars and taken up and down the road,
and the fields around the town were hlled
with yoods. During the confusion many