Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-05-15
MILTON DEsrROYED.


A Pennsylvania Town Wiped Ost.
A Call Upon Lanoasssr For Aid.
The town of Milton, in Northumberland
county, which has . population Of about
three thousand, sustained loss yesterday
of one million and half dollars by fire,
homeless fifteen hundred people.
roof of the frame shop connected with the
Joining the Philadelphia and Erie railroad,
and in few moments the whole building
was ablaze. In less than an hour four of
the main buildings of the works were de
streyed, involving a loss of at least one
hundred thousand dollars. The wind was
blowing briskly from the north, and house
after house yielded to the flames, and last
evening at o'clock about six hundred
buildings were in ruins as the result of the
conflagration.
Word was promptly sent to Williamsport,
Sunbury, Lewisburg, Danville and other
towns for assistance, and steam engines
came in response as soon as the railroad
companies could offer transportation but
the fire had gained such . headway that
they could accomplish very little good.
The flames, famed by a strong wind, spread
with marvellous rapidly, scarcely leaving
house standing in the pathway. The fire
reached its worst phase at o'clock, when
the town presented the appearance of sea
of flame.
Among the residences destroyed were
those of Ex-Governor Pollock and the late
William Cameron, brother of General
Simon Cameron. All the hotels in the
town, except a frame building, and all the
churches, except the Episcopal, small
edificc together with one hundred busi-
ness: houses, were destroyed, many of which
were large and costly. The churches we're
the Presbyterian, Baptist, Catholic, Ger.
man Reformed, Methodist, Evangelical
Lutheran and Covenanter, involving loss
Of 500, 900 in church property alone. The
hotels were the United States, Huff house
and Broadway, worth about 5000 The
most costly buildings destroyed were the
car works and Reber's tannery, valued at
5000, 1000. The insurance on the car works
is So, 900 and on the tannery $45, 900. AL
together six hundred buildings, compris-
ing two thirds in the town, were burned.
The insurance on these properties is about
$500, 900, representing e-third of the ell
tire loss. The following named insurance
companies suffer by the fire: Fire Associa-
tion, Franklin, North America, Pennsyl-
vania, Girard and American, all Of Phila-
delphia Farmers, of York; Mutual, OF
Danville Etna and Phoenix, of Hartford
London, Liverpool and Globe; Germania
and Watertown, New York, and Lycom
ing. The latter loses nearly $1OO, 900.
Only three business houses of the one
hundred in the town are standing, ano
only one of any consequence, Wilson S tiy
net factory. The rolling mill and mai
factory, two grist mills and two planning
mills in the suburbs have been saved. The
Milton national and First national banks
were destroyed and all the printing
and newspaper offices. The property
burned represented in value fOur-tilth:
of the entire amount in Milton proper
A man named j. Angerny, aged about u
years, was overcome by the smoke and
heat and burned to death. Ho was found
in an alley, burned in frightful manner
He was an inmate of the poor house
Many of the families who have been rem
dered homeless are camping on Allen''
island, opposite this town. Others ART
passing the night in the fields and othe
exposed points. The larger number of tn
sufferers are being sheltered in Lewisburg
and other surrounding towns, while citizen
of the Observation-Disclosures all theycan t.
accommodate the homeless. Provisions ar
coming in from all directions and last nigh
were distributed from three points ii
the town. The fire is still burning, but i
can do no further harm. The territor.
burned over is about mile in length ant
a quarter of a mile in width.
The course of the fire was in 4 sOutherl
direction. Among the first buildings afte
the car works were enveloped in flame
was the German Reformed church. about
two hundred yards from the point wher
the fire originated, the steeple catching
from a spark. All buildings from Mahon
ing street, on Front, to the Reading rail
road, distance of a quarter of a mile. ant
from the car shops north, half mile, ar
saved. In the borough proper only tift
buildings are standing. Following is
list of buildings insured to the amount 0
1000 and upward, as near as can be ascer
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