The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-26

WIPED OUT By FIRE
Ontonagon. Mich, Destroyed
BY a Neglected Blaze
in a Swamp.
DIAMOND MATCH DISASTER
Factories, Vast Stores Of Lumber
and Five Hundred Dwellings
Destroyed Lives
Lost, Too.
M MATCH DISASTER

GREEN BAY. Wis, Aug. 2e, 1866 A.
M.-Ontonagon, Mich, was wiped out by
fire yesterday. Telegraphic communica-
ton, which was cut off at four O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. has at last been
made with this city. The fire has left
absolutely nothing of the town, and the
scene is one of abject horror. Two thous-
and people who were comfortably housed
Tuesday morning are now homeless and
without shelter or food. A message re-
cefved from the Mayor of O~ntonagon at
12:45 A. M. to the Mayor of Green Bay
asked for assistance, saying they wanted
tents and food for 1900 people
The ruin involves the extensive lumber
and box manufacturing plant of the Dia-
mond Watch Company, an establishment
alone worth upward of $1,000 900 and re-
ported to carry about $4,000 insurance
on lumber and plant. Ontonagon is the
county seat of Ontonagon County and the
oldest settlement in the copper district.
It's population is about 1000. 1t is the
Lake Superior terminus of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul Railroad system.
Yesterdays catastrophe began with the
small fires in the swamp just south of
town, to which no attention was paid, as
they were not considered dangerous. But
yesterday morning the wind freshened
to a gale from the south, the swamp fires
were driven into the seasoned lumber
piles in close proximity and before effec-
tive defence could be made the flames
were beyond control and driving straight
for the village at a rate so rapid that
nothing was thought of but the salvation
4 nf human 1txaa Tn acrpp Gd 10 rYpdaIc
the railroad companies sent all available
engines and cars. At -FOUR o'clock yes
terday afternoon the operators in the
telegraph offices were driven from their
keys, and as that office was centrally To-
Gated there can be no doubt that the en-
tire town was wiped out. The loss is we'll
covered by insurance and some COM
panies. notably the Mechanics of Milwau-
kee, are reported very heavy losers.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
Railroad transported the homeless people
to Rockland In box cars, where they were
given shelter. The loss will aggregate
several million dollars, and it is doubtful
if the mills destroyed will ever be rebuilt,
as nearly all the pine In that county has
been cut. The town has or had a sys-
tenn of waterworks, but it appears to have
become disabled early and was of little
use in fighting the fire. Many of the
people lost all they possessed in the fire
and are not only homeless but penniless
as well, and will nave to receive outside
assistance or suffer from cold and hum
ger this winter. Ontonagon was the old
est town in the Upper Peninsula.
Among the heavy losers are
Sargent, Jennings & Gilkey, of Oconto,
lumber loss, 500, 900.
Louis Reidenger. of Marquette, lum-
Der on dock, $25, 900.
James Norton, of Ewing, lumber on
D. j. Norton, of Ewing, lumber on
dock, 10000.
William McFarlan, of Bruce's Crossing,
lumber on dock, 10000.
Lowe House, four-story hotel, $4,000.
Centennial Hotel, $1,000.
Pau House, $1,000.
John Hawley's big store, total loss. $20.-
900.
Bank of Ontonagon. 5000.
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Pau de-
pot.
house, $50, 600.
James MERGERS large warehouse, dock
and Goa sheds. $4,000.
Ontonagon Miner" newspaper, $500.
Ontonagon Herald" newspaper, s.. 500.
Waterworks plant and government
breakwaters seriously damaged.
Number of residences reported de-
stroyed, 500.
The property loss in Ontonagon itself,
Independent of the destruction of the
Diamond Match Company, is $500. 900.
Great forest fires are reported In I'M the
the Trout Greek Lumber Company, with
10000 900 feet of lumber were reported in
danger and could only be saved by IA
| change in the wind. That occurred about
shutdown and light showers have since
| fallen. Nothing more being heard from
Trout Creek since, it is believed the place
is safe.
r.0Nrry1>~ r. - or aana -.
wood is completely surrounded by forest
fires. Many houses on the outskirts of the
city have already been damaged and the
fires are gaining ground rapidly. A high
wind is blowing and the whole city is en-
! veloped in dense smoke. The fire depart
ment and every available man are fight
ing the flames, but with poor success. No
rain has fallen here for six weeks and
| everything is as dry as finder and falls
an easy prey to the flames.
HURLEY Wis, Aug. rs, 1S96.-Forest
fires are burning on all sides of this
town, also at Gle, three miles west of
ries sparks long distances. 1t is hard to
tell what the consequences will be. The
twon is well supplied with fire apparatus.
Citizens are out in force and business is
suspended for fire fighting.
TIL fire is now within the town limits
and has burned a few small buildings.
can control it enough to make the town
safe. The Montreal River Lumber Com
pany's mill is threatened, but they will
probably be able to save their property.
Diamond Match,s Disaster.
CHICAGO, Aug. rs, 1S96.-James r.
Moore of the Diamond Match Co., was
found at his residence late last night.
His brother. William H. Moore, and the
chief agent of the Diamond Match Com
pany in the handling of its stock, was
not in the city: James H. Moore had not
heard of the fire at Ontonagon, ssaid:-
This is all news TO me. / have not had
a telegram from the town advising me of
the loss, and ] am unable to say what
1t IS. / do not know what the value of
| the plant of the company is there, nor
1 what insurance we carried. / could not
give the slightest estimate as to what
the loss is. All these details are known
to my brother and he is not in the city.
He can probably give some accurate
| figures, but l mo
exzuMn -e nupxnu~ n~~a~ - s,-Aasx.