The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-08-29
The Fire Company Was Utterly
Unable to Cope With the
Furious Flames.
A Terrific Wind Storm Was Rag
ing--PeOple Had to Flee
For Their Lives.
Appeals for Aid Receiving Prompt
Attention by the People Of
Various Towns.

uC OCdulllul NllidSS vi oitoid-
gon is now one mass of ruins, and
as near as can be ascertained the
people were unable to save any
thing from the raging flames. The
fire occurred Tuesday. The follow
ing facts are taken from dispatch
to the Mining Journal OF Wednesday:
"Ontonagon, Mich. was destroyed
by fire Tuesday afternoon. The city
had "a population of about two
thousand, and only few houses are
left standing. Among the property
destroyed is the extensive plant OF
the Diamond Match company and
65, 600, 900 feet Of lumber in the
yards. No lives are reported lost.
Communication was cut off at pm.
Fire had been burning in the
woods southwest of the town for
two weeks. 1t was nearly out when
southwest gale swept the flames
upon the town. At noon it was
seen that the city was doomed. A
message was sent Superintendent
Minturn of the ST. Paul road at
Green Bay, asking for a train to
take the people away. The operator
P, who sent the message was driven
away from his instrument by the
burning of the building.
A train was ordered from Pori.
twenty-six miles south. The train
reached Ontonagon and took load
OF people to Rockland, ten miles
away. At ) O'Clock the flames had
swept through the main part of the
town, destroying all the business
houses. many residences, the match
company's mills, water works,
electric light plant, court house, Jail,
etc. The flames then worked up the
river to the windward of the city
! and destroyed the rest of the resi-
| dences,
The operator who left his instru-
ment, which had been temporarily
put up, said nothing could save the
| town from utter annihilation; that
unless the wind went down by dark
every house would be destroyed.
And the wind did not subside At
midnight the entire city was practi-
cally in ashes, and 1000 people
homeless and without clothing or
shelter. OF this number 300 are
in actual want.
HoUGHToN, Mich, Aug. 26fAeThe
fire which destroyed Ontonagon
originated in neighboring swamps.
A forty-mile gale from the west
sent the flames into the planning
mills, box factory and dry kilns of
the Diamond Match company. From
them they descended on the business
and residence quarters of the town
and finally lodged in IS, 600, 900 feet
of,the Diamond Match company S
sawed lumber. Barely a dozen
houses in the outskirts of the city
remain standing. Hardly one per-
son in twenty saved any of their eff
fects. About 800 men, women and
children are left without food or
shelter, and many insufficiently
clothed suffered severely Tuesday
night. The loss to the Diamond
Match company in mills and other
buildings is nearly $1,000, 900, and
in lumber nearly Sl,0OO,OO The
loss on the balance of the village is
50, ,000, 900; insurance light, Pro
visions and tents have been for
warded for the homeless.
COUNTING THE COST.
Time enough has elapsed since the
confiagration for the underwriters
to begin to count the cost The
Diamond Match company was the
heaviest loser, but probably at the
same time the best protected by in
surance. According to the state
ments of insurance men the concern
was underwritten for S427 900. OF
this sum 5000, 900 was on the mills,
store building and stock, and the
balance on the lumber. All the in
surance of the Diamond Match Co.
at Ontonagon was controlled and
and handled through the agency oi
Joseph Flesheim, of Menominee. A
part of the business he placed will
Marquette agencies G. H. Call 4
Co. had written Sl5, 500, opportione(
among their companies as follows