New-York tribune., 1896-08-27
FIFTEEN HUNDRED HOMELESS
THE DESTRUCTION OF ONTONAGoS.
MICH. COMPLETE.
MANY PEOPLE MISSING SINCE THE FIRy WIPED
OUT THE ILL-FATED Town DIAMOND
MArcu COMpANYs LOas.


MATCH CoMPANYs LOSS.
Green Rav Wis. Aug. 9-Ontonagon. Mich. was
entirely destroyed by fire. excepting twelve dwell.
ing-houses In the extreme eastern part OF the vi
laee There are innumerahlo persons missing. and
ronor,s are that several have perished These re-
norts arc not as yet verified. however. and Il h
hoped that the missing ones are being cared for
and sheltered in farmhouses. l. w. Hight Presi
dent OF the village telegraphed an appeal TO Super
intendent Minturn of the Chicago Milwaukee and
St Paul Company for tents. provisions. etc. for
40 people this morning Mr. Minturn Immediately
rcpeated the messages 10 the Mayors Of all The
cities in this part Of the State carload OF sup
plies was collected In this city In less than an hour
from the time the message was received by Mr..
Mlnturn and shipped to Rockland small place
out of Ontonagon where the sufferers are gathered
The main street of Ontonagon had six blocks of
solid business buildings. The village proper was
between eight and nine blocks long and from four
teen to fifteen blocks wide.
The ruin involves the extensive numbering and
box manufacturing plant OF the Diamond Match
Company an establishment alone worth upward OF
100000. Ontonagon is the county seat OF onions-
gon County and the oldest settlement In the copper
district Its population is about 1900 II t. The
Lake Superior terminus OF the Chicago. Milwaukee
and St Paul Railroad system Yesterdays ca'as-
trophe began with the small fires in the swamp
Just south OF the town. 10 which no attention was
IA : Il
Yesterday morning the wind freshencd to a sale
from the south tho swamp fires were driven into
the lumber piles and lcfOre effective defence could
be made the flames were beyond control ana drV-
ing straight for tho village az a rate 80 RAPID mat
nothing was thought OF but the salvation OF human
lives In response to appeals the railroad COM
panles sent all available engines and cars. The
chicago Milwaukee and ST. Paul Railroad trans
oored the homeless Teoplo TO Rockland tn box cars.
where they obtained shelter.
The loss will aggregate several million do"'n'
and n is doubtful II tho mills destroyed VIII ever
he rebuilt as nearly all the pine In that county
has been cut The town has or had "A system of
waterworks. but n appears TO have bccom" ds-
abIed early and OF little use In hghting tho
fire Many OF the people lost all they possessed
and are not only homeless. but ponniless as weii'
and will have TO receive outside assistance or
suffer from cold and hunger this winter. onto
naeon was the oldest town in tho Upper Peninsula
Among the heavy losers the following Sar-
gent Gennngs Gilkey. of Oconto' lumber loss
500 coo: Louis Reidenger OF Marquette. lumber
s25 900: James Norton Of Ewing. lumber. 5000;
D. j. Norton. of Ewing. lumber SovD' william
McFarlan OF Bruce's Crossing. lumber. Nov'.
Lowe House four-story hotel $1,000; Centennial
Hotel. 5000: Paul House. 5000; John Ha~leys
store s2GCO Bank OF Ontonagon. 5000: chicago
Milwaukee and ST. Paul. station; postohc.. COURT
house Jail and schoolhouse $1,000, James Mercer
warehouse. dock and coal sheds, &Or". i ne INTO
nagon Miner" newspaper. $50; The Ontonason
Herald" newspaper. $500
The waterworks and Government breakwater are
seriously damaged. The number Of houses reported
dcstroyed is 500 The property loss In Ontonagon
itself independent Of the destruction OF the Da-
mond Match Company plant. Is Ss"t"l ,-
The insurance on the lumber az onioalgon IS 49,
500: on all the other property, S9N"H Inc business
and residence property well Insured As the -)s
sunport OF the town the Diamond Ma ch COM
nanv its future depends upon the course that COM
many will take The consensus OF opinion - that the
company will abandon the place. The. match com.
nanys property was valued az 900 0o0 and consisted
of store and merchandise worth $1,000. sawmll and
box factory. with machinery. worth SDeo. ana lun'
Der. worth 100000.
Great forest fires are reported In the yicln'iy or
Trout Creek and the mills OF the Trout Creek l.un-
her COMPANY with 1000 900 feet OF lumber. were re-
ported in great danger and could only be saved by
Change in the wind. That occurred about sundo"n
was that the place is safe. though fires are burning
all around 1t.
Chicago Aug 26.-At the office OF Moore Bros.
agents OF the Diamond Match Company 1t was sih
this morning that the losses sustained al Onionagon
| Mlch by that company covered by insurance
policies for s1s5 500 mills machine shops dry Nlns
stock etc ard 5000 500 lumber and stock In store
The logs belonging TO the company In that locay are
I'm the river three miles from the place "nere me
| fire occurred ,.
| Regarding reports that the fire might Interfere win
the settlement OF its financial obligations. the stdl
| ment was made that the company has an inventory
of nearly 5000 900 outside Of this plant. and can rla
its business successfully on an inventory or s-'yup
II has hand enormous stocks OF lumber raw ma
| terill matches. ETC. free from Indebtedness iheIr
is therefore no ground for reports OF nnancal en-
barrassment on account Of the losses AZ oh'ohdsoh