Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-09-03
ONTONAGON IN ASHES.
+ orest Fires Wipe Out a Lake
Superior Town.
Only q Dozen Houses Left Standing.
Thousand People Homeless.

the village ana waste OF aSneS anu
charred timbers are all that is left to
mark the site of this, one of the pioneer
towns of the Lake Superior copper dis
trict.
Forest fires had been smouldering in
this region for several weeks, but they
are common to this season of the year
and little attention was paid to them.
Ontonagon felt even more secure than
Rockland or any Of the other places In
the district for the reason that it was q
very old town and had the double pro-
lection of complete fire fighting OUTFIT
maintained by the Diamond Match com
pany to protect its plant valued at mil
lions of dollars and also a good volunteer
fire department.
About noon the wind began to rise and
by 2 o'clock it was blowing gale and
the smaller vessels on Lake Superior
were scudding to the shelter of Ontona-
gon bay. 1t was quickly seen that the
famed into a wall of fire, right into the
yards of the Diamond Match company.
No alarm was given for none was needed;
and ready to fight the names.
The people waited until the last mo-
ment, when pieces of burning boards
from the mill yards were carried all over
Tue NllldSe Dy u forty -Hlle-aH-nour Sa!e,
setting houses on fire in all parts of the
place: Then the mad flight began.
There was not even time to pack up
valuables and load them on wagons.
Many people rushed for those docks
which had not already been destroyed
and went out into the lake, there to
watch the destruction of their homes.
The only place, of safety for the rest was
up the railroad track towards Sidnaw.
BY 5 o'clock the destruction of the vii
lage was complete, and not a soul re-
manned in the town proper. Prior to
abandoning his post at the railway depot
the operator had sent out an appeal for
aid. The regular train headed this
way was caught at Pori., The engineer
was told to disregard schedule and get
to Rockland as quickly as possible. He
carried out his instructions and the train
came flying into this station ahead of
time. From here towards OntonaSon
progress was Slow, owing to the dense
smoke. but the engineer managed to
set within about n mile of the doomed
village. The train picked up all the
brought tIeni to his Ills plSte, Where they
were made as comfortable for the night
as the limited Accommodations of the
hamlet would permit,
Many pathetic as well us heartrendins
incidents took pllpE The infant child
q Ms: Mchtrmid died and at almost
tho E1A'Ie instant the house took fire
from the flying brands. Snatching the
dead body of her babe from its bed, the
grief stricken woman fed to the streets,
where she rushed wildly about until per-
suaded to leave the child in the Catholic
church. She deposited her precious bur-
den at the foot of the altar, hastily
breathed a short prayer before the i'm
age Of the virgin and had barely time to
get out before the church was in flames
and the remains of her little one were
cremated.
A Swedish family wandered about
with little white coffin in which was
the corpse of child that had died the
day before. They finally made a rude
grave for it at the waters edge and Eext
day took it up and buried it in the ceme-
terry.
Many Deeds of Heroism.
There were many deeds of hcroism.
the most notable being the conduct of
Duncan Beveredse and James Redpath,
desperate murderers confined in the
Ontonagon county Jail. When the heat
became so intense and flying brands
were falling everywhcre, prisoners in
the county jail begged piteously, to- be
taken to a place of safety. Sheriff Cor
bctt was out of town. and his deputies
Jail Mrs. Corbett. her mother, Mrs,
Emmons, and three small children were
alone in charge of the jail They called
in the marshal Of the village and be-
sought him to take the prisoners away,
but he declined on the ground that he
had no authority. Mrs. Corbett said
that under. 70 circumstances would she
done for the prisoners, whereupon the
marshal consented to take Beveredge
and Redpath in charge But no hand
cuffs could be found and they were taken
out unmanaclrd.
The marshal evidently was confused,
for after wandering aimlessly about with
his prisoners for some time. he told them
babe them look out for themselves. Bev-
eredge and Redpath Immediately re-
turned to the Jail, where women still re-
manned with third prisoner, though the
structure was already on fire. Hastily
setting the other prisoner free, Redpath
took the arm of Mrs. Emmons, who is an
elderly woman and needed assistance,
and Beveredge picked up two of the
smallest of the children, and with Mrs.
Corbett clinging to his arm they fled.
Mrs. Corbett had availed herself of the
interim to dress the children and herself
in their best clothes and these with a few
trinkcts and a quilt which was an heir
loom in Mrs. Emmons' family was all
the personal effects they saved.
Their escorts took them to the house
of a farmer two miles distant and re-
turned to the burning town, where they
exerted themselves almost desperately in
aiding others to escape, themselves re-
ceiving severe blisters from the heat and
several times having their clothing set
on fire. Yesterday morning after the
return of Sheriff Corbett they reported
to him, but were simply told to be ready
whenever wanted, which they promised.
The Losses.
The heaviest loss falls on the Diamond
Match company, whose plant was valued
at $1,OO0,000, with insurance of SAT-
500. The losses of the townspeople will
foot up to 100000, with insurance of
less than one-third.
The most discouraging feature of the
situation is that the Diamond Match
company probably will not rebuild, and
MS it was practically the only industry.
it will give the town it's death blow.
Ontonagon, Mich, Aug. $3.50 far ms
known only one person persisted in the
fire. This was Mrs. Pierk, an aged
German woman.
Relief work is web under way and the
people are fairly comfortable. Cars of
provisions are coming in from oil places
>o:~