Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-27
ONTONAGON FIRE
The Flaming Visitation Of Tues.
day Spares Nothing.
A PROPERTY LOSS d 100000.
Eighteen Hundred Men, Women and
Children Without Food
ard Shelter.

ahe Michigan Town Completely Wiped
Out-The Diamond Match Company's
Big Plant Destroyed, the Loss Being
Fully s2,OOO,OOO-Five Hundred Resi-
dences and All the Towns Business
Blocks Des:royed-People Escape with
Only Their Wearing Apparel Com.
munication Not Yet Established.
Houghton, Mich, Aug. 27.-A fire burn
Ing in the swamp just south of the big
mills of the Diamond Match company, at
Ontonagon, was driven into the mill yards
at : clock Tuesday afternoon by a sharp
southwesterly wind. which an hour later
developed into a gale. blowing forty miles
IN hour. Despite all efforts of the fire de-
rartment and mill hands both mills speed
lily caught fire, the flames communicating
with the planning mill. box factory and en-
ormous dry kilns Of the match company,
then descending upon the business and
residence quarter and lodging in the Co.
Ov,Ooo feet of sawed lumber on the docks.
The Destruction Is Complete.
The destruction of the village was COM
p!cte. Scarcely "A dozen houses in the
suburbs are standing. The onslaught of
the flames was so sudden that barely one
person in twenty succeeded in saving u
stick of furniture or more than the clothes
worn. The heat from the mills, lumber
and rows of wooden buildings was SO in
tense that the people barely escaped with
their lives. OF the many reported missing
last night only u half-do2cn are still unac-
counted for
Over 1,SOO People Without Food.
The people are huddlel under trees and
driftwood along the lake shore. Some
have gone to Rockland, fifteen miles dis
tant, the nearest hamlet. Ali wires are
down between Rockland and Ontonagon
There are 800 men, women and children
at Rockland without food and forty miles
distant from the ne ircst town of any i'm
portance. Many are insutficiently clothed
| and suffered from last nights exposure
The Diamond Match company lost two
fine sawmills. with daily capacity of
$4,000 feet, and other mills and build
ings, worth nearly 81 900, go, and lumber
worth Sy.o,dU0. Insurance to the extent of
500, 90 was carried.
List of the Heaviest Losers.
Besides the Diamond Match company
other large losers are: Sargent, Gennings
| q Giikey, of Oconto, lumber loss SlOO,-
900; Louis Reidengcr. of Marquette, lum-
| Der on dock, So 600: james Norton, of
Ewing, lumber on dock. $4,000; ID. j.
Norton, Of Ewing. lumber On dock, Slo,-
600; William McFarlan of Bruce's cross
| ing, sumber on dock. $1,000; Lowe house,
| fouiVtory hotel, $1,000; Centennial hotel,
| 5000; Paul house, 5000: John Hawley' S
big store, total loss, so, 600; Bank of On
| tonagon, 5000; Chicago, Milwaukee and
| ~. Paul station, loss unknown; postoflice,
court house. Jail and school house, $50,
go; James Mercer : large warehouse. dock
and coal sheds, s5o.'Oo; government break.
water and water works and 800 residences
| the loss on which will he many thousands
of dollars, swelling the total loss TO nearly
| Si,DJ,UD.
| The Fire Is still Burning.
Fire is still burning in lumber piles and
1t is impossible to 90 among the ruins be-
cause Of the smoldcring fires still burning
| Houghton and Hancock are raising pro
| visions and clothing to go there ut once
Provisions and money are badly needed
| Iclcgraphic communication has not yet
been established with Ontonagon and dc
tails of the fire which wiped that village
out of existence Tuesday are still lacking
| Relief measure are under way