| Fort Wayne Sentinel
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Wednesday, Aug 26, 1896
TOWN BURNED.
Only Fifteen Houses Remain to Mark the Site.
Ontonagon, Once the Home of a Prosperous, Happy People, Now a Heap of
Blackened Rubbish.
Green Bay, Wis., Aug. 26 --The entire city of Ontonagon, Mich., a thriving
place of 2,000 inhabitants, was swept from the face of the earth yesterday.
Ruin and desolation mark the spot where hundreds of cozy cottages, huge lumber
mills, business blocks and railroad buildings stood. The property loss is
fully $1,500,000. Ontonagon owed its existence to the Diamond Match
company, which had two large mills there. There the lumber for matches was
cut, and prepared, and sent to the company's various plants. The company
virtually owned the town.
Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 26 --Telegraphic communication has not yet been
established with Ontonagon, and details of the fire which wiped that village out
of existence yesterday afternoon are still lacking. Advices received by
railway officials from stations within a few miles of Ontonagon are to the
effect that only fifteen houses were left standing, but that no lives were lost.
Fifteen hundred people are homeless at Rockland and other places in the vicinity
of Ontonagon, to which the inhabitants fled last night. Relief measures
are already under way. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway had a
car loaded with provisions this morning and succeeded in running it over the
warped rails to within a quarter of a mile of Ontonagon. The provisions
will suffice to feed the people today, but they are without shelter and would be
in a pitiful plight in case of storm. Other cards of privisons are on the
way from Marianette, Green Bay and Milwaukee. It is probably that the
state of Michigan will send a quantity of military tents for the people.
A special from Houghton, Mich., gives the particulars of the fire, which
originated in a swamp just south of the Diamond Match company's mills. A
forty mile gale swept the flames before it, and the planing mills, box factory
and immense dry kilns of the match company were soon a mass of ashes. The
flames then descended on the business and residence quarter of the city, and
finally lodged in 65,000,000 feet of sawed lumber on the dock. The
destruction of the village was complete, barely a dozen houses in the suburbs
remain standing. The onslaught of the flames was so sudden, that barely
one in twenty succeeded in saving any of their effects. The heat from the
burning mills and lumber was so intense that the people were compelled to seek
shelter under trees and driftwood along the lake shore. Many walked to
Rockland, fifteen miles away. There are about 1,900 men, women and
children without food or shelter. Many are insufficiently clothed and they
suffered severely last night.
The Diamond Match company lost two fine saw mills, having a daily capacity of
450,000 feet, and other mills and buildings, worth in all nearly $2,000,000, and
lumber worth nearly $1,000,000. Insurance to the extent of $75,000 was
carried with the Fleischeim agency, of Menominee, and the Douglas and Van Ogden
agencies at Houghton. The loss on the balance of the village will foot up
about $3,000,000, with $300,000 insurance. The fire is still burning in
the lumber pile and it is impossible to go amount the ruins. Houghton and
Hancock are raising provisions and clothing. Money is needed badly.
A special to the Wisconsin from Green Bay, Wis., says a car load of provisions,
clothing and tents were sent to Ontonagon this morning. Superintendent
Minturn has sent a request to all northern cities asking aid. The road
will transport everything quickly and without charge.
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