The Nevada County picayune., 1908-10-22
R[L|EF TRAIN BUADS. |5D|E
ONE HUNDRED REFUGEES TRAP PED WHEN COACHES LEAVE
 THE RAILS
ELEVEN WOMEN AND CHILL DREN
Train Was Carrying inhabitants of Metz, Mich, to Safety From Forest Fires Which Were Destroying
 Their Homes.

Alpena, Mich. Oct 17.-Fifteen | people lost their lives Saturday night in | the burning of the Detroit & Mack inaw railway relief train which was | carrying the inhabitants of the little village of Metz 23 miles north of here to safety from the forest fires which were sweeping away their homes The ill-fated train was ditched by spreading rails at Nowicki siding, few miles south of Metz, and the terrified re- fugees were forced to abandon the ears and rush for safety either down the track with burning forests on either side, or into the ploughed fields near the siding Eleven of the victims were women and children who were unable to escape quickly enough from the gondola car which they were oc- cupying Their charred bodies were found there Friday, when rescuers reached the scene Two of the men victims were members of the train | crew. Four additional fatalities occur red in the neighborhood of the wreck Thursday night Mir. and Mrs. Fred Wagner died from heat and eXhaus- ton on their farm near the scene of the wreck and Mr. nd Mrs Fred Nowickl Jr.. lost their lives in their | burning house near he siding where l the wreck occurred.
 When the forest fires closed in | Thursday about the little village . special train of three empty box cars and two coal gondolas was rushed to | Metz in charge of John E. Kinville, l conductor, William Foster. engineee, Arthur Lee. fireman, and William Bartlett. brakeman.
 Some Refused to Leave.
 As rapidly as possible the peopi- and their goods were loaded into the cars. Some refused to abandon theT goods or the train might have left earlier and have reached Alpena in safety.
 When the train finally started there were 100 frightened people aboard. The flames were already sweeping through the village Engineer Foster 1 SldItbu HIS tidlll iol tlptlld. 4Ntdl iIlS Nowicki crossing he saw blazing piles of cedar ties on both sides of the track Opening wide the throttle, he tried to dash through at full speed, but the heat had loosened the rails and they had spread and the train left the tracks Blazing ties surrounded it and in an instant the cars caught fire.
 The terror stricken people caught by the peril from which they were fleeing. jumped from the ears and rushed down the track. Three mothers and their little ones were not quick enough They were cremated in the gondola car where they were caught Brakeman William Rartet sprang in. to the water tank behind the engine only to be literally boiled to death as the flames swept ever it.
 Number of Victims Unknown.
 It will probably be a week or moro before it is known definitely how many people perished in the village of Metz. The fire had gained a foothold in the town before the train left and in al!
 
 cremated.
 Some stated that when the relief train left Metz it carried all the n- habitants of the village except George Cicero, the station agent. who stayed to handle the railroad wire and es- capped through the plowed fields when the fire reached the station only to find his wife and three children ere mated in the wreck of the relief train.
 A fourth child, boy about II years cid, had jumped from the burning car and escaped with but slight injuries.
 The first relief train from here reached the crossing Friday afternoon and brought back the bodies and those of the refugees who wished to come here Some of them were so hysteri- ~ 4rom fright that they refused to
 on the train, fearing another ac-