Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-17
FIFTEEN LIVES
LOST IN AWFUL
FOREST BLAZE
TRAIN OF REFUGEES BURNS
IN MICHIGAN
THROTTLE OPENED IN PLUNGE
THROUGH FLAMES
Spreading of Rails by Heat Causes
Wreck-Passengers Cremated.
Several Are Severely
Burned in Flight
tcOntinned from Pare one,

tContinued from PAGE unet
Some refused to abandon their goods, or
the train might have left earlier, and
have reached Alpena in safety. When
the train finally started there were
about 100 frightened people aboard. The
flames were already sweeping through
the village.
Engineer Foster started his train for
Alpena. Nearing Nowicki crossing he
saw blazing piles of cedar ties on Doth
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 track.
Blazing piles of ties surrounded 1t,
and in an instant the cars caught fire.
The terror stricken people, caught by
the peril from which they were fleeing,
jumped from the cars and rushed down
the track. Three mothers and their
| little ones were not quick enough Ihey
were cremated in the gondola car where
they were caught.
Brakeman William Bartlett sprang
into the water tank behind the engine,
only to be literally boiled to death as
the flames swept over it.
Engineer Foster and Conductor Kin
VILE fled down the track through the
fire and smoke and were the first to
reach the village of Posen. and they re-
ported the wreck and asked for assist
ance from here.
Refugees Fearful March
Behind them struggled a burned and
wounded procession of refugees from
the wrecked train.
1t was a fearful march over the hot
ties, with the flames from the burning
woods on either side of them roaring
and swapping in their faces.
Engineer Foster was terribly burned
about the head and face, but it is
thought he will recover.
Conductor Kinville was oadly
scorched.
James White was totally blinded by
burns. John Nowicki, ST., and his wire,
and Mrs. Albert Hardies and her young
son were also seriously burned.
Many more of the refugees are suf-
fering from painful burns.
The survivors of the fr1ghttul ex,
perience sseemed dazed by their peril
and sufferings. They seemed to re-
alize nothing except the necessity for
running to escape the intense heat and
menacing flames.
1t was difficult to get any coherent
statement from any of them as TO
loss of life in the wreck, or as 10
whether there had been any people
left behind in Metz.
II. >
salesman, when he arrived at Poseni
said
"As the train left the track the
heartrending cries of women and chill
dren sent a chill over my body.
"I did not wait to see the outcome,
as knew it would be of no avall, ana
every minute was precious.
George Boston, also of Bay City, my
self and another man, started together
We walked down the track toward
Posen In some places the flames
forced us to run, and Mr.. Boston was
burned about the face before he
reached safety.
Several other men left the scene
about the time 1 did, but when L
seen. They may have perished in the
flames.
"There was absolutely no chance to
save the women and children from the
gondola car. The time was too short
1t will probably be a week or more
before it is known definitely how many
persons perished in Metz.
Many May Be Dead
1.-THE fire had gained a foothold in
Metz before the train left, and in all
probability many of the citizens were
cremated."
Others stated that when the relief
habitants OF the village except George
Cicero, the station agent, who stayed
to handle the railroad wire and es-
caped through the plowed fields when
the fire reached the station, only to
find his wife and three children Gre
mated in the wreck of the train.
A fourth child, a boy of about IL,
had jumped from the burning car and
ESCAPED with but slight injuries.
ra1iaf train from here
reached the crossing this forenoon and
brought back the bodies and those
of the refugees who wished to come
here.
Some of them were so hysterical
from fright that they refused to ride
on the train. fearing another accident.
A report brought in tonight from AL
pena SAYS a strip twenty miles wide
from Hubbard lake to the Au Sable river
is burning. More than fifty farms are
reported tonight to have been swept by
fires today and their buildings de-
strOyed.
AT Pressure isle, on Lake Huron,
Keeper MCCARTHY was forced to aban-
don the government fog signal station
and flee for his life.
Fifty passengers on a southbound
Detroit & Mackinac train which left
Cheboygan last night for this city spent
a night of horror at La Rogue.
Flames surrounded the train and 1t
was impossible to proceed or retreat.
Huddled in their cars the terrified pas
sengers spent the night in momentary
expectation that the train would be
consumed. 1t was saved, however, by
hard work, and the passengers came on
TO Alpena this afternoon.
1t was at first reported tonight that
Bishop Charles Williams of the Prot
.estant Episcopal diocese of Michigan,
was either on the i'll fated Metz train,
or in the danger zone about Metz.
Later it became known, however, that
he went on to Onaway without stopping
at Metz.
Both the Cadillac and Traverse City
reports say that the fires in the north
eastern part of the state have started
again with great force and are threat
ening those cities.
The fire is only quarter of mile
away from Traverse City on the south
west.
From the upper peninsula come re-
ports that the fires in Chippewa and
Houghton counties are very dangerous
and spreading rapidly.
FOUR BURN TO DEATH IN