The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-21
DIED IN FIRE
Forest Fires Cause Awful Dis
astsr In Michigan.
SICKENING SCENES

hab,tants Of O Little Village At
tempts to- Run Gauntlet Of F1ames
Only to be Ditched, Fifteen Peoplt
Losing Their Lives.
A dispatch from Alfena, Mich
says fifteen people lost their lives
Thursday night in the burning Of
the Detroit and Mackinac Railway
relief train, which vas carrying the
inhabitants of the little village Of
Metz, % miles north of here, to SAT-
ETY. from the forest fires which wel
sweeping away their homes.
The Inflated train was ditched BY
spreading rail at Nowicki siding,
south Of Metz, and the terrified ref
ugees were forced to abandon the
cars 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 YER women
and children, who were unable to
escape quickly enough from a Condo
la car. Their charred bodies wer'
found. there Friday when rescuers
reached the scene. Two Of the mel
victims were members Of the train
crew. y
Four additional fatalities occurred
In the neighborhood Thursday night.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Wagner died from
heat and exhaustion on their farm
near the scene, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Fred Nowicki, lost their lives IN
their burning house near the siding.
When the forest fires closed n
Thursday about the little village
a special train of three empty box
cars and two coal gondolas was rush
ed to Metz, and as rapidly as pos
sible people and their goods were
loaded into the cars. Some refus-
ed to abandon their goods. or the
train might have left earlier. When
the train finally started there were
about 100 frightened people aboard.
The flames were already sweeping
through the village. Nearing NoF-
icki crossing Engineer Foster sa"
blazing piles of cedar ties on both
cides of the track. Opening the
throttle he tried to dash through
at full speed, but the heat had caused
the rails to spread and the train
left the track Blazing piles Of ties
SURROUNDED it and in an instant
the cars caught fire The terror
stricken people jumped from the cars
are rushed down the track. Three
mothers and their little ones were
not quick enough. They we're ere
mated in the a r
Brakeman Barrett sprang into the
water tank behind the engine, only
to be literally boiled to death as
the flames swept over 1t. Eng,n-
eer Foster and Conductor Kinville
fed down the track through the hre
and smoke. and ERE the first t.
reach. the village Of Posen and. re.
port the wreck and ask for assis-
lance. Behind them staggered a
burned and wounded procession OF
refugees.
It was a fearful march owe the
hot ties with the flames and burning
woods on either side Of the track
roaring and swapping In their faces.
Engineer Foster was terribly burned
about the head and face. but It Is
thought that he will survive. NAM
Of the refugees are suffering painful!
burns.
The survivors OF the frightful ex-
perience seemed dazed By their peri!
and sufferings and were unable to
give any coherent statement as tc
whether anybody was left behind Iii
hletz. 1t will probably be a week
or more betsre it Is known definitely
how many people persisted In the
Village of Metz.
When the relief train left Metz
1t carried all the Inhabitants Of thi
village except George Cicero, the sta
ton agent, who stayed to hands
the railroad wire and escape
through ploughed fields only to hnt
his wife and three children Gre
mated in the wreck of the relic
train. A fourth child, a boy. aboN
IL years old, had jumped from tn
burning car and escaped with blu
sIirht injuries.
Every report received Friday nigu
from the fre-swept country to tn
north of this city increases the exten
and gravity of the fire situation, an
the death list which started F,rida,
with the cremating of fifteen peopi,
In the Metz relief train, is steadii,
growing. Pressure Isle and Cheboy
gan counties are all flames. and tn
Is miles between this city and Che
bovgan is reported to be almost
solid mass Of fire. Alpena County i
ablaze in every direction. Report
of fatalities are coming from man
places. From Metz Township Frida
night the cremation was reported q
Henry Kemps, his wife and two CHI
dren in their farm house.
Bolton, South Rogers and Metz a.
among the destroyed villages: J.
Rouque is threatened tonight. Oni
the church is left at the village c
Cathro, and it Is crowded with rel
ugees.
A strip twenty miles wide fror
Hubbard Lake to the Au Sable River