New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-10-21
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
Fire Refugees Perish While En-
deav0ring to Escape.
SPREADING RAILS DITCH TRAIN
Blazing Forests Soon EnyeIop
Cars and Nearly a Score
u Are cremated.

Alpena, Mich, Oct. 17.-Fifteen peo-
pie lost their lives in the burning Of
the Detroit and Mackinaw railway re-
lief train which was carrying the In
habitants of the little village of Metz,
twenty-three miles north of here, to
safety from the forest fires which
we're sweeping away their homes. The
Inflated train was ditched by spread
ing rails at No. xxi siding, a few
miles south of Metz, fRnd the terrified
refugees We're forced to abandon the
cars and rush for safety either down
the track with burning forests on
either side, or into the ploWed fields
near the siding. Eleven of the vic
tins were women and children who
We're unable to escape. Their charred
bodies were found in the ruins of the
car when rescuers reached the scene.
Four additional fatalities occurred in
the neighborhood Of the wreck. Mr..
and Mrs. Fred Wagner died from heat
and exhaustion on their farm near the
scene of the wreck and Mr.. and Mrs.
Fred Nowicki, Jr., lost their lives in
their burning house near the siding
where the wreck occurred.
When the forest fires closed in
about the little village special train
gondOlas was rushed to Metz in charge
of John p. Kinville, conductor; Will
lam Foster, engineer; Arthur Lee,
fireman, and William Barrett, brake
man. 49,
AS rapidly as possible the people
and their goods were loaded into the
cars. Some refused to abandon their
goods, or the train might have left
earlier and have reached Alpena in
safety. When the train finally start
led there were about 100 frightened
people aboard The flames were al
ready sweeping through the villages.
Engineer Foster started his train for
Alpena. Nearing 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 piles Of
ties surrounded it and in an instant
the cars caught fire. 2 z..
Victims cremated in Steel Car.
The terror-stricken people, caught
by the peril from which they were
| fleeing, jumped from the cars and
| rushed down the track. Three moth
ers and their little ones were cremated
in the gondola car, where they were
caught. Brakeman William Barrett
| sprang into the water tank behind the
engine, only to be literally boiled to
death as the flames swept over it. En-
! gineer Foster and Conductor Kinville
fed down the track, through the fire
and smoke, and were the first to reach
| the village of Posen and report the
| wreck and ask for assistance from
here. Behind them struggled a burned
and wounded procession of refugees
from the wrecked train. It was a
fearful march over the hot ties with
| the flames from the 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 he
i will survive. Conductor Kinville was
badly scorched. James White was to-
tally blinded by his burns. John No
| wicld, sr, and his wife and Mrs. Al
] bert Hardies and her young son were
also seriously burned. Many more of
the refugees are suffering painful
1 1,,,. ~ %ha ri h f1i1
i Experience seemed dazed by their
peril and sufferings. They. seemed to
realize nothing except the necessity
for Notwithstanding. running, run
ming, to escape the intense heat and
menacing flames. 1t was difficult to
get any coherent statements from
! them as to loss of life in the wreck
| or as to whether there had been any
! people left behind in Metz.