The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-10-23
q. PERSONS FLEEING
b s u FROM TRAIN PERISH
Blazing Forests Scene Of Terrible
g. I'll " Catastrophe. ,ltss1 ss' 5sa
SKULLS FOUND i CARS + RUINS.
Stopped by Burned-out Culvert, Refu-
gees Train Starts TO Back Out of
Fire, But Rails Spread Under 1t and
Flames Close in From Both Sides
Careless Hunters Blamed.

Detroit Especially ~ Twenty-one
known dead, with scores of others
missing and probably dead. dozen
more who escaped with life but were
badly burned, two small towns wip-
ed out, many others in imminent
danger, scores of farmhouses burn
ed. millions of dollars worth of
property destroyed all this is a
days record of the forest fires IN
Northern Michigan. That greater de-
struction Of property wiz follow and
that many more lives have been lost
is practically certain
Those known to be dead were all
residents of Metz township, Presque
Isle County, in the northeastern
part of the lower peninsula. Fifteen
of them were burned to death when
relief train, carrying refugees from
the village of Metz, was derailed
right in the center of the furnace
of flames. Two farmers families of
Metz township are known to have
been wiped out, John Mowicki and
his wife, an aged couple, whose
home was within few rods of the
spot where the Inflated relief train
and those aboard were consumed,
and Henry Kempf, his wife and two
of their three children being among
the victims. Another son is missing
and was probably iEcinerated also,
though his bones were not found
with those of his parents and broth
err and sister.
Fought For Life.
That many more of the inhabit-
ants of Metz died in the hopeless en-
deavor to fight their way through
the roaring flames and dense smoke
which surrounded them on every
side seems sure. Some of those who
managed to get through say the five
cars of the relief train were filled
with men, women and children, and
their household goods.
Fifteen bodies were found in the
charred remnants of the burned
cars. Perhaps score of the men
have struggled into Posen, village
few miles away, the clothing burn
ed from their backs, their bodies
scared and blackened, their lungs
choked with smoke
Engineer Fosters face was so ter
ribly burned in the awful flight
through the fire that he was blinded,
his eyes literally burned out, and
Conductor Kinville is in little better
condition.
The anxiety of the villagers to
save their household goods probably
cost the lives of many of their num-
Der. When the relief train-three
box cars and two steel gondola cars
reached Metz, if the villagers had
climbed aboard at once they might
have gotten out, but number of
them insisted on saving some of their
possessions
Derailed In Fire.
Two miles south of Metz Engineer
Foster saw high walls of flames on
both sides of the track. The only
hope was in a bold dash and the
engineer jerked the throttle wide
open and the train rocked forward
through the piles of burning cedar
ties, fence posts and lumber, but
right in the center of the roaring
flames the rails, loosened by the heat,
spread and the train jolted over the
roadbed and came to stop.
In an instant the cars were on
fire. There was no thought of res
cue. Men leaped from the blazing
cars and dashed up the track shield
ing their faces from the blaze. Some
of them got through. Many others
did not. OF those who failed to leave
the cars eight were children and
three women.