Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1908-10-23
TALE OF HORROR
FROM MICHIGAN
Fifteen People Lose Their Lives as
Result of Forest Fires Which
Sweep Over Country.
Relief Train Loaded With People
Driven From Their Homes 10
Wrecked and Women and Chill.
dren Fall Victims to
~ Flames.

Alpena, Mich.-Fifteen people lost
their lives in the burning of the De-
troit & Mackinac railway relief train.
which was carrying the inhabitants
of the little village of Metz, twenty
three miles north of here, to safety
from the forest fires, which were
sweeping away their homes. The ILL
lated train was ditched by spreading
rails at Nowich siding, a few miles
south Of Metz, and the terrified refu-
gees 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 were
women and children who were unable
to escape quickly enough from the
gondola car which they were occupy
ing.
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 occurred in the
reighborhood of the wreck Friday
night. Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Wager died
from heat and exposure on their farm
near the scene of the wreck and Mr..
and Mrs. Nowicki, Jr., lost their lives
III their burning house near the sid
ing where the wreck occurred.
When the forest fires closed in
about the little village a special train
OF three empty box cars and two coal
gondolas was rushed to Metz in
charge of John q. Kinville, conductor.
William Foster, engineer, Arthur Lee,
fireman, and William Bartlett, brake
man.
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 reached Aapena in safety.
When the train finally started there
were about 100 frightened people
aboard. The flames were already
sweeping through the village. Engi-
neer Foster started his train for Al
pena. 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 track. Blazing piles of
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 cars and rushed down the
track. Three mothers and their little
ones were not quick enough. They
we're crowded 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 1t. Engineer Fos-
ter and Conductor Kinville fed down
the tntck through the fire and smoke
and were the first to reach the village
of Pozen and report the wreck and
ask for assistance from here. Behind
them staggered burned and wound
ed procession of refugees from the
wrecked train. 1t was 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 ter.
ribly burned about the head and face,
but it is thought that he will recover
Conductor Kinville was badly scorch-
ed. James White was totally blinded
Inv hurns