The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-16
SICKENINC STORY
Details of Metz Wreck and Fire
Are Terrible.
Train Loaded With Frantic
Women and Children.
INTO CULVERT
Wrecked and Then Consumed
by Fire.
Flames Reared on Both Sides
of Track.
BACKED INTO CULVERT

Alpena. Mich, Oct. 16.-Nearly a
score of refugees from the fire swept
village of Metz. 25 miles north of this
city on the Detroit & Mackinaw rail-
way, are known to have been burned
to death between Metz and the village
of Posen last night, when their relief
train was wrecked by a burned out
culvert Details are lacking and re-
ports are coming in very slowly as a
result of the destruction Of wires and
poles by the fierce forest fires, but 1t
was known from Millersburg at noon
that Is burned skulls have been found
I'm the ruins of the destroyed relief
train, and that the fireman was burned
to death in the water tank of his en-
CINE, where he had taken refuge
1t is not yet definitely known how
many persons were on the relief train
when 1t pulled out of Metz last night
or whether any of the refugees ex-
cept the two trainmen who have ar
river at Posen escaped with their
lives. The Information received from
Millersburg at noon told only that the
skulls had been found in the wreck
and that Conductor Kinville and En-
gineer Foster escaped from the burn
ing train by crawling along the track
on their hands and knees with the
forests on either side roaring furnaces.
Blind From Burns.
Conductor Kinville is reported to be
blind from his burns. but Foster is
understood to be not seriously injured.
There are vague rumors also that 9TH
ers escaped with the two trainmen, but
up to noon this can neither be confirm
ed nor denied. The forest fires above
Alpena in Pressure Isle county, sud-
denly became threatening again after
1t was thought that the heavy rains
early in the month had extinguished
them. They spread rapidly and were
soon menacing a number of towns
along the line of the Detroit & Macki-
now road. The village OF Metz, with
about a hundred inhabitants was one
of them. Its situation became acutely
dangerous last night. The Detroit q
Mackinack railroad sent in a relief
train of boxcars. Household goods and
store stocks were loaded on some of
the cars and people filed the others.
How many were taken aboard is not
known. It is not known either wheth-
er any of the farmers from outlying
points had come into Metz seeking
refuge from the flames. II this is the
case there may have been more people
on the wrecked relief train than the
inhabitants of the little village could
have furnished. t.ts--.
With its load of frightened men. wo-
men and children, the train pulled out
of Metz about midnight, it is under
stood and started for the north. The
flames along the track on both sides
and the roar of the burning woods rose
above the sound of the engine. The
train proceeded towards the north as
far as Hawks station, about half way
between Metz and Millersburg There
the flames were sweeping across the
track so fiercely as to make further
progress in that direction impossible.
The train was Immediately headed
back toward the south and Alpena. The
nRCeggifW for returning again mt
flame ridden section from which they
had been fleeing, increased the terror
of the passengers aboard the Inflated
relief train. AS they were rushing