, 1908-10-16
REscuERs TO AID oFsuFFERERs
FROM MICHIGAN FOREST
FIRES THEMSELVES
ovERTAkEN.
Bodies Found; in Ruins Of
oondola Car Which Made Up
Part Of Train and Reports Reach
az High as Twenty Dead-MiIIIon
Dollar Fire on River Front at Chi.
caso This Morning.

Alpena, Mich, Oct. 16.-Meagre re
ports have been received here about
the relief train which last night went
to the aid OF the forest fire threaten
ing the vi;iage Of Metz saying that
the train was burned and some refugees
persisted with 1t. 1t is reported that
sixteen Ives were lost and some re-
ports make the number much greater.
One County Fire Swept.
According to reports coming into
Alpena today from the north, there
has been q heavy loss OF life from
the forest fires which yesterday and
last night swept Pressure Isle county
Relief Train Burned.
The most serious report is from
the relief, which went to the village
of Metz last night, which was burned
with q number OF refugees. 1t is i'm
possible as yet to secure either q
aaanxmation or denial OF the report.
stopped BY the Fire.
reports received heIe state that
Ter the relief train had been loadel
18th people and goods ut Metz, IL
started north, but was unable Il get
further than Hawks. Then the train
headed south for Alpena.
Train Was Derailed.
Reports say that 1t Nowich station
the Gre had burned numbers Of rail.
roada ties, weakening the track, and
the rails spread, deraiitng the relief
train. which ~ then destroyed by
IRE.
Many oosnsd y Death.
II Ii not positive Hhat hecame Of
the people on the train, but II d r.
ported ahatrthey were burner To- death.
EneIMssr In Watsr Tank.
Engineer Foster and YifsnAa Lee
took refuge in the water tank, where
they stayed unt | the water became
too hot, and then they ran for their
lives. They are reported badly but
not seriously burned.
Aplena Out Of Danger.
Fires In the vicinity Of AlpenA have
receded and that place is now out OF
danger. 1t is feared there has been
mush loss Of life in the outlying ham
let's md farms throughout PresQue
7
Isle county.
Ntuation Summed Up.
Nearly . score OF refugees from
the tire-swept village OF Metz are
known to have been burned t o death
between Mets and the village of Posen
last night, when the reler train was
wrecked by q burned-out culvert.
Wires Are Down.
The details are lacking and reports
are conning IN very slowly a. the re-
suit Of TIM destruction Of wires and
poles by thu fierce forest lires, bur
1t was known from Millersburg, at
noon, that fifteen skulls have been
found in the ruins of the train and
the fireman was burned to death In
the water tank OF his locomotive,
where he had taken refuge.
crawled Through FIN.
It is not known definitely how many
pc sons were aboard the relief train
W len It left Metz, o whether any
Of the refugees except two trainmen,
o have arrived at Posen after
CT wiling along the track on their
Knees with the forest on either side
a kroaring furnace. escaped with their
lives. There are vague rumor that
others escaped. but as yet they are not
confirmed.
Several Towns Menaeed.
The forest fires In Presque Isle
county suddenly became threatening
again yesterday, after 1t was thought
they has been extinguished. They
spread rapidly, and were soon menac-
ing q number Of towns. including
Metz. The situation of Metz became
acute last night. and a relief train
was sent there.
Farmers MAJ Be Lost.
Metz had . populat IN Of about
loo. but how many took the train, or
whether any farmers from the sur
rounding country were aboard is not
yet known.