The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-17
FOREST FIRE HENS IN TRAIN Fifteen Passengers Burn
 toDeath. WERE FLEEING FROM FLAME Northwestern Towns Are Still
 Threatened. Many Persons With Property Were Taken From Nets, siichs to Be Pursued By Death In
 Their FIisht.

Alpena. Mich, Oct. i5.-Ftfteen per- sons lost their lives last night in the burning of the Detroit and Mackinaw Railroad relief train. which was car rying the inhabitants of the little vil- lage of Metz. twenty-three miles north of here. to safety from the for est fires which were sweeping away their homes.
 The ili-fated train was dItched by spreading rails at Nowicki siding. 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 of them, or into the ploughed fields near the siding.
 Eleven of the victims were women and children who were unable 70 es- cape quickly enough from a gondola car. Their charred bodies were round there today when rescuers reached the scene Two of the men victims were members of the train crew.
 Four additional fatalities occurred In the neighborhood last night. MT. and Mrs. Fred Wagner died from heat and exhaustion from their farm and MT. ana Mrs. Nowicki lost their lives on tnelr farm. when the forest fires closed Tn on the little village, a special train or three box cars and two gondolas was TMahed 10 NGlLs <A5 AaRA1AS Ss bic the people and their goods were loaded into the cars. Some refused to abandon their goods, or the train might have left earlier. When the train nn- alIy started there were about lOO frightened people aboard. The flames were already sweeping through the village. Nearing Nowtcikt crossing: Engineer Foster saw blazing plies oI cedar ties on both sides of the track 0neninr the throttle, he tried to dash through at full speed, but the heat had caused the rails to spread ana the inc train left the track. Blazing pites of ties surrounded it and in an instant the cars caught Are
 The terror stricken people Jumped from the cars and rushed noWh , Ane track. Three mSthers and theW ntAle ones were not quick enough, They were crenlated in~the car.
 Boiled to Death.
 Brakeman Barrett sprang fnto the water tank behind the engine, only to be literally boiled to death as tne flames swept over it. Engineer Fos- ter and Conductor Kinville hed 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 aid. Behind them struggled burned and wounded procession of ref nrees. It was fearful march over the hot ties, with the flames from burning woods on either side of the track roar ing and snapping in their faces. En- rineer Foster was terribly burned about the head and face. but 1t is thought that he will survive Many of the refugees are suffering painful burns. The survivors of the frightful experience seemed dazed by their peril and sufferings and were unable to give any coherent statement as to whether anybody was left behind in Metz. It will probably be week or more before 1t is known definitely how many people perished in the village of Metz
 "The fire had gained such foothold in the town" said R. s. Richards. a travelling salesman. before the train left and in all probability many of the citizens were cremated."
 Others stated that when the relief train left Metz 1t carried all the in- habitants of the village except George Cicero, the station agent. who stayed to handle the railroad wire, and es- caped through pIoughed fields, only to find his wife and three children cre- mated in the wreck of the relief train. The fourth child. a boy about II years old. had jumped from the burning cab and escaped with but slight bruises.
 The first relief train from here reach ed the crossing this afternoon and brought back the bodies and several | refugees.