The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-10-20

Fearful Journey BY Night Through
Burning Forests to Reach Safety In
terrupted BY Awful Disaster-Three
Mothers and Nine Small Children
Cremated In Gondola car-Many
Others Believed to Have Met Ceath
In the Flames.
Alpcna. Mich. oct. 1T.-Fifteen rco-
pie lost their lives THURSDAY uieht i'm
the burning OF the Detroit 4 N.c.I
nav railway relief train. which Was
carrying the inhabitants OF the I.tiit,
village OF Metz. twcnty-thrcc mi S
north OF here. To safety from the Tor.
est fires which were sweeping away
th~ir homes The Inflated train was
ttched by spreading rails at Nowicki
siding. few miles south OF Metz. aud
the terrified refugees were forced q
abandon the cars and rush for safety
either down the track. with BURNING
forests on either side or into On.
plowed fields near the SIDING. Eleven
OF the victims were women and ,hi-
dren who were unable "a escape onici.
ly enough from the gondola car which
they were occupying Their charrg .
bodies were found there when r.s-
cucrs reached the scene. Two of a.
men victims We're members of a.,
train crew.
-Four additional fatalities occurred
In the ncighhorhood OF the wreck. Mr..
and Mrs. Fred Wagner died from heat
and exhaustion on their farm near the
scene OF the wreck. and Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Nowicki. Jr.. lost their lives in
their burning house near the siding
whore the wreck occurred
When the forest fires closed In
about the little village a special ina D,
81 three empty box cars and two coal
-ondolas was rushed % Metz. ia
,harso Of John +. kinvillo. conductor.
William Foster. engineer. Arthur Les.
fireman. and William Barrett brake
man.
As rapidly as possible the people
1nd their goods were loaded into tho
ears When the train started there
were about 100 frightened people On
ooarl The flames were already sweoo
ng through the village. Nearing tlc
Nowich crossing. Engineer Foster
saw blazing piles OF cedar ties on both
sides OF the track. Opening Wide tho
throttle. nc tried 20 dash through nj
inil speed. but the heat had loosonod
The rails and they had spread and tho
train left the track Blazing niles OF
ties surrounded IL. and in an instant
The cars caught fire. The terror
stricken people. caught by the peril
from which they were fleeing. jumnsd
from the cars and rushed down tho
rack. Three mothers and their nine
little ones were not quick enough
They were cremated In the gon. lola
EAR where they were caught Bake.
man William Barrett sprang into tho
water tank behind the engine. only L.
be literally boiled 10 death as the
danes swept over Il.
Engineer Foster and Conductor Kin.
Vile fed down the track. through the
IRE and smoke. and were the first o.
reach the village Of Poscn and report
he wreck and ask for assistance from
here
Behind them struggled a burned and
wounded procession Of refugees from
he wrecked train. II was a fearful
march over the hot ties. with IN.
lanes from the burning woods on
either side OF the track roaring and
swapping in their faces. Engineer Eos.
.er was terribly burned about the
head and face. but II is thought that
ne will survive Conductor KInvillo
vas badly scorched. James White was
totally blinded by his burns. Nam
more Of the refugees are SUFFERING
painful burns.
The survivors OF the frlghtfuI ex.
perience seemed dazed by their peril
and suffering. They seemed 10 realize
nothing except the necessity for run.
ning-ranning-runn 70 escape the
Intense heat and menacing flames. II
was difficult TO get any coherent state
nents from them as to loss of life in
The wreck or as to whether there had
been any people left behind in Metz.
Pressure Isle and Cheboygan conn.
Ties are all ahame and the sevenf,
ave miles between this city and tho
city OF Cheboygan is reported to be
almost solid mass OF fire. Athena
county Is ablaze in every direction
Reports Of fatalities are coming In
from many places. but it has been
impossible as yet to compile ANYTHING
IKE an authentic list OF the fire vic
tins In the burned district. From
Metz township the cremation is re-
ported Of Henry Kemps. his wife and
Two children in their farmhouse. with
third child missing and probably
burned to death In the fields.
Bolton, South Rogers and Metz are
among the destroyed villages. La
Rogue is threatened, and there is lit.
tie hope but that it will be DESTROYED
Only the church Is left at the village
OF Cathro. and 1t is crowded with
refugees from the village and nearby
farms. A report brought in from Al.
coma county says a strip twenty miles
wide, from Hubbard lake to the An
Sable river. is burning. More than
hfty farms are reported to have been
swept by the fires and their buildings
destroyed. 1t is feared that the death
list and the amount of property less
will ha rngforfo1lxr