Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-17
RESCUE TRAIN O|TCAED;
FIFTEEN LOSE LIVES
Spreading Rails held Trains Laden
xlh Forest Fire Refugees;
Many Perish.
ELEVEN ARE WOMEN LAo CHILDREN
Abandoning Wrecked Train, Refugees
Rush Down Track Until charred
eleven ARE WOMEN lno CHILDREN
Abandoning Wrecked Train, Refugees
Rush Down Track Until charred
and Suffoeated by Tongues Of
Flame on Either side-PossibIe that
Others Lost in Town.
(Ry Associated Press).


people lost their lives. last night in
the burning Of the Detroit & Mack
mac Railway reE<f train which was
carrying the Inhabitants of the little
village of Metz. % miles north OF
here to safety from the forest fires
which were sweeping away their
HON g.
The i'll fated train was ditched by
spreading rails at Ncwicki siding. 4
Jew miles souHh of Metz, and the ter
rified refuge were forced to aban-
don the cars and rush for safety.
either down the track with burning
forests on either side, or into the
plcugbed fields near the siding.
Eleven Women and Children.
Eleven Of the victims were women
and children who were unable to
escape quickly enough from a gon-
dola car Their charred bodies were
found today when rescuers reached
the scene.
Two of the men victims were men,
bers OF the train crow. Four ad-
akaeRR66 itasS cnrgnr 81 ihhS
Mrs. Fred wagner died from
and exhaustion on their farm near
the scene and Mr. and Mrs. Fred
Nowicki. Jr. lost their lives in their
burning house near the siding.
When the Forest fires closed in
yesterday about the little village
special train of three empty box cars
and two gondolas was rushed u
Metz
Train Too Long Delayed.
AS rapidly as possible the people
and their goods were loaded into the
cars Some refused to abandon
their goods, or ths train might have
left carrier. When the train finally
started there were about 100 frigh'
tened people aboard. The flames
werz already sweeping through the
village.
Nearing Nowicki crossing. Engineer
Foster saw blazing piles OF cedar ties
on both sides Of the track. Opening
the throttle. he tried to dash through
at full speed, but the heat had caused
the rails to spread ard the train let'
the track. Blazing piles of ties sur
rounded it. and in an instant the
cars caught fire.
Jumped Only to Death.
The terror stricken people Jumped
! from the cars and rushed down the
track. Three mothers and their lit
tie ones we're not quick enough. They
wsre cremated in the car. Brake
man Bar-et sprang into the wafe'
tank behind the engine only to d
literally boiled to death as the fame:
swept over it.
Engineer Foster and. Conductor
Kinvi!le fed down the track, through
, the fire and smoke and were the drs'
to reach the village of Posen. and
report the wreck and ask for assist
ance. Behind them struggled
burned and wounded procession o
! refugees
Il was a fearful march over tn;
10; ties with the flames from tn
: burning woods on ether side Of TN
track roaring and swapping in thef
| faces.
Engineer Foster was terribly burn
| ed about the head AID face but
is thought he will survive.
Many OF the refugees are suherinl
! from painful burns.
| Survivor stvnnes BY ssReH"S-
The survivors Of the frightful e,
per:pnces seemed dazed by their per-
and sufHerings. They ~ere unab'
TO give any coherent statement as .
whether anybody was left bshind .
Mstz.
I IA will probably be week or NOR
before I, Is known definitely ho'
many people persisted In tn vi''ag
Of Metz" said r. 8. Richards, q trsve
ling salesman. The ERE had game
a fco,hoid in the town before IN
. train l9ft and IN all probability man
, Of the citizens we're cremafed"
;, On Duty while Family Petshsd.
y Others stated thst when the relis
: train let Metz :, carried al tn Il
ffsons;uucd On Efohfh pazeD