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Daily True American, Clinton, N.J.,
Saturday, October 17, 1908

                     
                           17 PERISH
                            FLEEING
                             FROM FIRE
                           ------------
                       Relief Train Plunges
                         Into Furnace In
                              Woods.
                              ------
                         SEVERAL TOWNS
                           ARE WIPED OUT
                              ------
                        With Flames On All
                          Sides Fate Was
                            Inevitable
                            ----------
                         *****************   
                         FACTS ABOUT FIRES
                     Number of known dead is 17.
                     Estimated more than 200
                   lives have been lost.
                     Property loss is estimated at
                   between $4,000,000 and $6,000,
                   000.
                     Fire still burning in three
                   counties.
                     Four towns are reported wiped
                   out.  They are in Presque Isle
                   county.
                        ********************
                   Special to True American.
                     ALPENA, Mich., Oct. 16 - Seven-
                   teen persons perished early this
                   morning when a relief train, carry-
                   ing refugees from the little village of
                   Metz, in Presque Isle county, left the
                   rails, two miles south of the village,
                   in the midst of a blazing forest.  Many
                   who were aboard are still unaccounted
                   for.  The dead: -
                     William Barrett, Brakeman, Alpena,
                   body found on tracks.
                     Arthur Lee, Alpena, fireman, boil-
                   ed alive in water tank of engine.
                     Mrs. George Cicero, Metz, charred
                   remains in steel car.
                     Mrs. Cicero's three children, found
                   in the car.
                     Mrs. John Konitczny, Metz, found
                   in the car.
                     Mrs. Konitczny's three children,
                   found in the car.
                     Mrs. Edward Hardies, Metz, found
                   in the car.
                     Mrs. Hardies' three children, found
                   in the car.
                     John Nowicki, burned in his home
                   beside the tracks.
                     Mrs. John Nowicki, burned in her
                   home beside the tracks.
                     About 30 others on the train escap-
                   ed.  Metz is a little town 23 miles
                   north of Alpena.  Probably 200 peo-
                   ple live there.
                     Yesterday afternoon they sent tele-
                   grams to the north and south, saying
                   forest fires were closing in on all sides
                   and asking for relief, as the village
                   was in danger and there were no
                   means of escape except by a railroad.
                     A special train consisting of three
                   empty box cars and two coal gondo-
                   las, was made up and rushed to Metz.
                   When the relief train reached Metz,
                   everybody was invited to get on board
                   with their household goods, and men,
                   women and children hastily filled the
                           FLAMES SPREAD OUT.
                     The whole northeast of Michigan is burn-
                   ing in spots, the smoldering ruins of the
                   forest fires, which a few weeks ago did
                   such enormous damage, are being fanned
                   into flames by the high winds of the last
                   few days.  Fears are felt for the safety of
                   several thousand persons.
                     Four towns, Metz, Millersburg, Posen and
                   Polaski, have already been destroyed.
                     The town of Brimley is one of the places
                   now being wiped out, and Millersburg is
                   still burning, the fire surrounding the lat-
                   ter place, cutting off all chance to reach
                   there from Alpena.  The smoke over the
                   St. Mary's river is so dense that naviga-
                   tion has been suspended.
                     The fire is now raging in four counties,
                   and aside from the unknown loss of life the
                   loss of property will be between $4,000,000
                   and $6,000,000. 
                     Later dispatches, based upon informa-
                   tion furnished by searching parties, say
                   that Millersburg, a town of 850 population,
                   has been entirely wiped out and nothing
                   is known as to what became of the in-
                   habitants.
                   
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