Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2012, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Day, New London, Connecticut Saturday, October 17, 1908 TALES OF FOREST FIRE -------------- Survivors of Train Wrecked and Burned in Michigan Woods Narrate Incidents. --------------------------- CHILDREN AND WOMEN HELPLESS ----------------- Couldn't Get Out of Heated Steel Car and Fire Was Surrounding If They Had BAY CITY, Mich., Oct. 17. - Wes- ley Irwin, a Bay City traveling man, who was one of the survivors of the Metz relief train disaster, gives a thrilling account of the forest fire tragedy. He said: "The train left Metz about 6 o'clock Thursday evening and ran into the fire three miles south of that place. A burning pile of cedar had warped the rails and into the trap the train leaped, carrying its human cargo to destruction. The five box cars im- mediately took fire and it was with difficulty that the 200 people in them escaped. In a deep bodied steel coal car were located the women and chil- dren and as the heat increased they were unable to escape. Men were forced to seek places of safety and could give no aid. It was terrible to witness and I hope I will never be compelled to go through such agony again. The women clung to their lit- tle ones and begged for aid. Agon- izing cries rent the air and caused the blood in one's body to run cold. "A party of seven of us took to the woods and were forced to jump over burning logs and run through fire in making our escape. It was the only chance to take and we thought it preferable to remaining with the wo- men and children and meeting the same fate. For five miles we ran through smoke and fire which seemed every minute to be taking our strength away. When within half a mile of Posen my eyesight gave out and I could only depend upon the railroad track to guide me through. Only two of the original party reach- ed Posen that night. The others straggled along one at a time." Arthur White of Metz, another sur- vivor of the fire said: "When the relief train reached a point about a mile south of Metz, we ran into a regular hell of flames and smoke, which swept over the open car, setting our clothes on fire and singeing our hair. All of a sudden the engine went off the track and we stopped right in the midst of a mass of flames which surrounded us. My brother and his little boy were next to me. I lifted the lad over the side of the car and dropped him and got out myself. I could not find my brother, but I picked up the boy and struggled through the flames and smoke to an open field." --------------- LOSSES WILL BE HEAVY May Take a Week to Learn Full Ex- tent of Life Loss - Damage Great ------------------------------------- ALPENA, Mich., Oct. 17. - With 27 persons known to have perished yes- terday in Presque county and with forest fires still raging uncontrolled through the counties of Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Alpena and Alcona, as well as in other scattered districts through northern Michigan, diligent search was begun today to determine the full extent of the holocaust. It may take many days to reveal trage- dies that are likely to have occurred on isolated farms. The death list may not be fully known for a week. But it needs no elaborate details to determine that the property loss will run into the millions. Whole villages have been blotted out, and logging camps by the dozen have been de- stroyed with their entire season's out- put. In the immediate vicinity of Millersburg in Presque Isle county alone the losses are estimated at half a million dollars. In the upper pen- insula threatening forest fires are re- ported around Sault Ste. Marie, Me- nominee, Escanaba and Calumet and Houghton. At Koss near Menominee, 18 homes are reported destroyed. Navigation has been practically sus- pended at the Soo, owing to the dense smoke and the Presque Isle fog sta- tion signal on Lake Huron was aban- doned yesterday by Patrick H. Gar- rity, who was obliged to flee for his life. Long Rapids and Rogers City were last night reported in grave danger. At Alpena last night the common council at a special meeting authorized Mayor McKnight to issue what temporary relief he thought best for the fire sufferers. Provisions and clothing will be sent from Alpena to the scene of the Metz disaster and also to needy victims in Alpena county. ===========================================================================