WALLED IN BY FLAME

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 294, 7 December 1908, Page 4

WALLED IN BY FLAME

TKAIX CAUGHT BY FORREST FIRS.. MAXY LIVES LOST. A correspondent from the London Daily News, writing from Chicago, on October 15, states :-The eastern halfo. tile Michigan peninsula adjoining Lake Huron, and niir.iing nortlnvard from Saginaw Bay, is at present bling devastated, by a series of forest fires that are sweeping everything before then through several counties. The most extensive outbreaks are m the counties of Alpena, Preside Isb, Montmorcnci, Otsego, and Chippewa. As all communications have been cut oil', details arc at present unavailable ; but it appears that the lire started from the camp lire of some hunters who ncjrltvted to extinguish the embers when they struck camp in the morning. I't is impossible to say how much damage has at present been done ; but a still' breeze is fanning the llames, and th - area is so wide that ligllti.ig the lire is

almost uut of the question. H is fear«il Hint lit least one hundred have Insl their lives ; ami everyone who ean do to is rushing for tin- euou spare where alone safety can lie found. The towns of Metz, Poson, Millesburg and I'oliaski in lire north-western extremity of the jiCiiiiisnla were early d"stroyed"; and the lire, proceeding southward, is threatening Alpena, Chcybov-

gan. ttose forest City, Menominee, and Uriiiiley. All the available tin Ins on tile railway running through the forests were ' put in motion to curry the tpomca and children out of tile danger

Most of them succeeded in escaping ; but one which lefi Jletz with a number of refugees aboard ran into blazinsl timber that had fallen across the entrance of a culvert, and the carriage quickly caught alight. Help was impossible, and the engine could neither proceed -.ior "retreat. The passengers o jul railway men made a rush for saie ty. The majority managed to ioa,n running water, but wer" shockTiigly burnt during their rush through the blazing timber. Seventeen, including several children, are missing ; ami it Is evident that tlley fell beyond hope in the mad rush.

Bishop Williams, of Detroit, and tile Rev. W. 11. i!ulkley were conducting a confirmation class iu an Episcopal church, near Metz. when the fire came roaring down upon the wooden edifice, and in a few moments engulfed it. Both are missing.

Relief tram', nrc- being rushed with surgeons, nurses, and provisions from every available point between Saginaw and Mackinac.

An engineer and a fireman took refuge iu a svater-tauk. where they stave i until the water became too hot. iviien they came out and ran for their lives. Both wen l badly scalded. The fireman perished, but the engineer and conductor crawled on their hands and knees along tile track to Poson.

According to a Mcgviim from Alpcnn. dated October 17. eleven additional deaths are reported from the I'resqne Isle country as the result, of the forest fires.

[ Dozens iif 1 milln-r ciiiiips. ivitlt 1 lie season's output. ami miles of standinj timber. have 1 destroyed. The village of Metz niiil Itoltoii appear to hac.' l)i*on destroyed. 'l'lie surviving inliahitan!- have laken n-fuoi. at P:o'so:s which, with Laior|ue. is lieliovod to lie out of danger. Roger* City is still threatened. A large foree is fightivii the fire. Other i];sbiets afflicted hv th' forest fire's in their neighbourhood are Elmira, flavlord. Johannesburg, Otsego County, f'ardillac, Wexford Comity, llravlms. Crawford Countv. Caseville, Uadiixe. ami Huron County. Fires have also occurred in tho vicinitv of fiaull St. Marie. Meiioniinee tfscanalia. Ciilnniet. and llonghtoa in the n i|iei peninsula. At Ko>s, near Monopiinoo, eighteen Uouses have lieen fl >*• troved. Three part loads of provisions for thp destitulv ivere sent to i'osen to-day from Alpena.-

A wall of fianio (en mile* ionir i* sweeping ;icross the Lower peninsula. Jl U estimated that the fire iias bunt over a hundred sqiic.r? mil"* yf country and desiroyed live village*, ft U impossible to cliei-k the advance of tUe dame*. The mnnher of livrs lost is believed to lie over fiftv.

A reasonable rsfimatr phees the number of vd>o Tin?? t'n.sr lives at one hundred, tin material lois«s h estimated at manv millifni*< of dollar*