The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-21
ESCAPE ALMOST CUT OFF.
without Shoes Covering Her Feet and
Scantily Clad, the Mother
DAsHEs THROUGH THE FLAMES
She Succeeds in Gaining the Downstairs
Kitchen hut Finds II All I'm
Flames - Residence Al
most Totally De-

The residence of John Pilot, flag
man residing at 2l1 Tyler street, was al
most totally destroyed by fire We'd
nesday afternoon. The fire alarm sum-
moning the department was turned in
from box 65, at the intersection Of
Tyler and Eighth streets. Hose COM
panies /, 2, 8 and responded, but the
fire gained such headway before their
arrival that the greater portion Of the
contents of the house as well as the
interior of the building was gutted by
the flames.
The building is a two story frame
and is occupied by Pilot and his fam
lily. The firemen stated that Mrs. Pill
lot was filling the gasoline reservoir
on the gasoline stove in the house with
the fluid when 1t accidentally ignited,
and this caused the fire. Mrs. Pilot
escaped without any serious burns.
The members of the family also for
tunately escaped, but a sick child
which was in the house had a narrow
escape. AS soon as the flames burst out
some one rescued the child.
Some of the furniture was carried
but large portion of it was consumed.
The loss will reach considerably over
$1,100. the amount Of insurance carried
by Mr.. Pilot. The owner Of the house
Is the well known flagman at the Penn
sylvania railway crossing at East Tus-
carawas street. He was not on duty
Saturday as q consequence Of the fire.
The fire burned for over an hour.
A THRILLING ESCAPE.
When the flames from the burning
gasoline filled the rear kitchen Mrs.
Pilot bethought herself Of a sick child
which was lying in an upstairs room.
Without shoes covering her feet and
scantily clad, she ran upstairs and into
the room where the child lay. The
room had already been partially filled
with smoke. She lifted the child in
her arms and very quickly ran down
the steps leading into the kitchen. The
smoke pouring in seemed to make her
escape almost impossible, but she ran
through 1t all and then stepped into
the kitchen where the flames were the
thickest. Escape through the kitchen
dooor was impossible, 40 she swung
herself around and started for a front
room door, through which she escaped
out of the house. Many neighbors had
gathered around the house when the
flames were first seen, and few Of them
knew that the woman still remained
inside, heroically rescuing one Of her
children. They first noted her appear
ance when she dashed out of the front
door with the child in her arms. It
was well that the child was removed at
that time for a few minutes later the
upper and lower stories were filled with
flames and smoke and it would have
been utterly impossible for the mother
to have rescued her child then. The
contents Of the room in which the
child was confined, were altogether de-
stroyed.
1t Is not known just in what manner
the flames ignited the gasoline. A
neighbor stated that the stove was
standing on the rear porch and that
Mrs. Pilot was filling the can when
the stove suddenly burst into flames.
The PILOTS lost all their clothing.
A kindly neighbor donated a pair of
shoes to the mother. Others brought
clothing and short time afterward
the members of the family were well
cared for in that respect.