The Detroit times., 1909-07-06
MAN MEETS HERO 5.
DEATH IN FLAMES.
Charles Pick Rushes Into Burning
Home, Thinking Members of Fam
lily have Not Been Rescued.

In fire originating possibly from 4
stray skyrocket. which partially de-
stroyed his bakery and dwelling house
at No. 500 Tillman-aye.. Charles PICK,
aged o. lost his life late Monday night
IN attempting, as he supposed, TO save
hts wife and children. who had already
left the building. Pick was partially
blind and this fact, doubtless. was par
TALLY to blame for his mistake.
Hattie Pick. daughter, was also
painfully burned in trying to escape.
but her condition is not serious. Mrs.
Pick. the wife, and Albert, son, sus-
tained slight burns. William +. Mel
low, a neighbor, Of No. $50 Tillman-
ave, discovered the fire and tele-
phoned In an alarm. When he had
done this he ran out TO fhd the Pick
DIV yelling almost mass OF flame. Al
bert Pick. aged q, had returned home
from down town In the meantime and
aroused the family by kicking in the
doors. All had succeeded In reaching
the street when the father, believing
that his 12-year-old son, Eddie. was
still in the blazing building. rushed
back upstairs He was overcome by
the smoke and heat and died before
help could reach him. Several per-
sons made Intellectual attempts TO go
to his aid. but were beaten back by
the flames. The body was later car
ried out by firemen.
Mrs. Pick Is not So sure that fire.
works caused the fire. She thought
she heard noise downstairs some
q Ixxf he. Qr1 hnt n ~.
peared to be some paper moving In
the rear OF the bakery. However.
when her daughter, Hattie. aged To-.
returned home shortly before the fire
she looked all through the place, as Is
her custom, and found nothing wrong.
Hattie was carried 10 the home OF
Stephen Schmarch, No. 955 Hancock
ave. where DR.. Sanderson. Tillman
and Warren-aves., dressed her burns.
The girl and her brother spent the
night I'm the home OF i'atrolman John
McRobbie. No. 523 Tillman-ave.. while
the mother remained with the
Schmarch family. Another daughter,
Frieda. aged 10. was at the home OF
her sister. Mrs julius Malzahn, No.
500 Chene-st.. when the fire occurred
Coroner Burgess took charge OF Mr..
Picks remains and had them sent 10
the county morgue, temporarily.
The property was owned by John
Harrison. a d. u. II. motorman. The
loss to the building is estimated at
nearly $1,000.
Monday broke all previous fire alarm
records for one day. From midnight
Sunday TO IL O'Clock Monday night 33
box alarms and nine still alarms were
turned In, making a total OF AZ. The
record previous to this time was 2e
alarms for July 4. 1908. With the
exception OF the Pick fire none was
serious. however.
Upwards OF 60 accidents due to the
celebration OF the Glorious Fourth.
we're reported Monday. This is just
about double the number reported LAST
Fourth None Of the celebrators WAS
seriously injured. however. and unless
complications develop no fatalities are
likely Firecrackers were the most
common source OF trouble. They were
responsible for no less than 81 OF the
accidents reported.
Clarence Sterling, aged 10. No. 1886
Livernois-ave. wanted to do something
different and, prompted by an older
boy, took mouthful OF Kerosene and
began squirting II in little streams into
a lighted match held I'm his hand All
went well until he had to cough. Tho
oil, OF course, caught fire and Clarence
was frightfully burned about the face
One brainless celebrator threw a
lighted cannon cracker into the air
In front of the Hotel Ste. Claire just
as a car was passing. II exploded
IN, hn rs
senger, inflicting painful burns. Dr.
w. c. Brown, OF No. 1926 Mt. Elliott
ave, attended her.
Frank Peranineta. a 16-year-old ltal-
ian youth. stopped 10 watch fi:e-
works display at Larned and ST. An
loine-sts.. Monday night. when care
lessly placed sky rocket shot across
The street and struck him in the side
burning the flesh. His wound was
dressed in st. Mary's hospital and he
was later able to walk home.
The city physicians were busy all
day long dressing burned and LAGER
ated fingers due in most instances to
the fact that frecrackers were held
too long.
Frank Lee. lad OF Is. No. II
I.orett-ave.. may lose the sight OF one
eye as a result Of a giant cracker ey-
ploding In his hand. A man threw a
lighted "Hooligan' in the midst OF a
group OF boys on Lyman-pl. Dell Ding
man. aged Is. No. Al Lyman-pl. sus-
aimed a lacerated cheek and an iu-
;ured eye In the resulting explosion.
In every instance the accidents
were due to someone's carelessness or
lack OF sense.
Harold Doyle. IL years old, OF No
50 DufIield-st., put large firecracker
under a tin can at Willis and Fourth
aves. Monday afternoon. The can
was brokenn to pieces, and one part
hit Frank A. Kirby. of No. GA Fourth
ave. The little finger on his right
hand was almost amputated by the
can.
The concrete telephone poles with
which big railroad has been expert
menting east of Chicago have been