The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-08
SHOCKING
DEATH OF
MRS. DICKINS,
Wife OF Captain DIckins Of the
Naval Bureau of Navigation,
in an Explosion.
FRONT OF HOUSE BLOWN OUT.
She was Using Gasoline to Clean
a aFloor When the Treacher.
Gus Gas Ignited.


WASHINGTON. July Fire and ex-
plosion in the residence Of Captain
Dlckins, of the United States Navy at
1O:45 this morning. resulted in the shook
ing death Of Mrs. DlcKIns, who was
fearfully burned and died before medi-
cal assistance could reach her. Other
persons about the house were severely
but not dangerously wounded.
The Dicklns residence Is handsome
three-story brick building on Nineteenth
street, directly back of the British em-
bassy and within few steps OF Du-
pont circle. The first lntimation Of the
fire was a low rumble. followed by sew
eral violent shocks, which blew out the
entire third story front OF the residence.
The tiremen made their way to the third
story and among the debris llttering the
front room found the blackened corpse
OF u woman.
From the details Of the accident as
learned from those who were in the
house ut the time, 1t appears that JOS
eph Vaughn, plumber, and his assist
ant, were putting on a gutter to the
rear OF the third story roof. Having
completed the Job they descended by
means OF q ladder to the third story.
One OF the men carried in his hand a
lighted melting pot. As he descended
Vaughn detected the strong fumes of
gasoline and through the open door to
the front room caught glimpse Of a
woman sprlnkllng some liquid on the
floor with the evident purpose of pre-
pairing to cleanse 1t. He gave warning
to his partner that gasoline was being
used, and that there was danger from
the fire pot, but at this instant u terrible
explosion occurred, literally enveloping
the entire third story in a mass OF
flames. Those outside the building say
there were successive explosions. and
that the last ones were 80 sharp and
violent that they must have come from
souvenir cartridges or other explosives.
The two men made their way to
the rear windows, where they got to q
one story house building and thence to
the ground. They were severely burned
about the hands and face.
The Most sorrowfnl Scene.
The most sorrowful scene occurred in
connection with the recovery and iden
tltIcatIon Of Mrs. DIcEins body. In the
midst OF the greatest excitement the
first report was that the blackened body
in the upper story was that of the wife
OF a distinguished admiral of the navy.
He was summoned from his home near
by and not only detected the mistake,
but also gave the first definite lnforma-
tlon that Mrs. Dicklns was the one so
horribly burned. Word was sent to the
navy department, where Captain Dick
lns is next to Admiral Crowninshield at
the head OF the bureau of navigation.
The exact character OF the catastrophe
was not made known to him, but he
was brought hurrIedly to the Dickins
residence in carriage. He almost
tainted as he was helped from the car
rlage up the stone entrance steps. Go
ing inside he identified the body as that
of his wife. The body OF Mrs. DIckins
was borne to the next house, where a
surgeon Of the navy resides.
The suddenness and fatal effects OF
the fire are somewhat similar to those
attending the fatality at the residence
OF Secretary Tracy some years ago,
which was not far from the scene of the
present horror Captain DIcklns is one
OF the best known officers connected
with the navy department, and he was
brought into prominence at the time the
Maine was blown up at Havana. He
was then acting chief OF the navigation
bureau, and 1t fell to his lot to receive
tho first dispatch from Captain slgsbee,
giving information OF that disaster.
An Authorcss OF Note.
Mrs. Dicklns was an authoress Of
some note. one OF her best known books
being Around the World in Mar.of-
War" She was also frequent con-
tributor to magazines.
Mrs. pIcldns' death was undoubtedly
caused by the explosion and 1t is not be-
IIeved she suffered any from the tiames
which succeeded. The rescuers We're
led to the spot by plumber Vaughn, who
was himself badly burned about the face
and arms. He received these burns in
an heroic effort to rescue Mrs. Dlckins.
He and his assistant had entered the
room In which Mrs, DlckIns sat cleaning
some rugs when the explosion happen
ed. The two men were thrown down by
the explosion. As soon as they found
their feet Vaughn seized Mrs. Dickins
and attempted to drag her from the
room. The flames were. however, so
fierce that he was compelled to drop her
and Gee for his own life. He thinks
that she was then dead.
The explosion was of such force that
It rent the stone steps In front Of the
house. Tho plumbers say that consid-
ernble quantities of the gasoline had ap-
parently been spilled upon the floor.
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