The record-union., 1899-07-08
Fire and Explosion at the Residence
Of a Naval Officer
Results In the Frightful Death Of Captain
Dickens Wife.
The Woman Killed by an Explo-
sion Of Gasoline, and the Body
Fearfully Burned by the Flames.
Which Followed.


plosion in the residence of Captain
Dickens of the United States navy at
10:45 this morning resulted in the death
of Mrs. Dickens. who was fearfully
burned, and died before medical as
sistance could reach her. Other persons
about the house were severely but not
dangerously injured.
The Dickens residence is handsome
three story brick building on Nineteenth
street. directly back of the British En-
bassy, and within few steps of Du-
pont Circle. The first intimation of
the fire was a low rumble, followed by
several violent shocks, which blew out
the entire third story front Of the resi-
dence. The firemen made their way to
the third story, and among the debris
the front room they found the
blackened corpse of a woman.
From the details of the accident, as
learned from those who were in the
house at the time, it appears that Jo-
seph Vaughan, plumber, and his as
sistant, were putting on gutter at the
rear of the roof. Having completed
the job they descended the ladder to
the third story. The plumbers assist
ant carried a lighted melting pot
Vaughan detected the strong fumes Of
gasoline, and through the open door to
the front room caught a glimpse of a
woman sprinkling liquid on the floor
with the evident purpose of preparing
to cleanse it. He gave warning to his
partner that gasoline was being used,
and that there was danger from the fire
pot, but at this instant a terrific explo.
sion occurred, literally envelopiny the
entire third story in a mass of flames
Those outside the building say there
were successive explosions, and that the
last ones were so sharp and violent
that they must have come from souve,
mir cartridges or other explosives.
Mrs. Dickens death was undoubtedly
caused by the explosion, and it is not
believed she suffered any from the
flames which surrounded her. The res-
cuers were led to the spot by Plumber
who was himself burned
about the face and arms. He received
these burns in an heroic effort to res,
cue Mrs. Dickens. He and his assistant
had entered the room in (which Mrs.
Dickens sat cleaning some rugs wien
the explosion happened. The two men
were thrown down by the explosion.
Vaughan seized Mrs. Dickens and at,
tempted to drag her from the room.
The flames were. however, so fierce that
he was compelled to drop her and fee
for his own safety. He thinks that she
was then dead.
The two men succeeded in making
their way to the rear windows, whence
they got to a one story house building
and thence to the ground.
The explosion was of such force that
it rent the stone steps in front of the
house. The plumbers say that consid-
cradle quantities of the gasoline had
been spilled upon the floor.
The most sorrowful scene occurred in
connection with the recovery and iden-
LITIGATION of Mrs. Dickens body. In
the midst of the greatest excitement
the first report was that the biackened
body in the upper story was that of the
wife of 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 information that Mrs. Dickens
was the one so horribly burned
Word was sent to the Navy Depart
ment, where Captain Dickens is next
to Admiral Crowninshield at the head
of the Bureau of Navigation. The ex-
act character of the catastrophe was
not made known to him, but he was
brought hurriedly to his residence in
He almost tainted as he was
helped from the carriage up the street
entrance steps. He identified the body
as that of his wife. The body of Mrs.
Dickens was borne to the next house,
where surgeon of the navy resides.
The suddenness and fatal effects OF
the fire were somewhat similar 10 those
the fatality at the resid ance
Of Secretary Tracy some years ago,
which was not far from the scene Of
the present occurrence.
Captain Dickens is one of the best
known officers connected with the Navy
and he was brought into
at the time the Maine was
blown up at Havana He was then
Acting Chief of the Navigation Bureau,
and it fell to his lot to receive the first
dispatch from Captain Sigsbee giving
of that disaster.
Mrs. Dickens was an authoress OF
some note, one of her best known books
being around the World in a Man-of.
War" She was also a contributor to
THE pnvTCE AL Ar SEA