The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-11

Washington, July Official and
unofficial Washington alike were
shocked today by the tragic death from
an explosion of gasoline at her home
Just west of the British embassy OF
Mrs. Marguerite Diekins, one of the
best known women in social. literary
and charitable circles in Washington,
and wife OF Captain Francis W. Dick
ms, of the navy who received the first
official news of the blowing up of the
battleship Maine In Havana harbor.
The accident mad many distressing
features and came as a fearful blow
10 Captain Dickins, who was suddenly
summoned home from 1he navy depart
ment to find his wife dead and the up
per part of his house a wreck.
The first intimation OF the fire was
a low rumble at 10:45 a. n =, follow
ed by violent shocks, which blew out
the entire third story ron OF the resi-
dence. The quiet neighborhood was
Immediately thrown into the widest
confusion, as engines, ambulances
a large crowd assembled. The firemen
made their way TO the third story and
in the extreme confusion and among
debris littering the front room found
the blackened corpse of a woman Sew
eral streams Of water were required TO
check the fire.
From details of the accident as
learned from those who were in the
house at the time, ii appears hat Jos.
Vaughn, a plumber, and his assistants
were putting on a gutter to the rear OF
! the third story roof. Having complet-
ed the job they descended by means
of a ladder I the third story. Vaughn
carried in his hand a lighted melting
| pot. AS he descended he detected the
strong fumes of gasoline and through
the open doc to the front room caught
a glimpse of a woman sprinkling some
| liquid on the floor with the evident
purpose of preparing to clense it. He
gave a warning to his partner that gas
oline was being used and that there
was danger from the firepot, but at
} this instant a terrific explosion oc-
Cured, 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 so sharp and violent
that they must have come from SOU
venir cartridges or.other explosions.
Mrs. Dickins' death was undoubtedly
caused by the explosion and it is not
believed she suffered any from the
flames which succeeded. The rescuers
were led to the spot by Plumber
Vaughn, who was himself badly burn
ed about the face and arms. He re-
ceived the burns in an heroic effort to
rescue Mrs. Dickins. He and his as
sistant had entered the room in which
Mrs. Dickins sat cleaning some rugs,
when the explosion happened. The
two men were thrown down by the ex-
plOsiOn. 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
flee for his own life. He thinks that
she was then dead.
The explosion was of such force tina:
t rent the stone steps in front of the
4; house. The pit mbers say tina. consid-
trable quantities of the gasoline had
apparently Dean spilled upon The floor.
The most sorrowful scene occurred
If connection with the recova-y and
Identification of Mrs. Dickins' body. In
the midst of the greatest excitement.
the first report was that the b,acKcned
body in the upper story was that of the
wife of the Gistic guisned admiral Of
the navy. He vas summoned from his
home near By and not only detected
the mistake, but also gave the first
definite information that Mrs. Dickins
was the one SO horribly burned. Wore
was sent to The navy department. where
Captain Di:k!ns is text to Admiral
Crowninshield at the head of the bu-
reau of navigation. The exact cha
acter of the catastrophe was nos male
known to him. but he was taken hur-
Tiedly to the D.Ckirs residence in q
carriage. Arriving there the scene of
desOlation and the ominous features Of
the faces of the firemen and officers ap-
prised him Of what might be expected.
He almost tainted as he was helped
from the carriage up the stone entrance
steps. Going inside he identified the
body as that of his wife.
The body of Mrs. Dickens was borne
to the next house, where a surgeon of
the navy resides.
Mrs. Dickins 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 frequent con-
tributOr to magazines.
THE Va w CED nEnENnED