The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-08
KILLED BY AN EXPLOSION
SHE WAS SpRINKIING A FLOOR
WITH GASOLINE.
DISASTER ChUSEDtY PLUMBER S FIRE POT
Mrs. Dickins One Of the Most Prominent We
men Of Washington. Her Death
Great Shock 10 Residents Of
the Capital City.

Washington, July 7.-Official and un-
official Washington alike were shocked
to-day by the tragic death from an ex-
plosion of gasoline ut her home just west
garite Dickins, one of the best known wo-
men in social, literary and charitable
circles in Washington, and wife of Capt
Francis w. Diekins, of the Navy, who
received the first official news OF the
blowing up of the battleship Maine III
Havana harbor.
The accident had many distressing fea-
lures and came AS a fearful blow to
Captain Dickins, who was suddenly
summoned home from the Navy Depart
ment to find his wife dead and the upper
part of his house wrecked.
The Dickins residences is handsome
three story brick building on Nineteenth
street directly back of the British Em,
bassy, and within a few steps of Dupont
Circle. The first intimation of the fire
was a low rumhle.at 1915 Il. III. followed
by several violent shocks which blew out
the entire tnird story of the residence.
The quiet neighborhood was Immediately
thrown into the widest confusion, rs en-
gines, ambuanees and Il large crowd as
semnled. The firemen made their way
to the third story, and in the extreme
confusion and among debris litter I'm rhe
front room, found the blackened corpse
of woman. Several streams of water
were required to check the fire.
From details of the accident. as learn
ed from those who were in the house at
the time, il appears tlat JOS. Vaughn. Il
plumber. with his assistants, were put
ting on Il gutter to the rear OF the third
story roof. Having completed the job
they descended by means OF Il ladder to
the third story. Vaughn carried in his
hand a lighted melting pot As he de-
scended he detected the strong fumes of
gasoline. and through the open door to
the front room caught glimpse of a
woman sprinkling some liquid on the
floor with the evident purpose Of prepar-
ing to cleanse it. He gave a warming to
his partner that gasoline was being used
and that there was danger from the
fire pot, but al this instant Il terrific ex-
plosion occurred, literally cnyeloping the
entire third story i'll Il mass of flames
Those outside the building say there
were three successive explosions. and
that last of them was so sharp and vio-
lent that they must have come from
souvenir cartridges or other explosives
Mrs. Dickins death was undoubtedly
caused by the explosion. and it is not
believed she suffered any from the
flames Which, succeeded. The rescurers
were led to the spot by Plmmmer
Vaughn. VINO was himself badly burned
anout the face and arms. He received
these burns in an heroic effort to rescue
Mrs. Dickins. He and his assistant had
entered the room in which Mrs. DicEins
sat cleaning some rugs, when the OK
plosion happened. The two men We're
thrown down by the explosion. As soon
as they found ther feet, Vaughn seized
Mrs. Vaughn and attempted to drag her
from the room. The flames were, how
ever. so fierce that he was compelled to
drop her and flee for his own life. He
thinks that she was then dead. The eX
plosion was of such force that it rent the
stone steps in front of the house
he most sorrowful scene occurred in
connection with the recovery and identi-
fication of Mrs. Dickins' body. The exact
character of the catastrophe was not
made known to Captain Dickins. but he
was taken mIrriedly to the Dickins resi-
derice in carriage. Arriving there the
scene of desolation and the ominous fea-
lures of the tiremen and officers apnrised
him of what might be expected. He al
most tainted as he was helped from the
carriage up to the stone entrance steps.
Going inside he identified the body as
that of his wife.
The body of Mrs. Dickins was borne to
the next house where Il surgeon of the
navy resides Capt. Dickins is one of
the hest lSrown officers connected with
the Navy Department. Mrs. Dickins
was an authoress of scfne not one Of
her hest known books being: '.Around
the World in a Man-ofWar" She was
also IL frequent contributor to magazines.