Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-08
DEADLY EXPLOSION
Washington Society Woman Kill
ed; Her House Wrecked.
CAPITAL CITY is SHOCKED
BlnclScned Body of Brilliant Mrs Dickens
Isl Found In the RUFUS. Ignition ofa
Vessel Filled With Gasoline
Cau-cd the Fatality.
CBy TclcGraph.)


cd to-day Inv Tho trn,.ic ,3.oth t,,, -,
explosion Of gasoline ut her homo iusl
west Of the British embassy. Of Mrs
Murgucritc Dickins. one Of the. best
known women in social. literary ANA
charitable circles in Washington. ard
Wife of Captain Francis w. Dickins of
the navy, who received the first olIicini
news of the blowing up of the battle
ship Maine in Havana, harbnr. The ;,c-
ctlcnt had many distressing fcatur...
and came as {; fearful blow 10 Cap,air
Dicllins. who Was suddenly summoned
home from the Navy Department to
find his vile dead and the upper pa.t
of his house !, wreck
The Dickins residence is y ;,andson,.
,hrce-story brick building on Nirc; ecntl1
street, directly back OF the British en-
bassy and within q few stems or Dunont
Circle.
THE EXPLOSION
The first intinliI 1.on- OF IT,, lire vas 4
low rumble at 1O:i5 A. NJ, followed hy
several violent shocks which blow ont
The entire third story front of the resi-
lence The quiet nei-hborhnod ,y,s
Immediately thrown into the Widest
confusion as e.R,i1as. onbulances and a
large crowd assembled. The firemer
made their way to the thfrI1 Story and
in the extreme confusion and among
debris littering the front room found
the blacllened corpse of a woman. Sew
check the fire.
From details Of the accident, as learn
cd from those who were IN the house at
the time, it appears that Joseph Waugh
an. q plumber, aud his assistants. We're.
putting on Il gutter TO the rear or the
! third story roof. Having completed the
job. they descended by means of Il lad
der to the third story. Vaughan carried
| IN his hand 4 lighted melting pot AS
ne descended he detected the strong
fumes of gasoline and through the omen
door to the front room caught Il glimpse
OF woman sprinkling some liquid on
the floor with the evident purpose OF
preparing to cleanse it.
ENFEIOPED IN FLEMES
lie gave IL warning to his partner that
SaSollne WAS being used and that there
was danger from the fire pot. but 1T
this instant a terrific explosion occur
rcd, literally cnvelopins the entire third
story IN a mass of flames
Those outside the building say there
We're successive explosions. and that The
last ones We're so sharp and violent that
they must have come from souvenir
cartridges or other explosives.
MIS-. Dickens death vas undoubtedly
caused by the explosion as it is not be-
| HeVca she suffered any from the flames
"hlch succeeded. The rcscuers We're led
TO the spot by Plumber Vaughan. who
| was himself badly burned about the
it.NS -'i''' gu ms. ~ iCStl\th lttSc DufliS
m an heroic effort to rescue Mrs. Dick
| ms. he and his assistant had entered
inc room IN winch Mrs. Dickins sat
cleaning some rugs, when the explosion
| happened. The TWO men We're thrown
| down by the explosion. As soon as they
found their feet, Vaughan seized Mrs.
Dickins ard attempted to drag her from
| me room The flames were. however
;" iicfce that ne was compelled to drop
| ncr ana lice to1. ms own HE. lie thinks
| that she was then dead.
Inc explosion was OF such force that
:t rent the stone steps in front Of the
| mouse. Inc plumbers say that consid-
cradle qua ntlt'es OF the gasoline had
| apparently ncen spilled upon the floor
| -, M.'Sl 9olik'oW ruL SCENE
INC most snrroWful scene occurred in
.u!illt:,'"l WIN me recovery and ldcn-
lli.cation o. WIS. Dlcklns body. IN the
liliusl o. nc SfSalest cN'itencnt the
| .!tst lel'oil vas mat the Dlackened BODY
~. INC upper ssofE was mat OF me Vile
~ =, d H'S'ihSu'Sheu sa'niral or the navy
IL Wis Summoned from ms nome near
~, ~ ai,u NO. Oily uetectcd lne mistake.
| ~ 49,: ''..u sart t',e i,rst oellnlte informal
,'.,;, .,.lh ~ o'Ghll..s was the one SO
w 10y ntti ~. Noiu was Sent 10 inc
saN! Dcl'"r'l'ie'i.' where oaF.dln DICK
ms IS next 10 admiral CroWninshicll
~, lhe ilea'' OF me bureau OF havlsatlon.
inc eA.'ct character OF tne catastEophc
nns 10. ilif.ue iho"n 70 MN. but ne was
=. 49, ~. .euiS ~ .ue 1ichlns residence
80 80 q ~, l<.6c ARRIVING tnere the scene
nrisnd b;,,, ~ 49, ~ , ~