The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-08
Fatal Accident 10 Wife of Captain
Dickens, U. S. N.
SHE WAS USING GASOLINE
CAME IN CONTACT WITH A
PLUMBERS FIRE POT.
Third Story of Her Washington Res
idence Blown Out and Several
People Injured-Husband Was at
Work In the Navy Department.
Deeds of Heroism.

Washington, July Fire and eXplo-
sion in the residence of Captain Dick
ems of the United States navy at 1O:45
this morning resulted in the death of
Mrs. Dickens, who was fearfully
burned, and died before medical assist
ance could reach her. Other persons
about the house were severely, but not
dangerously, injured.
The Dickens residence is a handsome
three-story brick building on Nine
tenth street, directly back of the Brit
ish embassy, and within a few steps of
Dupont Circle.
The first intimation of the fire was a
low rumble, followed by several VIC
lent shocks, which blew out the entire
third-story front of the residence The
firemen made their way to the third
story, and among the debris littering
the front room they found the black
ened 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, We're putting on gutter at the
rear of the roof. Having completed the
job. they descended the ladder to the
third story. The plumbers assistant
carried 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 fluid on some rags,
with the evident purpose of preparing
to cleanse them. 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 ter
rife explosion occurred, literally envel-
oping the entire third story in a mass
of flames. -
Grief of a Husband.
Those outside the building say there
were successive explosions, and that the
last ones We're so sharp and violentSha
they must have come from souvenir
cartridges or other explosives. The two
men succeeded in making their way to
the rear windows. where they got to a
one-story house building, and thence
to the ground.
The most sorrowful scene occurred in
connection with the recovery and iden-
tification of Mrs Dickens 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 def
mite 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 CrowinshieId 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 Dickens resi-
dence in a carriage. He almost tainted
as he was helped from the carriage up
the street entrance steps. He identi-
Ga l. l. IL. l. IL
body of Mrs. Dickens was borne TO the
next house, where a surgeon of the
navy resides.
Mrs. Dickens 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
Vaughan who was himself badly burned
about the face and arms. He received
these burns in an heroic effort to res
cue Mrs. Dickens.
Workman's Heroic Effort.
The two plumbers were thrown down |
by the explosion. Vaughan seized Mrs. !
Dickens 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 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 suddennes and fatal effects of 1
the fire We're somewhat similar to those (,
attending the fatality a the residence |
Of Secretary Tracy some years ago. I
which was not far from the scene of /
the present horror.
Captain Dickens is one of the best |
known officers connected with the navy J
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 it fell to his lot to receive the first
dispatch from Captain Sigsbee giving
information 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 frequent con-
-ributor to magazines.