The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-08

Explosion Causes the Death Of q
Washington Society Leader.
CAPTAIN F. ". DICKENS BERgfr.

Into q Room Where Mrs. Dickins
Was Using the Fluid. Brought Death
and Destruction.
Washington. July s.-Ofaciai and I'M
ofiicial Washington alike were shocked
yesterday by the tragic death from an
explosion of gasoline at her home, just
west Of the British embassy, of Mrs.
Marguerite Dlckins, one of the best
known women in social, literary and
charitable circles in Washington, and
wife Of Captain Francis w. Dickins, of
the navy, who received the first official
news Of the blowing up of the battle
ship Maine In Havana harbor. The
accident had many distressing features,
and came as a fearful blow to Cap
tain Dickins, who was suddenly sum-
moned home from the navy depart
ment to find his wife dead and the
upper part of his house wreck.
The Dickins house is at 1434 Nine
teenth street, In the fashionable part
of town. being only block from Du-
pont Circle. A small room at the head
of the stairs on the third floor is used
as a storeroom. Mrs Dickins decided
to pack away for the summer some
rugs that were there, and to keep
moths from them she saturated them
with gasoline. This had collected in
pools on the floor A plumber and
his assistant were at work on the roof
of the house repairing spout. They
descended from 1he roof of the house
with hot metal pot while Mrs. Dick
ms was at work preparing the rugs
for storage. The fumes of the gaso-
line filled the room in which she was
working and permeated the whole of
the upper floor. The plumber, Joseph
Vaughn, detected the presence of the
volatile fluid. but almost on the in
slant that he cautioned his assistant
there was terrific explosion, wreck
ing the upper part Of the house, and
flames breaking out Immediately.
An open gasoline can was alongside
of Mrs. Dickins, SO that the gas being
thickest near her she received the
worst shock Of the explosion. The
plumbers were knocked down by the
shock. The helper named Cook,
quickly recovered, rushed down stairs,
closing the door behind him. The
screams of Mrs. Dickins recalled him,
and he aided Vaughn in an effort to
rescue the now unconscious woman.
They made several attempts to get her
out of the room, but the passageway
was narrow and they were soon forced
to retreat. Vaughn, before leaving,
placed blanket over her form, and
his helper returned with q fire ex-
tinguisher, whose contents he emptied
over her. but neither expedient was
successful in saving he Rife. They
were both burned in the attempt tos
save her.
The fire department was soon on the
scene and extinguished the flames.
They found the burned and blackened
body of Mrs. Dickins at the door of
the room in which she had been at
work and removed it to the residence
of DR.. William S. Dixon, another naval
officer living next door. Life was ex-
tinct and the face so burned that 1t
was only by pieces of her dress that
the servants were able to identify Mrs
Dickins. The upper part of the house
was found to have been badly wrecked
inside and outside. Valuable bric-a-
brac furniture and curios collected in
all parts Of the world, making the
house one Of the most artistic and
beautiful homes in the city, were ir-
reparably damaged. The money loss
is estimated at $4,000 or more. Cap
tain Dickins was on duty as assistant
chief of the bureau Of navigation when
the explosion occurred. He was hasti-
ly summoned home, and did not know
of his wife's death until he reached
there. The shock Frustrated him, and
he is now under physicians care, his
nervous system being broken down by
his terrible misfortune.
Mrs. Dickins was daughter of
Charles F. Bates, well known resi-
dent of New York city, and was mar
ried to Captain Dickins in 1878 at New
poft--R. |. They had no children. She
was an enthusiastic member of the HUI
name society, and during the severe
storms of last winter and other years
she sought out and helped with food
and clothing many homeless and hun
CRY persons. She was well known
contributor to magazines and the au-
thor Of some books, the best known of
which is Along Shore With a Man-of-
War"
In society Mrs. Dickins was very
popular. She was one of the ladies
who accompanied the Duke and Ouch
ess Of Veragua on their trip through
the United States and to the Column
bian exposition at Chicago. She was
4
the American Revolution, which will
take special action regarding her death.
During the Spanish American war
she was one of the most active of
local committee which did good work
in securing delicacies and caring for
the sick and wounded soldiers who
passed through Washington from Cuba
or the military camps in the south.