Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-08

BEFORE ANY HELP COULD
REACH HER.
WASHINGTON. July Fire and ex-
plosion in he residence of Capt. Dick
ems, of the United States navy, at 10:45
this morning resulted in the shocking
death of Mrs. Dickens. who was fear
fully burned and died before medical
assistance could reach her. Other per-
sons about the house were severely but
not dangerously wounded.
The Dickens residence is a handsome
three-story brick building on Nine
teenth 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 violent shocks, which blew u
the entire third story. and among the
debris littering the front room found
the blackened 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 JOS
eph Vaughn, a plumber, and his as
sistant were putting on a gutter TO the
rear of the third story roof Having
completed the Job they descended by
means OF a ladder TO the third story.
One of the men carried in his hand
a lighted melting pot. AS he descend
cd Vaughn detected the strong fumes
of gasoline and shrough the open door
to the front room caught a glimpse OF
the floor with the evident purpose OF
preparing to cleanse IL. He gave warn
ing to his partner that gasoline was be-
ing used. and that there was danger
from the fire pot, but at this instant a
terrific explosion occurred, literally en-
%veloping 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 nave come
from souvenir cartridges or other ex-
plosives.
The two men succeeded in making
their way to the rear widows. where
they got to a one-story house building
and thence to the ground. They wcs
severely burned about the hands aud
face.
The most sorrowful scene occurred
in connection with the recovery and
identification 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 nearby csd not only detected the
mistake, but also gave the first definite
information that Mrs. Dickens was the
one so terribly burned. Word was
sent to the Navy Department, where
Capt. Dickens Is next to Admiral
Crowninshield at the head OF the Blu
reau of Navigation. The exact char
acter of the catastrophe was not mads/
known to him, tht he was bNs~
hurriedly to the Dickens residence in a
carriage. He almost tainted as he was
helped from the carriage up the stone
entrance steps. Going inside he idsn-
tilted the body as that OF bis wife. The
body of Mrs. Dickens was borne TO the
next house, where a surgeon OF the
navy resides.
The su%ddenness and fatal effects Of
the fire are somewhat similar 70 those
attending the fatality at the residence
OF Secretary Tracy some years ago.
which was not far from the scene OF
the present horror. Capt. Dickens 10
one of the ~best-known officers ~conneet-
ed with the Navy Department, and he
was brought into prominence at the
time the Maine was blown up at Ha~
vana. He was then acting chief Of the
Navy Bureau. and II fell to his lot 10
receive the first dispatch from Capt
slgsbee. giving information OF that
disaster.
Mrs. Dickens was an authoress or
some note, one Of her best books being
Around the World In a Man Of War.
She was also a frequent contributor to
magazines.
Mrs. Dickens death was ~undoubted-
ly caused by the explosion, and II Is NOT
believed she suffered n from the
flames which succeeded. The rescners
were led to the spot BY plumber
Vaughn. who was himself badly burn-
ed about the face and arms. He re-
ceived these burns in an heroic EFFORT
to rescue Mrs. Dickens. He and hh
assistant had entered the room In which
Mrs. Dickens sat cleaning some rugs
when the explosion happened. b
two men were thrown down by the ex-
p~losion. AS soon as they found their
feet, Vaughn seized Mrs. Dickens and
attempted to drag her from the room.
The flames were. however, so fercs
that he was compelled to drop her and
flee for his own life. He thinks THAI
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