The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-08
FIRE AND GASOLINE.
Accident in n Washin gton Mansion
With Fatal Result.

WASHINGTON, July Fire and ex-
plosion in the residence of Capt Dickins,
U. S. N, at 10:40 this morning, resulted
in the death of Mrs. Dickins, who was
fearfully burned and died before medical
assistance could reach her. Other per-
sons about the house were severely but
not dangerously wounded
The Dickins residence is a handsome
three-story brick building on Nineteenth
street, directly back of the British en-
bassy, 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 out the en-
tire third story front of the residence.
The firemen made their way to the 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, 1t appears that Joseph
Vaughn, a plumber, and his assistant were
putting on a. gutter to the rear of the
third story roof. Having completed the
job, they descended by means of lad
der to the third story. One of the men
carried in his hand a lighted melting pot.
AS he descended Vaughn detected the
strong fumes of gasoline, and through
the open door to the front room caught
a glimpse of woman sprinkling some
nQulQ on the UOOT, WIN TIE evident pur-
pose of preparing to cleanse it. He gave
warning to his partner that gasoline was
being used, and that there was danger
from the firepOt, 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 swere 50 sharp and violent
that they must have come from souvenir
partrfdPaS ar Ofher 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. They were Sc
verely burned about the hands and
face.
SORROWFUL SCENE.
The most sorrowful scene occurred in
connection with the recovery and iden-
LITIGATION of Mrs. Dickins' 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
and not only detected definite information
that Mrs Dickins was the one so horri-
bly, burned. Word was sent to the navy
department, where Capt. Dickins is next
to Admiral Croninshield at the head of
the bureau of navigation. The exact
CHARACTER Oh Tie cdldSlrOpn6 was not
made known to him, but he was brought
hurriedly to the Dickins residence in a
carriage. He almost tainted as he was
helped from the carriage up the stone
entrance steps.
Going inside, he identified the body as
that of his wife. The body Of Mrs. Dick
ms was borne to the next house, where
a surgeon of the navy resides.
TIE suddenness and fatal results of the
fire are somewhat similar to those at
tending the fatality at the residence of
Secretary Tracey, some years ago, which
was not far from the scene of the pres
ent horror.
Capt Dfckins is one of the best known
officers connected with the navy depart
ment, and he was brought into promt-
nence at the time the Maine was blown
up at Havana. He was then acting chief
Of the navigation bureau, and 1t fell to
his lot to receive the first dispatch from
Capt Sigsbee, giving information Of that
disaster.