Evening star., 1949-07-10
Fifty Years Ago

Whue using gasoline Tor cleaning pur-
poses, Mrs. Francis w. Dickins wife Of q
captain in the Navy. was
Mrs. Diekins burned to death In her
Killed home, 1884 Nineteenth street
NV, July 7. 1899. and The
Star of that date carried a full account of
the tragedy. The room in which the un-
fortunate woman was working, 1t seems was
filled with fumes when plumber, carrying
a bloW-torch, entered. An explosion fol-
lowed Immediately and despite efforts to
rescue Mrs. DickinS she could not be saved
from the flames. Damage to the house
was considerable, the entire third floor
front being blown out. Mrs Dickens had
been active in Navy social circles. She like
wise was well known as writer of historical
articles and travel sketches.
The Star for July 4, 1899, contained an
account OF ceremony at Delft, in Holland,
on the same day to pay trib-
In Memory ute to the memory of Hugo
OfGrotius GrotiuS. DR.. Andrew D.
White, United States Ambas-
sador to Germany, was the principal speak
er OF the occasion. He explained to con-
gregation filling the Nieuve Kirck that the
nov assembled delegates from all nations"
at the Peace Conference at The Hague
were indebted to the ideas of the famous
Dutch jurist for their inspiration toward
"at least beginning of an effective. prac-
tical scheme of arbitration" DR.. w. H. De
Beaufort. Minister of Foreign Affairs and
president of the Ministerial Council of the
Netherlands. replied to DR.. White, and Seth
Low. president of Columbia University, also
spoke.
Thousands of models submitted with
patent applications, The Star reported on
July 5, 1899. were stored in two
Useless floors of the Union Building
Models awaiting disposition" It for
merly had been a rule that
every request for protection for a mechan-
ical device must be accompanied by work.
ing example of the same. Models accumu-
lated so rapidly that finding space to house
them became a problem. The rule was
changed to require practical drawings in
place of the actual machines. But the
models already received remained on hand.
Many were totally useless, few had any
value equal to the cost and bother of keep
ing them.
Members of Local Union No. 26 of the
National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
went on strike on July 10,
EIeetricIdns 1899. and 1t was announced
Strike in The Star that evening that
they wanted So for each eight
hours work. 1.-THE striking men say that
they have been dissatisfied with their wages
and hours for some time past, and that
while there was uniformity in the number
of hours-nine-in their day, the wages
ranged from 81 to $3.50 for the same
period" About 100 men were represented
by the union or nearly all the electrical
workers in the District"
4
after 48 years of single blessedness," said
The Star of July 3. 1899. '"Millard Fillmore
Johnson of Arco. Warren County,
Guilds Va. recently fell victim to the
W;Ies' wiles Of Cupid in the person Of
Ora M. Roodacille, 20 years old,
Of the same county, Gathering together a
representative of each of the families. the
bearded groom to-be journeyed to Washing
ton this morning and called at the City
Hall for marriage license which was
granted. He was accompanied by his
young betrothed. who remained without