Victor Truman Dicks

DICKS, ROBINSON

Posted By: Marlene K. Skalberg (email)
Date: 8/14/2019 at 13:57:22

BURNED TO DEATH
VICTOR DICKS AND WIFE OF NODAWAY ARE VICTIMS OF TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
OIL EXPLOSION KILLS TWO
Woman attempted to Build Fire with Kerosene and Fatal Explosion Follows Rash Act
A terrible catastrophe occurred in Nodaway on Sunday morning of this week in which Mrs. Victor Dicks lost her life, her husband Victor Dicks, received burns from the effects of which she is not expected to live and the lives of their children were placed in jeopardy for a time. At about 7 o’clock in the morning Mrs. Dicks had started a fire in the kitchen stove, but thinking it had gone out, she attempted to rekindle it by using coal oil. She took a gallon can of oil and commenced during the fluid on the kindling. It appears that there were some coals from the former attempt to make a fire and the oil ignited. A terrible explosion followed heard all over the Village. The burning fluid was thrown all over Mrs. Dicks and about the house. Mr. Dicks, who had not yet arisen, jumped out of his bed and seizing some of the bed clothing, wrapped it about the figure of his wife in the attempt to smother the flames. This he was successful in doing in a short time, with the assistance of neighbors, who had rushed to the scene immediately upon hearing the upon hearing the explosion. Mr. Dicks carried his wife out of doors and retuned to the house where the burins fluid was consuming a bed in a room adjoining the kitchen and in which his children slept. He rescued the little ones from the flames, but all his efforts in behalf of the loved ones cost him a terrible price, for his own flesh was burned so badly that one could trace where he had gone by pieces of burned flesh e left in his footsteps. Mrs. Dicks was terrible burned all over her body and died Sunday evening.
At this writing, Mr. Dicks is very low and physicians are of the opinion that he can lived but a few hours. From his waist down he is very seriously burned.
As soon as the good people of Nodaway arrived, they went to the assistance of the distressed family as quickly as possible, everything was done that could be of service in alleviating the suffering. Mr. Dicks had a family of five children, the oldest of whom is nine years of age and had it not been for his thoughtfulness and self-sacrifice at least some of them would have perished. The calamity is terrible to contemplate and the whole county is shocked. Mr. Dicks is a brother of John Dicks of Corning, and the latter immediately summoned. He tells us that Nodaway people had given his brother’s family every care when he arrive.
Adams County Free Press, Corning, Iowa, Thursday, May 12, 1909, page 1
The funeral of Victor Dicks, who died, at his home in Nodaway, Tuesday evening from the effects of burns received the Sunday before, was held at Nodaway Thursday in Presbyterian Church, at 10 o’clock, conducted byRev. C. J. Carey, and the remains were brought to Corning on No. 4 and taken to Quincy for interment beside his wife. Victor Dicks, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Dicks, was born near Mt. Etna, September 19, 1879, and at the time of his death was aged 29 years, 7 months, and 22 days. Mr. Dicks was married to Miss Carrie Josephine Robinson of Quincy, December 15, 1893 and both lost their lives by the terrible accident mentioned last week. We understand the children have been provided with good homes, the three sons to be cared for by two brothers of their father in Woodbury County, and two daughter with is brother in Council Bluffs. Mr. and Mrs. Dicks were well known to many Adams County people, having been residents of Carbon for a long time before going to Nodaway last January. The bereaved relatives have the sympathy of all in their double sorrow.
Adams County Free Press, Corning, Iowa, Thursday, May 19, 1909, page 1