The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-11-16
From London papers.l


egraph.
On Wednesday last, his Maiesty's ship
Princess Charlotte, intended to carry
ITO guns (ihe largest ship ever built
here, was launched at this Dock-yard,
in the presence of an immense con-
course of spectators. 1t is with the
despest sorrow we state, that whilst
this event was passing in view of tens OF
Thousands of persons, with all the inter-
est and admiring feelings which so mag
nifcent spectacle must ever produce,
the appalled, attention of a vast number
of persons was arrested, in their way to
the sight, by a more affecting and ter
rlhc accident than long course of past
eventful years of war produced here.
and which took place about teo minutes
before the ship went off the slip. Our
readers, perhaps, are not generally a.
ware, that over the gates of every
dock, in the Dockyard, and connected
Herewith by iron stancheons, is thrown
Eight bridge or brow, Of four planks
width, for the general convenience of
passing to and fro, and shortening the
distance to various parts of the yard.
In the short passage from the entrance
of the Dock-yard TO the slip on which
the Princess Charlotte was buill, are
three Of these bridges, each about sew
en'y feet long. Connected with the first
fridge is a capacious basin, into which it
was Intended the Princess Charlotte, on
being launched, should be hoated, pre-
paratory TO being taken into what is call
ed the angular dock, to be coppered.
An increased quantity ofwater had been
let into The basin for the purpose. At
the hour of twelve o'clock, this bridge
was crowded with persons passing over
it 10 view the la00ch, when the. weight
OF the water in the basin and probably
agitated by the motion kept up on the
bridge) pressed so 2onderously against
the dock gates, that they broke into pie
ces, and in an instant the dock was filled
by tremendous rush of water from the
basin, carrying along, in lis resistless
course, the gates in fragments, bridge
rails, wofk-stages, and all the passen-
gers on The bridge, excepting such only
AS were within few feet of the extrem-
lilies. How many persons were on the
bridge. and thus were suddenly precipi-
tateG into the dock, is not known: il is
hoped their number did not exceed
thirty. The terrific rush of water TO-
wards the bridge and dock head, throw
ing up the bodies of the unfortunate
sufferers, intermingled with all the des-
tructiVe mass Of agitated fragments, TO a
height ofseyeral feet above the mason
ry work, and its revulsion towards the
basin, was sight dreadfully appalling.
An intelligent gentleman, who was with
IN twenty yards Of the fatal spot, thus
describes the scene, He says-I was
withlo twenty yards Of the bridge when
heard scream, and looked towards
the bridge; it had the appearance Of
an inverted arch, and distinctly saw
several persons run off at both ends,
should think from fifteen TO twenty.
In moment dreadful crack was
heard, and another scream from the
persons precipitated into the water; at
the same instant a tremendous rush OF
water issued into the dock, which was
impelled with rapidity not TO be con-
ceIved Of but by those who saw it, form.
ing a stupendous wave, bearing on its
surface many of the struggling sufferers,
mingled with large fragments Of broken
timber, all which was dashed with 10
conceivable fury against the other end
of the dock, and which, from its impetu-
osity, again rebounded in a curling
wave, whose height was at least ten or
twelve feet above the level ofthe yard
carrying in the tremendous conflict the
bodies of the sufferers, large pieces Of
timber, cloaks, hats, aud clothes of the
unfortunate victims, and again rushed
back TO fill the hollow which had been
created 10 the surface by its own veloc.
'ity. ooh 4! my God my God = was the
exclamation of The behoider, and mo-
mentary stupor took possession of the
mind, which was affected by the convic
ton that the unfortunate victims must
in that instant, have been dashed TO in
eyitable death against the stone work o.
the basin. The silence was but for 4
moment Toe immediately afterwards
appeared in different parts Of the basin
the bodies Of che sufferers, some in The
agonies of death, others in state of in
sensibiity, md one or two apparent,
not much injured, but still exposed no
only TO the horrors of drowning, but iC
tboee Of coming 10 Contact with the
pieces Of scattered timber which the
agitated uproar of the water was dash
ing one against the other.--Persons or
the banks stripped their coats and hats