The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-06-13


Nicholas D. Farrell, do severely.
Jacob De Hart do. do
! Thomas Mccullough cook, slightly.
Charles Scott, seaman, severely.
| Zeb Robertson, do. do.
| Joseph Moore, do. slightly.
Thomas Newhova, do. do.
| WIN. Brown, musician, severely
Stephen Decatur, a boy, do.
| "A son of Henry Eckford, Esq. of this city.
1t happened fortunately that sxty-two men former
Iy attached to the frigae, drafted Tuesday,
and had proceeded Norfolk to form part of the
of the frigate Constellation the eve of depar-
ture for foreign station. The band, IL in NUMBER
were on shore.
This dreadful accident occasoned by the Gun
ners going into the magazine, to procure powder to
fire the evening gun. He was charged by one of the
officers previously 10 his going below to be careful !;
and soon after, the explosion took place. We under
stand that he was man between 90 and 50 years of
age, and had just been appointed to that office; the
old Gunner having been discharged the day before.
He was desired by Lieut. Breckenridge to be cautious
with the light, and to place it in the location nvara-
bly, provided for it, such occasions, viz behind
rejecting glass in the partition, through which the rays
OF light are thrown. II is supposed he had been care
less in this particular, and that having carried the
candle into the magazine of its sparks were COM
inundated to the powder but he is among the dead
nothing certain upon this point be known.
Lieut. Null states, that the necessary precautions had
been taken for opening the Magazine, and sentinel
placed at the Hatch before he left the Deck and that
after being IN the ward some twenty minutes the
explosion took place.
AT the time of the explosion the officers were dining
in the ward room. The lady of Lieut. Breckenridge,
and the son of Lieut.. Plat, lad of about nine years
old, were guests, and one account says both were
slightly wounded. Another account says Lieut.. Null,
who was sitting next to the of Lieut. Plat, with
great presence Of mind, caught hold of him and placed
him IN one of the port holes, by which he es-
capped uninjured. Lieut. Plat had returned only yes
terday morning, having been absent one month, on
leave. Com. Chauncey, with the commander of the
rigate, Capt Newton, left her only few minutes be-
fore the exploson-the former having been on board
on "a visit of inspection.
The escape of Midslpman Eckford seems to have
been almost miraculous. When Com. Chauncey (who
was one of the first to reach the vesse got board
the first object he saw young Eckford hanging by
one of his legs between the gun DECK whittier he had
been forced by the explosion. A jack screw was i'm
medately procured, by means of which the deck was
raised and he extricated from his perilous situa-
ton.
| The room in which the officers were dining was
situated about mdships. The whole company at the
table We're forced by the concusson against the tran
som, with such violence to break their limbs, and
otherwise cut and bruise them in shocking manner.
| The magazine situated in the bow of the YES
sell This part of the ship, may we'll be imagined,
is completely demolished. Indeed the ship remains as
complete wreck as probably beheld. The
mbers throughout appear to have been perfectly rot
ten. Many of the guns were thrown overheard, and
| some OF them (of large dimensions) now hang as it