The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-03-08
Correspondence cfthe Ohio Statesmen.
TERRIBLE CALAMITY!
WAsHINGToN, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Ipbyrunry. %. 1874

February, %, 1874.
The city is in onsternation--never has tnere
been exhibited such universal terror and distress
as this night brings US, for never has there been,
within it or its vicinity, so dreadful calamity as
has occurred in waters of the Potomac this day
One of the great guns OH board the Princeton
Steamship, on this her third experimental excur-
sion in our river, exploded killing nstantaneously
five persons, and mortally wounding five Others
Among the killed, are Hon. A. p Upsher, Sec
retary of State, Hon. Thos. w. Gilmer, Secre-
tary of the Navy, Commodore Kennon, ,ofthe Navy
Yard, Hon. Virgil Maxcy of Maryland, late Charge
d'Affalrs to Belgium, MIR. David Gardner of New
York, and five sailors. Dreadful as is the report,
it is true!
1t is supposed that not less than 500 persons
were on board-one-third OF whom were ladies'
The company were at dinner-a most bountltul re-
past Toasts were passing around, and the most
ecstatic feelings of pleasure, patriotism and social
cheer reigned among the collected company IN the
cabin. At this time, Uhe ship being in the neigh
borhoodof Mount Vernon,) number of the gen.
emen, in addition to the few who continued on
| deck, were invited to witness the discharge of the
.sPeace-nlaker, the name of the great wrought
iron gun at the bow of the ship. From our letter
describing the Congressional excursion of the
Princeton, of Tuesday week, it will be remember
ed that the .'Peace-maker" weighs ten tons, re-
quires twenty-five pounds of powder for an ordi-
nary charge, and a ball of 225 pounds weight-hat
in addition to this the ships armed with IL forty
two FOUNDERS, six to each side, and another great
wrought-ron gun at the stem, a fellow to the
'Peace-maker," called the "Oregon," and that
all this armament is on the upper deck. Nearly
the entire company were at dinner, when the ex-
perimenta discharge was made, (and it is reported
that it was a very heavy charge, as to test the
strength and prodigious powers of the gum
Mr.. Waller, son.in-law of the President, was
singing patriotic song at the festive board, when
the gun was fired on the deck above. There was
sudden stiffness on the upper deck among the
spared, deep groaning among the wounded and
dying, and then succeeded scene of tumult, hor-
ror, alarm and despair-a scene of tears, of blood
of manglcd men, dead and dying, and of shrieking
women, calling upon the dead, and searching the
living for them
/ Strewed in their blood around the gun, among
the ponderous fragments, lay the mangled cOrpses;
| Mr.. Gardner cut in two at the thighs, Mr.. Up
! shcr with the shoulders and abdomen shattered in
to a mass, Mr.. GiImcr with his skull and shoulders
torn to rieces-the flying metal, from the height Of
the gun, striking nearly all the dead most fatally.
Col. Benton ofthc Senate, was temporarily par
ayzed by the tremendous conclusion c ptain
Stockton was slightly injured, but from his posi-.
ton, standing in the rear of the gum he escaped
less body, far off into the river.
Mrs Gilmer was on board, as also number OF
the female friends and relations of the deceased
The deep and fearful agony of one Of the ladies,
effected all the living present, as deeply as the fear
full ulspectacle. Scarcely weeping herself, from the
excess of her despair, she looked upon the dead,
and exclaimed: ais it soils it so?-Do see?-
Do Ive;-DoI dream' My noble husband is
it, is it my husband-a a widow and an orphan am |,
am l, alone in the world' Oh! God have mercy,
and take this fearful dream from me! 1t is MOTT
cannot be-yes it is-it is!!''
We ivcyou these hurried particulars as we have
received them from gentleman on board, who
describes the scene as terrible beyond conception
Two summers ago, when the steamship Missouri
was coming up the river, and not far from the spot
of this calamity, fifteen lives were lost by the slip.
: ping of an anchor-chan, which drew The boat and
crew bearing the anchor to the bottom To-day
l we have another accident, which throws not only
I the country into mourning, but the government
: itself into disorder and all the experimental war.
t ship excursions into eternal disrepute
, On the excursion ofthe Princeton with the mem.
bers OF the House, on last Tuesday week, we stood
at the side of thi< Peace maker during severa
other discharges The conclusion seriously affect
ed our hearing rSeveral days, and until yeser
day we had suffered necessarily from our teeth
all of which seemed to haze been Jared from thei
sockets. But then the gun was only charged VIII
IS pounds Of powder-to-day, the Captain (froH
a wish, perhaps, to exhibit his big gun to the bes
advantage, poor fellow, y had charge put in of 4t
pounds. Had we risen an hour earlier this m 1rn
ing, as to have prepared, in season, for the Wis
il, your reporter might have been ere this ushered
with the dead 1fthe Princeton, into eternity. We
are thankful that it is otherwise. Dreadfu-dread-
ful day! PER Sc.
Z. 5. A later account says that one sailor is
dead. though several were wounded. A servaat
of the President was killed.
I From the Globe of Wednesday efening.
POSTSCRIPT,