The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-03-02
from the Philadelphia Chronicle

THE PRINCETON CArAsrRopHE-THE News
HEARTLEss ACCOUNTS OF Ir.-Seldom indeed Is
our city the scene of much CONSERVATION and
gloom, as followed the receipt of intelligence, yes,
terday, of the heart rendng catastrophe on board
the Princeton At first it was treated as a hoax,
got up by some one to answer the purpose oil a tenn
porary excitement. 1t was urged that the circum-
stances related were too horrd in their details to
be true, and that the improbablty of the nara
tive was heightened by the time of its arrival in
this city. But unhapPily, these willing apologies
were too soon dispeled by the force Of corrobora-
ton, and the heart sickened at the perusal of real
horrors so proiuse and poignant, and many turned
| from them overwhelmed by emotions which they
| could not control. single death under such cir
cumstances would have been distressing But
when the mind was brought to contemplate the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. transit from the reign OF wit
and mirth-the scene of unalloyed Joy, to that OF
wholesale carnage which followed, It was too
| much and we exaggerate not when we say, that
| the community were amaZed-and sickened at it.
The scene itself, when the smoke of the powder
had sufficiently "blown OFF, to disclose the extent
of the havoc, must have surpassed description The
mangled and quivering bodies of the dead and dy-
| ing! The pteous groans OF the wounded The
|. distressing shrleks OF widows and daughters-who
but instant before gazed with pride upon the no
| BILE forms OF husbands and fathers-but now ago.
| nizng over their mangled and feless bodies =
| The piteous grief OF unhurt spectators Good
Heaven-what reality who can describe it?
The news OF this shocking affair was received
| in this city early yesterday morning The special
| express, iun by Mr.. Packenham from Washington
| to Boston. with dispatches for England-by the
steaner-brought it through from Washington
| AS soon as we satisfied that its authenticity
was beyond dispute, an extra was issued from the
| Chronicle office, containing the SAD news, the de
| mand for which rendered 1t necessary to ISSUE
| several editions in The course Of the day.
| One Of our contemporarles-the "Ledger"--aso
| issued an extra containing what purported to bt
| letter written from Washington, by one who wal
on board the Princeton at the time the explosion
| took place, and narratlng the scene somewhat II
| detail, but which was really most shameful ant
heartless narration This abhorren and wicked emana
nation strengthened for time the belief that the who'll
n base fabrcaton-a hoax It was not credited by
| many intelligent and rejecting persons, that any on
who had really been the eyewitness OF such an occur
renee could narrated 1t so have 81
coolly initiated the style in which rambling playe
would loosely describe the performance Of ordinary
stage tragedy, The nborpe and real bu6oonery Of tn
article in connexon with realities overwhelmingly
sad shocked the moral Of a majority Of those VIII
had the patience 20 through it, and the description
| widely condemned outrage upon humanity, whic
none but obdurate bockhead could hazard at suc
| time.
| That we may be plainly understood, we quote few
passages -" Colonel Benton tasted q little brandy an
water o cologne being at hand and amer abb
to walk "-"Miss Woodbury. he beautiful and accomplish
ed daughter Of The Senator from Nw Hampshire) had he
whole face sprnkled with blood which, am glad to say
was not hor own"-"Judge wilkins was only saved