The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1844-03-16

The National InteIIigencer, OF last Thurs.
day, contains the following melancholy ia
,elligencc, which will cast gloom over the
whole Union:
ain The whole course of our lives It has
never fallen to our lot To- announce 10 our
readers a more shocking caamity-shock.
ling in all its circumstances and ,ncom,'sns
than which occurred On board The United
States ship rincelon, yesterday afternoon,
whilst under way. in the river Potomac,
fourteen or fifteen me below this CITY.
yesterday was day appointed, by the
courtesy and hospitality Of Capt. S'ocks'on.
commander Of The Princeton, for receiving
as vIseors to This fine ship dying of Alex.
andria) a great number ofgues's. with heir
families, literally and numerousIy invited
to spend the day on board. The day was
most favorable, and he company was large
and brilliant, of both sexes; not less, proba-
bly,, in number, than tour hundred, among
whom were The President Of the United
States, The heads of The several depart-
men,s, and their families. At proper
hour, after the arriva Of tho expec ed guests,
the vesse! 60, under way and proceeded
down the river. 10 some distance below
For, Washington. During the passage
down, one If the large guns on board (car
rying ball Of 225 pounds) was Cred m're
than once, exhibiting the grea, power aud
capacity OF tina, formidable weapon OF war
The ladies' had par,rkeu Of sump'u"u'
repas,; the gentlemen had succeeded then
at the table, and some Of them had left II
The vessel was on her return up the river
opposite the fort, where Capt S'ocks,o
# consented 10 fire another shot from The sam
h gun, around and near which, TO observe II
. effects, many persons had gathered, thouy
y by no means so many as ON similar dscha
e ges In the morning, the ladies who the
IS 'hrouged the deck being, On this fatal occ'
. sion, almost all between decks, and out
rea, h Of harm.
e "The gan was fred. The explosion wi
r.. followed, before the smoke cleared away
as to observe its effects, by sh'icks Of v
which announced dire calamity TT
h, gun had burst, at point three or four fe
from The breach. and scattered death al
O. desolation around. Mr.. Upshur, Secrc,al
TO- of State, Mr. Gilm.r, so recently placed
" the head of the Navy, Commodore Kenno
di one Of its gallant officers, VergiI Make
- lately returned from diploma tic res,den
" at The Hague, Mr.. Gardner, Of New Yo'
ne formerly member Of the Senate fro
that State,) were among the slain. Bes,d
these, seventeen seamen were wounde
several of them badly and probably morris
y. Among those stunned by the concu
er sion, we learn not all seriously inlure
cd were Captain S,octon himself; Col. Bel
Oh t. n, Of the Senate; Lieut. Hunt, Of Il
;, Princcton;W D Robinson. Of Georgetow
!. Olker persons also were perhaps more
= less Injured, Of whom, in the horror al
~ confusion OF The moment, no certain a
C. count could be oplained. The above a
nd believed, however, to comprise the who
NJ Of the persons known to the public W
were killed or dangerously or seriously ha
The scene upon the deck may more G
:" silly lie imagined than described. Nor c.
The Imagination picture TO itself the half
re its horrors. Wives, widowed IN an ins,a
he by The murderous blast! Daughters Sun
IT, len with The heart rendlng sight oflheir
We theirs l,feless corpse! The wail'ngs Of 4
'e agonized females! The pleous grief Of d
a. unhur, but heart stricken spectators! II