Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1844-03-16

ZIG fftHcttVH~ -MNdMdhfOug UfHih Of
Secretaries Upskur and Gjimfr. Com.
Keanoa, .Ar. Ganiiutr, Hrgii Mlrg,
AMI others.
Tho mail yesterday brought 10 our city
nowsol the most horrible and lnmapinbie
catastrophe wc have ever been callcd 90.
On TO record. On Wednesday. lha 2Oth
ulia large gUn on board the Princeton
burst "a they wore dischargng it, aud
Killed Instantly Judge Upshur, Secretary
oi state Gov. Gilmor, Secretary of tlte
Navy Commander kennon, Chief Or tho
bureau Of naval Construction, Virgil Max
eyi Esq, late Dcplomatc Residentht the
Hague; Mr., Gardener Of new York, and
several OF the sailors OF the vessel A
large number were wounded or stunned
by The explosion. We gather he follow.
ing details OF this most terrible accident
IRON oar correspondents letter and the
Washington papers
wednesday had been set apart for u
trip down the river, and Capt Stockton
had invited large number OF ladies and
gentlemen 10 spend the day on beard.
We copy from he lnteIIigencer.-- '''rhe
day was favorable, and the company was
large and brilliant, OF both sexes; not less.
probably, II number than four hundrcd-
among whom were the President Of the
United States, the Heads Of the several
departments, and their families. All a
proper hour, after the arrival Of the ex.
pected guests, the vessel got undr way
and proceeded down the river, 10 some
distance below Fort Washington. Daring
the passage uown, one Of the large guns
on board carrying ball OF 225 pounds)I
was hired more han ONE, exhibiting the !
great power and capacity Of that lormld. /
able weapon of war. The ladies' had par
taken o! sumpluous repast; the gentle.
men had succeeded them al the table, and
some them had LEFT it; the vessel was on
her return up the river, opposite to the
fort,where Capt. Stockton consented to fire
another shot from the same gun, around
and near which, 10 observe its effects. ,
many persons had gathered, though by no. ,
means 50 many as on similar discharge in
the mornng-the ladies who then lhrong- !
ed the deck being on this fatal occasion
almost all between decks, aud out of
reach o. harm. The gun was fired.
The explosion was followed, before the
smoke cleared away SO as to observe its
effect, by shrleks OF wo which announced
dire calamity. The gun had burst, al
a point three or four feet from the breech,
and scattered death and desoa,lon a. t
round.n
Our correspondent writes that Judge
Upshur was instantly killed; Gov. Gll. I
mer was struck In the back, and with .
mere gasp expired; Col. Gardiner, . t new |
York, was literally cut in two below the
hips, aud bed 10 death in one minutes;
Virgil Maxcy, Esq, OF Nd, was instant
ly killed, and also Commodore kennon.-
Captain Stockton was very much burned,
and six sailors were killed. Colonel
Benton Senator from MlSsourl) was |
stunned, but we are happy TO learn from
the Globe that his injury arose not from :
any fragment OF the gun, but merely
from the concussion. He was at the !
butt Of the gun, taking its range, when I
ltfired. He was not sensible Of its stun I
ming effect until he had called for aid 10
the bleeding sailors. He was stunned I
for time, but was enabled to walk af- a
ter reaching the shore, and to give dis "
tinct account of the dreadful scene. ]
The papers of Washington had not
been able 10 ascertain all the extent Of Il
the injury done, bu, it was known that n
seventeen sailors were severely, and ma
ny OF them MORALLY, wounded. 1t was
mercIul dispensation Of Providence that t
nearly allot the large number OF ladies Il
on board The ship were below, and that no
one was hurt. MRS. Gimer was howev- Il
er, on the deck, and near her husband, ,
at whose rebnestthe gun was discharpec P
a third time. she was taken back loIh
Washington in asate bordering upoulc
distraction. The ladies before were not
apprlsed ofthe awful effects OF the ex- u
ploslon until they returned to town.
The Globe states that ''Mr. Upshur and u
Mr.. Gilmer were idols in the happy fam
lily by which each was surrounded-- ~
The elder children Of Mr.. Glmer are Il
Just grown--the younger still in the c
nurses arms. Commodore Kennon, Mr..
haxcy and Mr.. Gardiner are all torn lrom q
family characterization wives and u
The daughter Of Mr.. Upshur, several :
Of the family OF Commodore Kennon, and
the daughters Of Mr. Gardener were on
board the steam ship At the time Of the CT
accident. bt
Another mail will bring US more details pc
Of THIS terrible calamity, which vii throw la
whole nation into mourning We con nj
cude the above recital, with The follow III
ing remarks by the editors Of the nation OK
al lnteligencer:-P icayuae II
The scene upon the deck may more
easily be imagined than described. Nor D.
can the Imagination picture 10 itself the la
nalf OF lis hnr rnra Wiunc uuidnmnh !, I'll