Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-03-16

I
accomplished daughter of the Senator from
New Hampshire.) had her whole face
sprinkled with blood, which, however, we
are glad to say, was not her own.
Such was the force Of the explosion, that
the starboard and larhoard hulwarks we're
literally shattered, and that part of the gun
| described was blown into twenty or'hlr-
~ pieces besides the two principal sec
lions.
Judge wilkins was only saved by wit
ticsm of his. He had taken his stand by
the side of Gov. Gilmer, but some remarks
filling from the lips of the latter, and per-
ceiving that the gun was about to lie hfed'
he exclaimed, "Thongh Secretary of war,
don't like this firing, and believe that l
shall nun" So saving he relreated, suit
ing the action to the word, and was saved
The President himself had taken his po-
sition hut few minutes previous, precisely
where Gov. Gilmcr was killed; but Tor
some reason or other went att, and was
thus providentially saved
The most heart.rending scene however,
was that which followed. The two daugh-
ters Of Mr.. Gardiner of New York, we're
both on board. and amented the death oil
their father. while Mrs. Gimer from whom
thew in vain attempted to keep the dread
FIJI news of the death of her husband, pre-,
sented truly a spectacle fit to be depc'eu
by tragedian. =,
There she sat on deck, with her hair
dishevelIed. pale as death, straightforward
bor feeIncs, and with the dignity OF wo,
m,n--her lips qulvering, her eye, lXed
and untnrned, without tear, only me cof-
pers little moist. so|iloqulslng' "Oh Ger,
tainIv not,-Mr Gilmer cannot De oc"u
who would dare to njure hun! Yes on
Lord. have mercy upon me! Oh L'ru
have mercy on him!" And then still more
apparently calm and seeming to be COL
lccted. with tho fnlies tearing her near,
within, 81 beseech ye. gentlemen, TO tell
me where nv husband isl"
"Oh, impossible !--imposslhle!-and ne
can he he dcndl-impo,sih'e
Here Mr.. Senator Rivcs OF Virginia
drew near ~
"Come near, Mr.. Rives," she SAID IN a
soft whisper. which resembleh oP",.'" .
madness, "tel me where my HUSBAND IS =
tell me whether he is dead--now cerhih ~,
Mr.. Rives, this is impossible--ls II no.: :,.
NJ Diyes stood speeches. the tears r,ch-
ling down his cheeks. 81 tell you, MI :
Riyes. it is impossible" she almost screen
cd and then again moderat'ng hef ''ce'
"Now DO. Mr. Rvcs, tell his wife wiener
her husband lives" Here several 'a'ieS
exclaimed, 80 God grant that she may ne
allie TO cry. 1t would certainly relleVener
some. If not she must die of oro1en
heart"
The President, Robert TYLER, John ny:
Ter, ir. and manv other officers remalred
on hoard the Princeton when we left.
There were hut two surgeons on hoard
at the time Of the disaster. DIR. Thomas
and DR. Hunt the regular physicians of the
ship. Every attention was shown TO the
wounded.
The following particulars respecting the
firing and management of the immense
guns on board the Princeton. will be read
with increased interest at this time. They
are contained in letter giving an account
of the excursion which the Princeton
made. with large party of vlslters, on
the goth February. Just eight days before
the fatal event Of Wednesday evening.
GA short distance below Alexandra
the Captain gave orders 10 load the ''peact
maker" with powder and ball. This gun
is stationed in the bow of the ship, on a
revolving carriage, So that it may be free
from either side. An ordinary charge o
powder for it, is thirty pounds. 1t carries
ball weighing two hundred and twenty
five pounds; and such is the precision with
which il NAV be fired, as asceItalned from
actual experiments, that the Captain vii
guarantee TO hit an object the size OF
hogshead. in the water nine times IN ten
at distance of half a mile.
"The gun being loaded, the first thing
is to ascertain the precise distance of the
object to be fired at This is done by
means of an instrument, constructed IN
der trigonometrical principles, the scale
on which indicates the distance at
glance. The next thing is to give the gur
the proper elevation. This done by means
of self acting lock, on an arm of which l.
a scale which indicates the precise eleva
ton which is necessary to reach glver
distance with the ball. A spring on the
top of the lock is then brought up to The
point indicated, the hammer is pulled
back, and at the very point of time wher
by the ships motion the gun reaches tina
point, and never before nor afterwards
the gun is of itself discharged. The pre-
f else means by which this is effected, are
known only to the Navy Department an
5 the inventor; but the fact is lndlsputa
: BILE, and the value Of the invention seem
to me to be incalculable.
wAlI the prep,ration for firing, with th