Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1844-03-07
From ~, Josrasi Of Ceamevcs Of rt,Ssv.
uEART-RENDING tlND FATAL CALANr-
nv
EXPLOSION OF ONE OF THE LARGE CAN.
NON ON BOARD THE ". 8. STEAMER
PRINCETON

"A y
NON ON BOARD THE ". :. STEAMER
PRINCETON.
4 Ttro members nj NE Cabinet Instantly kaied,-Al,,
\ Conmedore Kenson, fAc Hon. VirgR Marc, Col
Gadiser, Of Lesc hiana, aud sotrai other yer
\ sons.
! Seldom Indeed have we been called to record,
more awful calamity than sha, which we arc abou,
20 describe. On "Wednesday las,,,he ". S. Steamer
Princeton, commanded BY Csp,Rober, F. Stock ton
made an excursion from Washington city down the
Potomac. having on board great number of per
sons, among whom were the President Of tho l'u.
ted States; The Secretaries of State, War and Ma
rne Commodore Beverly Kennon, Chief Of the
Bnreau Of Naval Construction, Eqoipmen, and Re-
pairs the lion Virgil Maxcy, late Minister to Bel.
cium; Col Gardiner Of Southampton, l.. l. who has
been customed spend his winters in this city or
a, Washington several members of Congress, and
many ladies'.
| The Princeton, as most Of our readers know, car
ried two enormously heavy guns besides several
| smaller ones) throwing balls Of more than 200 lbs
weight, and requiring between 40 and so lbs of
powder Tor charge. The more formidable Of the
two has playfully been called "rhe Peace Maker
Bot the event has proved that she might have been
more fifty termed 'Des,ruc,ion to her Friends"
The steamer made pleasant run as far down az
Mount ernon and was on her return, and within
three or four miles of Alexandra, In being about
sun sei,) when the disaster occurred. The big Gun
had already been''dscharged twice during the Tim
and being again loaded but no, with ball as before
$50 says our correspondent the match was applied
when awful TO relate, the gun burst at the breecb
and in an instant the deck was strewed with death
and destruction. Among the persons killed, we arc
panied to say, were the
Hon. Abel p. Upshur, Secre,pry of State.
Hon rhom's w. Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy
Hon Beverly Cannon, Chief of the Bureau If
Construction, Equipment and Repairs, Navy Depart
ment
Hon Virgil Maxcy, late Minister to Belgium; and
Col. Gardiner, of Southampton, l.. /.
A colored servant of the President named ARMS
'ead, was also killed, and five men in charge of the
cannon making total Of eleven killed out right
except that the Presidents servant lived about ten
minutes. Most ofthe bodies were shockIngy man.
ged. Judge Upshur was nearly cut il two. CAPT
Stockton was wounded il is believed not dangerous
ly, and Senator Benton slightly Further parcu.
lars of this melancholy catastrophe will be found in
The annexed extracts from the Washington papers.
From the National MtcAsenccr.
In the whole course Of our lives it has never fall
len to our lot TO announce to our readers more
'es and concom.anis-:han that which occurred on
BOARD the United States ship Princeton, yesterday
lfternoon, whilst under way, in the river Potomac.
ourteen or fifteen miles below this city.
Yesterday was day appointed by the courtesy
ind hospitality Of Capt Stockton, commander of
he Princeton, for receiving as visers to his fine
hip dying off Alexandra)a great number of guests
o spend The day on board. The day was most IA
orable, and the company large and brilliant of
10Th sexes not less probable in number than four
hundred, among whom were the President Of the
United States, the heads of the several Departments
nd their families. At proper hour after the ar
wal OF the expected guests, the vessel got under
'ay and proceeded down tho river, 10 some dis
ance below Fort Washington During The pass.
ge down, ons ofthe large guns on board (carryinp
ball OF 225 pounds) was fired more than once.
xhbtng the great power and capacity of that for
,idlbe weapon of war. The ladies' had par,aken of
sumptuous rcpast; The gentlemen had succeeded
lem by the table, and some of them had left il the
essel was on her return up the river, opposite the
'rt, where Capt Stockton consented to FIRE another
not from the same gun, around and near which, to
bserve its effects, many persons had gathered,
'ough by no meats as many on similar dischar-
Is in the morning, the ladies who then thronged
e deck being on this fatal occasion almost all be.
wee" ueCkS ana Out Ol the reach oil harm.
The gun was fired. The explosion was fol.
wed, before the smoke cea red away so as to
'serve its effect, BY shrelss of wo which announ.
d a dire calamity. The gun was burst.at point
rec or four feet from the breceh, and scattered
ath and DISSOLUTION around. Mr.. Upshur ,Socre-
tary of State, Mr.. Gilmer. so recently placed
the head of the Navy, Commodore Kcnon, one
its gallant officers, Virgil Maxey, lately returned
'm a,diplomatic residence at the Hague, Mr.
ardner, of New-York, Formerly member of
e Senate of that sate,) were among the slain
esides these, seventeen seamen were wounded,
veral of them badly and probably morally
mong those stunned by the conclusion, we learn
all seriously injured, were Capt stochon HIM
r. Col Benton, Of the Senate Lieut. Hunt, of
. Princeton; w. d. Robinson, of Georgetown.
her persons were perhaps more or less injured.
whom, in the horror and confusion Of the mo-
INT, no certain account could be obtained. Tho
owe are believed, however to comprise the whole
the persons known 10 the public who were
lied or dangerously or seriously hurt.
The scene upon deck may moro easily be i'm.
,ho1 NJ