Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-03-07
Prom ,h. Natl Inrehgencer Washington, Feb- go isii
Most AWfisl and Most La
IllciAlablc Catastrophe 4!
Instantaneous death, by the bursting OF one
Of the large guns on board the United
States Ship Princeton, OF Secretary
Upshur, Secretary Gilmef,
Commodore KennOn,
and Others

II IL the whole course OF our lives il has
never fallen 10 our lot To announce To
nur readers a more shocking calamity
Smoking in nll Its circumstances aud
cone com,ianis-th than iha, which occurred
On board The U. States Ship PRINCEToN, +,
y yesterdav afternoon, whilst under way,
in the river Potomac, fourteen or fifteen
miles below this city.
K Yesterday was day appointed, by
the courtesy and hospitality OF Capt.
STOCKTON, Comma nder ofIhe Princeton,
for receiving M visi'ers L" his fine ship
lying off Alexandria) u great number
of guests, with their iamiIies, literally
and nnmeroUsly invited to spend the day
IN board. The day was most favorable, +,
and the company was large and brilliant,
of both sexes /; not less probably in
number ,han four hundred, among whom
were the President of,he United States,
The Heads Of the several Departments,
and their families. AT a proper hour,
after The arrival of tho expected guests,
the vessel got under way aud proceeded
down the riyer, To some distance below
Fort Washington. During the passage
down, one Of the large guns on board
|. carrying ball Of 225 pounds) was
1 fired more than once, exhibiting the
great power and capacity Of that formlda-
Bile weapon of war. The Ladies had
/ partaken Of sumpuous rcpa,t the
gentlemen had succeeded them at the
| table, and some Of them had left il the
vessel was on her return up the river,
opposite 10 the fort, where Captain
!, STocKToN consented to fire another shot
| from the same gun, around and near
which, to observe lis effects, many per-
sons had gathered, though by no means
SO many as on similar discharge in the
morning, the ladies who then thronged
! the deck being on this fatal occasion al
mos, all between decks, aud out Of reach
| of harm
|, The gun was fired. The explosion
! was followed, before the smoke cleared
| away so az TO observe its effect, by
shreks of wo which announced It dire
calamity. The gun had burst, at a point
| .bree or four feet from the bieech, and
scattered death aud desolation around
| Mr.. UPsnuR, Secretary of State, Mr..
/ GiLMER, so recently placed at the head
Of The Navy, Commodore KENNov, one
Of lis gallant officers, VIRGIL MAXCy,
lately returned from dipIoml'c rest
dence n, the Hague, Mr.. GARDNER, Of
New York, (tormerly Member of the
| Senate Of that State were among the
slain Besides these, seventeen sea-
men were wounded, several OF them
badly and probably morally. Among
those stunned by the Concusson, we
learn not oil seriously injured, were Capt
| STocKToN himself Col BENToS, Of the
Senate Lieut.. Hum, ofthe Princeton;
w. ID. ROBINSON, of Georgetown,
Other persons also were perhaps more
or less injured, Of whom, in the horror
and confusion of the moment, no certain
accoum, could be obtained. The above
are believed, however, to comprise the
whole of the persons known to the pub
\ lie who were killed or dangerously hunt.
/ The scene on he deck NAV more aasi
! ly be imagined than described. Nor can
The imagination picture to itself the halt
its horrors. Wives, widowed in an
instant by the murderous blast, Daugh-
.iers smi,,en With ihe hpari-reDdIng sight
of their fathers liiclcss corpse , The
wal'irgs &C ag"niztA irma'rs The
p,'eouI grief of the unhnu but hcalt-
slrlcken spectators The wounded sea-
men borne down below The silent
tears and qnivering lips Of their brave
aud honest comrades, who tried in vain
t" subdue or to conceal their feelings !
What ~ords can adequately depict a
scene like this
!, The bodies Of the killed remained on
board the ship last night They will be
brought to the city this morning