The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-03-15

SutliC DO oNioic- liz eAip iStushNu W ~ ~
chosage Several DAYS afterwards, on We'd
nesday the 2Sih February, 1914, the ship made
another excursion down the rver--the Presi-
dent of the United States, and large party OF
ladies and gentlemen, invited guests, on board
Upon this occasion, my orders from Captain
Stockton were TO have all in readiness to fire the
bow gun after passing Alexandria a short dis
lance. The gun was loaded and got ready 10
FIRE, reported the gun ready, when Captain
Stockton came forward, taking his usual posi-
ton nearest the gun, ordering others away, TO
prevent any accident from recoil Of carriage, and
fred the gun.
The gun was examined and found to be all
right as before. The gun was fired second
time, under similar circumstances, and as |
supposed for the last time that day. Alter the
ship had been put about, on her return up the
river, a request was made by some of the gen.
tlemen on board that the gun might be fired
again. which request | had conveyed TO Captain
Stockton and received orders from him TO load
| the gun as had been done in the two previous
discharges, viz: with 25 pounds of powder,
! and one shot of about 2l2 pounds. The gun
was reported ready to fire; Captain Stockton
came forward, taking his usual position nearest
the gum and in the most exposed place, and
with one foot on the bed, gave his usual order
'stand clear of The gun"-and fired hers at
! which fire the gun burst. The gun was loaded
/ in this instance in the same manner as before,
! viz: cartridge containing 20 pounds pow
der was placed in the muzzle of the gun; a ram
mer with head nine inches in diameter. made
| for the purpose, and marked 10 show when the
cartridge was home, was used TO slide the car
fridge into the after part Of the chamber OF the
gun, Mr. King, rhe gunner, attending wilhprim-
ing wire to report il home, which he did in each
instance. "A wad, ten inches in diameter, by
| inches lDnU- thpn pIacpd the r.
fridge and rammed home, completely filling the
chamber; one round shot, weighing about 2l2
lbs, was then rolled home against the cartridge
wad, with rammer the head II inches diane
! ter, wad IL inches diameter by 8 inches long,
was introduced and rammed home, the hammer
marked TO show when the charge was home.
This was the manner Of loading in each in
stance, with the exception of the last, myself
having introduced the cartridge into the muZzle
THE gun-the same men employed each time
in loading
Everything that was calculated to secure, SO
far as human SKILL prudence. and foresight
could secure safety from the firing Of these guns,
was done by Captain Stockton from the com
mencement Of his experiments up to this
time.
Question by Judge Adcocate You speak oil
the gun being III your opinion capable OF bear
ing any quantity of powder which could lie
burned in her. Do you mean thai if there is an
overcharge of powder, any part of il will leave
the gun without exploding?
AnS. | mean that In such case powder will be
blown from the gun without being burned.
Question By the Court. At what manuiacto-
ny was the powder made with which the gun
was fired on the several occasions you have
mentioned?
Ans. believe it was made at Dupont's man
| utactory, Delaware.
| Question by same Are the wads shown &c
you the same in class and character as YOU have
spoken of?
Ans. Yes.
! Cues. What is the composition OF ihem and
] how are they measured2
Ans. They are made ofrope-yarn and Junk in
the ordinary way, passed Though former to
be adapted to the size ofrhe chamber or calibre
OF The gun, they are not loaded wads
! Question by same What is the windage Of
| the hammers?
! Ais. The smaller hammer an inch, the larger
| a half inch the hammer before the Cvult is one
of them.
| Dues. by same VIII you please describe the
| size of the cartridge and wad employed, and
whether they are calculated TO fill the eutiIe
chamber of the gun2
| Ans. The size of the cartridge of IS lbs
| powder, by measurement, when settled down in
| the gun, is II inches long, and OF the diameter
! of the chamber. The wad formed to cover the
cartridge in the chamber is nine inches long by
ten in diameter, CORE >ponding with the dame
ter of the chamber. The cartridge and wad put
in separately when rammed home, extending 10
! the Devil of the chamber about twenty inch
/ es in length. The shot can then extend about
4 inches into the chamber; with 25 or 80 H.
cartridge the shot would rest against the Devil
Of the chamber, the weight of the shot com
pressing the wad and cartridge about two inch
| es hey ond what ii was before the shot was in
serted. In loading the gun it has been our 10
variable rule 10 depre,s the brecch Of the gun
about degrees and also TO feel that the shot was
| fully home, or hear it strike the Devil Of the
gun, b fore putting in the last wsd.-
A % or 30 Id. cartridge with the small wad over
it completely filed the chamber of the gun with
! the usual force of two men 10 ram IL home
| The ball upon II then COMPRISING u about two
/ inches. BY measurement on several occasions
the shot was ascertaned with such charge lay
ing against the Devil of the chamber The
powder is all in flannel cylinders, each in sep
arate copper canister, each canister marked
No. i, 2 or 3. No is the charge OF 30 lbs, No.
! 2 of 25 lbs, No of Ia lbs; the cartridges in
general Of the two first classes, few only OF the
smaller or Sd class.
The rammer is graduated and marked, so as
to show when each portion of any and every
charge has attained lis proper position in the
gun.
CUES. What was the usual position of the
officers and crew Of the Princeton, Immediately
concerned in the firing OF the gun, and what was
their position at The time OF the explosion
Ans. In general the position OF the officers
and crew was at their quarters. On this occa-
sion Captain Stockton stood behind the gun, the
neares TO il with his foot on the bed of the gun.
Witness stood alongside Of Capt Stockton, a
little quartering the breech of the gun, Mr..
King, the gunner, on my left near the larboard
lrunnion OF the gun Captain Stockton, Mr..
King and myself, nearer, by several feet, 10 the
gun Than any her person.
Mr. Thomson the officer Of the deck and