Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-03-07
From The National InteHigencsr. Fe5'y 90, IA
MOST AWFUL AND MOST LAMEN-
TABLE CATASTROPHE!


MOST AWFUL AND MOST LAMEN-
TABLE CATASTROPHE!
Instantaneous Death, By the Bursting Of
one Of The large Guns on board the Unit
cd States Ship Princeton, Of Secretary
Upshw, Secretary Gilmer, Commodore
Kennom, and Virgil MARCY, Esq.
In the whole course ofou lives 1t has
never fIlleu 20 our 10: TO announce to our
readers more shocking calam;ty--shock.
ing in all its circumstances and concomi-
tanis-ihan that which occurred on board
the United States Ship Princeton, yester-
day afternoon, whilst under way, in the
river Potomac, fourteen or fifteen miles
below this city.
Yesterday was day appointed, by the
courtesy and hospitality ofCapt. Stockton,
Commander of the Princeton, for recev-
ing as visiters to his fine ship dying off
Alexandria, a great number of guests,
with their families, literally aud numei-
ously invited to spend the day on board.
The day was most favorable, and the
company was large and brilliant, of both
sexes; not less probably in number than
four hundred, among whom were the
President Of the United States, the Heads
of the several Departments. and their fam.
lies. A, proper hour, after the arrival
of the expected guests, the vessel got un.
der way AMI proceeded down the river,
to some distance below Fort Washington
During the passage down, one of the large
guns on board carrying ball OF 225
pounds) was fired more than once, exhib-
ting the great power and capacity of that
formidable weapon OF war. The Ladies
had partaken Of sumptuous repast; the
gentlemen had succeeded them at the Ia.
BILE, and some Of them had left il; the ves-
sci was on her return up the river, oppo.
site to the fort, where Captain Stockton
consented to fire another shot from the
same gun, around and near which, to OBJ
serve lis effects, many persons had gath.
cred, though by no means so many as on
similar discharges in the morning, the la
dies who then thronged the deck being
on this fatal occasion almost all between
decks, and out of reach Of harm.
The gun was fired. The explosion
was followed, before the smoke cleared
away so as TO observe its effect, by shrieks
Of wo which announced dire calamity.
The gun had burst, at a point three or
four feet from the breecb, and scattered
death and desola,ion around. Mr.. Up
sher, Secretary Of State, Mr.. Gilmer, SO
recently placed at the head OF the Navy,
Commodore Kennon, one of its gallant
officers, Virgil Maxcy, lately returned
from a Diplomatic residence at the Hague,
Mr.. Gardner, of New York, (formeriy a
Member of the Senate ofthat State, )were
among the slain. Besides these, seven
teen seamen were wounded, several OF
them badly and probably MORALLY
Among those stunned by the conclusion,
we learn not all seriously injured, were
Capt. Stockton himself; Col. Benton, OF
the Senate; Lieut.. Hunt, of the Princeton;
w. ID. Robinson, of Georgetown. Other
persons also were perhaps more OF less
injured, of whom, in the horror and con.
fusion of the moment no certain account
could be obtained. The above are be.
lieved, however, TO comprise the whole
ofthe persons known to the Public who
were killed or DANCE ously or seriously
hurt.
The scene upon the deck muy more
easily be imagined than described. Nor
can the Imagination picture 10 itself tn"
half Of its horrors. Wives, widowed ia
an instant by the murderous blast -
Daughters smitten with the heartrending
sight Of their fathers lIieless corpse, The