Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-15

IL.
I G1gt. Dahtgrer trecalledlr siated. that this gun
nad been on the lower battery. and Rad followed
on the Practice batterys 1l-iBch Dabigren. The
Slide wasa10-inch one. and Of course was shorts,
recou seem greater, because il brought the hreech
bark against the piece Of the slide wjtnes,
was informed By Mr. Norton Of This circumstance
and ordered breeching TO. be placed upon til.
ponds on variety Of circumstance. Tsis Gum
bad been, when on the lower battery. piac,d ON
rough pine sktds where Of course the recoiI would
be much Less than 1t would be on metallic slides.
There would be no connection between the recoil
OF gun and the cause which would burst It. The
only cause for tine bursting i'm this case that wit
ness could think Of, would be that the metal was
pad. Witness thinks this the worst gun he ever
saw, as 1t would be supposed to stand the usual
number OF rounds, C1.u0,) and Ii is never consid-
cred necessary to examine gun after 1t 10 proved,
until at least fifty rounds are hred from It,
A. b. Norton testified that at the time the gun
was discharged he was standing in his proper
place to note the particulars of the discharge
That the gun emitted peculiar sound. which
went to the rear and in the alt instead Of ont Of
the muzzle Of the gun. On the Instant witness
heard a sharp, cracking, rushing sound, and on
looking in the direction saw the carriage going
over the side of the battery Saw the men lying
around wounded. and thought that three of them
were killed, as one had fallen upon another at
some distance from the gun. Ran to their assist
ance. The loading and all that pertains to the
loading of a gun was conducted with as much
fautitu 10 SltucSS ever knew 10 De used. There
was nothing omitted nor anything overdone; every
particular of the loading was duly recorded by
witness, and there was no cause 10 appfehend an
explosion. When the charge was rammed home
the ramgod showed IL to be I05 inches and this
was called out to witness, who recorded It, The
man. in calling IL out. did not know what the pur-
pose was in having il recorded, and witness, In
recording ii, did not even stop to think whether
this guage was the same as at previous times.
After the accident, witness compared this guage
with that recorded when the gun was first used,
years ago, and found il to be registered 105 This
shows that the charge was In Its place. Witness
has been present before when tic am has been
fired twenty-four times. She was never fired ex-
cept twice at the fouDdery where she was made
but what witness was present and recorded her
every round: The recoli Of gun depends upon
unusual rccoil would never be taken az an indica-
ton that a gun was about to explode. The first
shot fired to-day was fired to if the gun all
right for the practice to go on Witness Informed
Captain Dahl green of the unusual recoii, and re-
ceived orders to have breeding placed on her
The powder was such as has been approved for
use in the service. Witness saw 1t weighed by
Ludwick, who was badly wounded by the acct
dent. Each cartridge is weig he'd and put up i'm
the magazine, and Immediately before being
placed In a gun Is again weighed. to be certain
tLat there is nothing wrong lin answer to aques-
possible for any illuminate from the laboratory to
lind its way into the magazine, and the man who
would attempt to effect such COLLISION for ma
hcious purposes would himself be in Imminent
danger of being blowed up.
Capt Ddhigrssn (recalled) gave further infor-
nation about the care used by the Bureau I'm the
selection and acceptance of all guns for the service,
the manner of inspecting and proving them. The
Inspection is conducted by the officer with the
greatest care and precision, and IL everything is
found TO be right, the initials Of the inspecting
officer are stamped on the trunnion Of the gun and
the letter underneath them. showing that the
gun has been duly proved. There is no possibl-
lty Of ascertaining anything more about gun than
is ascertained by means of this rigid inspection
and proof and IL the metal is bad or IL some un-
known flaw Is there, IL cannot by any possi bility
be detected. Witness would never think of in
speeding gun warranted to stand one thousand
rounds which had only been discharged twenty.
SIX times This gun was weak, and that is all that
can be said about 1t. The maker Is one Of the bes
gun-makers in the country, and has the highest
reputation before the Bureau. There are no better
guns than those made at the West Point Foundery
where this was made.
Mr.. Wm H. Thompson gave further testimony
as to the extreme precautiOn always used In the
laboratory and in the magazine, and confirmed the
testimony Of Mr. Norton. that 1t would be impos-
sible by any sort of collision to introduce fulmi-
nate into a cartridge ii could only be done in
taking the cartridge from the powder-cart to
weigh it Immediately before charging the gun
and these would be attended with the greatest
danger. in this case, the man who weighed the
powder, I.udwick.) was on the platform when
the gun was discharged, and dreadfully wounded
A cartridge shot and primer, such as are used
in the 6i-pounder guns was here brought to the
jury, who stood around the table while Captain
Dahlgren went through a minute description of
the manner in which the guns are loaded and dis
charged.l
The jury then retired and, after few moments,
returned with their verdict as follows:
THE jury. after full investigation find that
William Nokes and James Wilson were engaged
In assisting at the firing of a 6l-pouDder cannon
GA tue seaman battery, at the w asbi ton Navy
Yard. and that the said cannon burst; and that the
said WIN. Nokes and James Wilson were struck;
tue former on the left side Of the neck and on the
lower jaw and on the right arm; the latter wounded
on the LEFT side Of the neck and both arms broken
and thereby Instantly and accidentally killed.
THE KILLED.
James H. Wilson was man about thirty-fiv
years old, who never had any knowledge of who
his parents were, and had no relative that he knew
Of in the world. He partially raised In Brook
lyn, ~ Y, and has been in the United States ser
vice here about nine years. He was a man of un-
usual abilities and stood high IN the service as an
expert and intelligent gunner. He has been for
years the keeper Of the battery and he was uni YER
sally esteemed by his mates and by the officers
Nokes was young man, new in the service;
had but been in the Paraguay expedition in the
Character Of yeoman. He had been placed In the
guEners department about two weeks ago. on ac-
count of the fair promise he gave, under the OBJ
seryation of Capt Dahlgreen, Of becoming FRS,
Gloss gamer in time.
Of the deceased were absent from home on an ex-
cJusion az the time Of the accident Such was not
the case, they both being ut their homes IL Is
understood that every effort will be made by the
officers Of the yard to have their afflicted families
who are poor, properly provided for by the De-
partment. .s-s
THE WOUNDED TO-DAY.
Al Y O'Clock p. IN. to-day, our reporter visited
Charles Stuart, J. Roche, r. McMullen, and
Elijah Beac ham, the four most seriously wounded
men of yesterdays accident.
Stuart was suffering greatly with severe spinal
injuries, but Was on the whole doing we'll
Roche, McMullen and Beachain are in one
room at their boarding house. and at the time of
the visit were as easy could be xpected, thong
apparently In great suffering. -
Roche IL severely wounded about the breast and
head, and his eyes are rendered nearly siyhtless
The attending physician speaks confidently of the
restoration Of the sight Of eye but has not vet
decided upon the other. He was asleep and ap-
parenly in great pain, as was evidenced by un-
natural murmurings and nervous motions Of his
limbs rf # -.- F.-
McMulIen had his collar-bone broken In two
places, and very severe Injuries about the head
one side Of which Is BADLY scalped. The broken
bone has not yet been set, and though cheerful
the patient suffers extremely.
3 Beacham lies in a somewhat critical condition
from internal injuries The physician spe axis
hopefully Of all tue wounded, so that there is no
present fear Of their injuries taking fatal issue
Ludwig and Andrew Wilson are both doing
well. .-, Fl
At o'clock the hands employed In the yard
answered to the roll call, and then dismissed
10 give them an opportunity Of attending the fu-
aeral OF the Killed. which "a kes nlace this