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

VI,
! others, two Of whom are fatally wounded 10 IL
feared Thetwo dead men were placed In boxes
lined with lead, and packed In lee and put under
proper guard, in the western ship houss, near
the scene of The accident with the national banner
thrown over them. A crowd OF sympsthizing
friends collected In and about the building, re-
manned there for hours, and until the arrival Of
the Coroner, discussing and lamenting the dread
full circumstance which had sent their two COM
panIons thus suddenly into eternity. The scene
of the accident also possessed sad attraction for
many others, who viewed with horror the wide
scattered fragments Of the battery, and the bloody
traces upon the Surrounding ruins, where the
killed and wounded had been thrown by the force
of the explosion ., 80, 2
About TWENTY-FIVE feet from the elevated plat.
form where the gun stoed. and in western line
from it, lay the largest detached portion of the
gun. Its pathway to the place where II lay
easily traceable. IL had carried away In its Hight
the roof Of the low battery on Its right and CON
verting the entire structure into perfect wreck,
had lighted upon the top of gun on the lower
battery, making an indentation In the solid iron
nearly large enough for a mans nst to Law in; it
then took slide downwards, splintering the
n ii1e Of the gun IN It's decent, and in6edded
erd of and just outside the battery. This piece of
metal cannot weigh less than 40up lbs Two other
pirces-one weighing pfobably2 cn his and an
other still smaller-were thrown easswardly about
seyenty-nve yards, passing in their light imme6i-
ately over the roof OF the eastern lower battery
and finally resting on the wharf. within a short
distance Of the water At the right Of the elevated
battery hung the mass Of splintered tnbers aud
twisted irons of the gun carriage. The stout oak
tmberS mad been riven into fine spliateTs. con
the platform lay broken couplings, the displaced
and broken carriage ways, and the forward por-
ti"n Of the gun, which rested in the po:t-Eoie Of
the battery, the broken edges blckensd and
scorched by the gunpowder The awniny which
had protected the gunners in their practice from
the rays of the torn into shreds and blown
IN all directions and to great distance.
THE WOUNDED.
The wounded, as fast discovered, Were con-
vcyed out Of the y ard to their own homes where
they were Immediately cared for by tue surgeon.
Of the Yard. and various physicians who had re-
paired to the spot at the first intelligence of the
tragedy. The Oticers Of the Yard and all others
VINO could be OF service to the unfortunate suffer-
efs, administered all tie aid In their power to-
wards their relief.
s THE INQUEST.
On the arrival of Coroner Wood ward Jury
was emPannelled, (as fOllows) to investigate the
circumstances of tire death OF the two deceased:
Thompson Van Res~ick, j. NJ. Padgeit VIM. L..
Ross, j. r. King. James Gull, Thomas PlumseIl
Wm Boron, j. M Busher, A F. Berry Charles
kimble, Thomas A. Gols1n, John BroSver rhe
jurors having been sworn IN both cases and ex-
dmined the dead bodies, proceeded to TIE Centre
house, the offices Of the Commodore and other
officers, where they heard the testimony of the
eyewitness.
Captain John A. Dahigrsn having been swofs.-
testified that the gun which burst " as 6l pound
cannon. one of he regular guns of the ,.ry;cs
which had been sent to him by the bureau bear
Ing all the marks u inspection and acceptaton
inspecting officer showed the gun to have been
accepted as in every way reliable for the use of
Government after the usual proofs Of its capacity
Witness had reason whatever TO aprreiI-nd
danger from the firing Of ii, as it had been fred
but twenty-five times before the tine when il
burst. IL had been discharged but twice to-day
IL was loaded with the regular service charge of
10 pounds of powder and a solid b. pound shot
This morning the usual order had been raised for
the usual practice, and one shot had been fired to
see If IT WAS all right IL was loaded a second
time with due and full Observance Of all the pre-
lmInarieS and with all OF the usual care in every
particular, when it was discharged it burst, with
the result already related. W itncss had plac.d
picked and careful men, as usual, in charge of il
aud is entirely satisfied that every care was prac-
tced, and the record Of the clerk shows this fact
and that the bursting may lie attributed 20 accident
alone WHICH noo orc could have fc-eseen or avoided
Every time gun is DISCHARGED record is kent
of every particular. The charge is weighed and
gagged, and sent home. and the shot is always in
It's right place before tine gun is disc harg ed This
must be so, for the man who rams the charge
home has spaces marked on his raInmer, and when
the charge IS rauIned home he observes the mark
on the rod and calls " out 10 the clerk. who re-
cords It. and IL IL varies in the least from what the
record calls for the fact is instantly detected The
gun having been fired but :wentv-six times il was
not inspected before using it, - the service rr-
quireS every gun TO be warranted 10 stand one
thousand rounds and il is never usual - exam inc
a gun Til i has been fired at least fifty times Nh
Norton was present and duly recorded as usual
every detail Of the loading OF tine gun. and els
record is before the jury for their inspection me-
cisely as made. Mr.. Boarn.an the foreman Of
gunners, has been with witness eyGr since he
commenced firing guns. He has been foreman
Ten years. and Is one Of the most thorough gun
ners in the service, and perfectly Trustworthy
gun of this kind should stand at least eiy lit hum
dred rounds without bursting. This gun was
about nine wears old. IL was cast in I.5O at the
West Point foundery. Could not have been ac-
Cepted by the Bureau nor paid for had IL not been
properly inspected and proved
Mr. Il. A. BOdTlHGR testified that he was present
at the firing Of the guu. That previous TO her
boing fred she had been loaded In the usual man
ner, with an entire observance Of all the cautions
requisite; that ut the second round she exploded.
aud the irst thing witness after that was Will
sou, who was blown directly through the air be-
fore Witness face to point some forty feet dis
tant Witness next saw Nokes lying on another
man whom witness supposed also 10 be dead
Witness ran 20 the opposite side Of the gun and
saw GOrmley and others wounded. Spoke to Mr.
Thompson about taking away the killed ard
wounded Witness then ran to the assistance Of
such Of them as required aid. Witness is entirely
satisfied that there was no negligence in loading or
nring the gun, and that any neglect or mistake
would be instantly detected Witness can only
account for the accident by supposing that the
metal Of tue gun was bad IL was one Of those
things which no man could foresee or avoid. Wit
ness knows that she was a new gun, and that she
wasweil fortified; and is entirely satisfied that she
exploded through accident, and not from any
known cause There were thirteen men ., III
battery at the time, and they were ranged about
the gun precisely the same way they would have
been had they been on board ship at close quar-
tors
jean HOInaes testified that he was present. but
was so stunned by the explosion that he saw
nothing Of IT, saw the gun loaded, and il was
Regularly charged, in every respect Witness
thinks there could not, by any possibility, have
been carelessness in the matter
A. e. Sterreft stated that he was present on the
battery when the gun exploded; was standing at
the after eccentric and saw il charged. All the
usual precautions were taken in loading IL that are
usual In the service. The cartridge was weighed
Ivy Mr. LDdwick; IL was sent home the cham
her; and the shot "a solid t-poond one) was also
IN is right place, as the giagc ON the ramrod
showed W hen the gun was discharged the first
time to-day, she recoiled more than usual and
IeiiIarks were made by the men about IT, None
however, apprehended the least danger The
extra recoil was causrd by the comp5essures not
bsing sufficiently secured and when she was again
loaded, breeching was placed on her TO assist the
eDmpress1rrs Witness does not thiRk any word
was sent to the captain about aPprehended danger
from Tie gun ON account Of tbs unusual rccoil
There may have been, but witness not priyy
To 10. II such was the fact
Richard Gormi, testified that ne was not at the
gun when she nred thu nrsf q me; the nrst dis