Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-02-28
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
The Princeton Catastrophe.

On the 2sth eff February, 1874, a large party
Of lsdies and gentlemen, including the Presi-
dent and the members of his Cabinet with their
families, were invited by Com. Stockton 90
spend the day on board the steam frigate Prin, re-
ton, lying off Alexandria. The day was favor
able, and the company large and brilliant, not
less probably than four hundred in number; OF
whom two hundred were ladies. After the ar
rival Of the guests, the Princeton got under
way and proceeded down the river to q short
distance below Fort Washington. During the
passage down, one of the large guns Carving
ball OF 225 los.) was fired several times. At
p. M the ladies were invited 10 a sumptuous re-
past In the cabin. The gentlemen succeeded
the m al the table, and some of them hai left IL
Inc ship was on her return to her anchorage
ana was opposite the fort, when Com. Stockton
consented 10 fire another shot from the same
gun, around and near which many persons haI
gathered, though mott I'm as large numbers as on
similar discharges in the morning, most OF ths
ladles being between decks and out Of the reach
of harm.
The gun was fired. The explosion was fol-
lowed by shrieks of woe, which announced a
dire calamity. The gun had burst, at a point
three or four feet from the breach, and scattered
death and desolation around. Mr.. Upshur OF
Virginia, Secretary of State; General Gilmer
OF n. e., Secretary of the Navy: Commodore
BeVerly herman, gallant officer of the navy;
virgil Maxcy, OF Maryland, recently returned
from the Hague; Mr.. Gardner, of New York,
ana colored man attached 10 the Executives
Mansion, were instantly killed. Nine seamen
were seriously wounded, and Colonel Benton
commodore Stockton, Lieutenant Hunt, of the
Princeton, and w. ID. Robinson, of Georgia
were stunned by the explosion. Mrs Gilmer
was on deck at the time OF the explosion and
was brought back TO Washington almost ia a
state on distraction. Mr.. Gardner was accom-
panied by his tso daughters. ore of whom after
WARDS became the wife of President TYLER Mr.
pehur was accompanied by his daughter:
family; but none of them. with the exception OF
MIS-. Gilmer, were appTsed of the death of those
most dear TO them until their arrival in Wash
ington.
The President was not on deck at the time.
lie was summoned, but one Of the ladies having
concealed bis hat. be was compelled to remain
below, Charles a. Davis, lJsck Downing, No.
:; OF New York, was on board, and wrote 10
the New York Express that he was within ten
feet of the gun, which was fired by Stockton
nlmseh; he owed his escape to his having
cIlmbed up the shrouds a few feet with Mrs
Wethered, OF Baltimore. She was covered with
blood-their hats were blown Off-but the only
injury he received was a slight confusion OF The
upper lip.
VIM. Strickland, the architect, of Phfs.
delphia, was al~O on board the Princeton ami
stood Immediately behind Stockton when he
The morning after the calamity the remain
OF the killed were conveyed TO the White Hons.
where they lay until the funeral, on the ID o:
The late Phil. EIlicott carried the sad inteII
geRce OF the death OF Mr.. Msxcy TO his family
who were at home on West river, near tn
mere at one O'Clock in the morning. Mr.
MaXcy was the father of Mrs. Francis Markoe
OF this city, and a very accomplished gentl--
man. Mr.. Upshur was 4 man OF great ability
and ranked among the ablest members OF III.
Virginia convention of 1880. Mr.. Gilmer was
also distinguished as an orator and a scholar.
IL was originally intended that the funerals
OF all the victims of the explosion should be hell
here-but subsequently il was decided by HE
family that the remains of Mr.. MaXcy should be
inferred In the family vault at Tulip Hall.
WASHINGTON IN 1874
contained only $1,000 inhabitants, chiefly ma.
uves OF the District or the states of MARYLAND
and Virginia. The night OF the calamity, it is
said, there were few families in the city who
enjoyed their wonted rest. The next day Fri
day, almost the whole population poured down
hour, till the minute guns from the Princeton
announced the departure of the tender with the
dead.
THE FUNERAL.
The funeral was on Saturday, and although
it was the chief market day, all the hustle OF
business was hushed at an early hour, and the
streets were silent. though crowded with peo-
pie. Rev. DR.. Hawley, Rev. Mr.. Butler, and
Rev. DR.. Laurie conducted the funeral service
at the White House-whence the funeral cor
tege moved at IL a. m. for the Congressional
cemetery Among the pail bearers were Messrs
ArdslI, OF Va; Bayard, Of Del; Kennedy, of
Md; Z. y. Ingersoll, OF Pa; Gen. Weightman,
andJ. H. Bradley, OF this city, and Commodores
Morgan, Bolton, Shutrck, Crane and Aulick.
and Generals Gibson, Towson, Worth, and
Jesup, Ringgold's Battery of Light ARTILLERY
formed q part OF the funeral escort, which was
a mile in length. While this sad army wa
moving on, minute guns were fired and bells
tolled at measured intervals.
On his return from the funeral, Mr. TYLER had
very narrow escape. He was accomp anied
by bis son, John Tyler, jr. His horses took
fright at the foot of the Capitol and ran at a
furious rate the whole length of the syenne
which was crowded with carriages until tbey
were stopped by a courageous colored man near
the Treasury.
THE GUN WHICH CAUSED THIS CALAMITY
was the invention Of Com. Stockton. Mr.. TYLER
manifested great interest In its success before
the accident, and made 1t a frequent subject OF |
50 that it came to be bye-vo,d
among the Senators and Representatives in
Congress. Mr.. Einton, of Ohio, used 70 saw tn |
the only incident Of the melancholy occasion, |
wnlco called up smile, was the reiteration by /
John Tyler Of "his full confidence in the gum"
In bis special message to Congress ON the oh II
February, when the dead bodies Of his friends /
who had been slain by il were lying under his Il
own roof. Here is the p .rasra2h: "I will add /
that il in no measure detracts, in my estima- Il
tion, from the value of the Improvement con-
or from the merits Of her brave and distinguish
ed commander and protector"
Stockton remained In the navy several years
in politics and became . Senator Of
the United States. He was gentleman Of dis
ting uished appearance, and remarkable for
emit Senator Stockton is his son. The Hon
Hamilton Fish was member Of the House In
1874 So was Alex. H. Stephens, Of Georgia. tbe |
pole survivor in either house Of Congressman on
that date.
The democrats of the last generation professed
10 believe that Bentsn's mind was Affected Inv
the shock he received on board the Princeton
and to this attributed his subsequent aber i
rsfions on tne Texas and other political ques-
tons.
Suspected WiEesPoisoning.
LOUISVILLE, February 2s-The stomach of
Mrs. Egbert, who died lately in Caldwell, XIV,
lae been brought here for examination. ESQUIRE
ERbert. her hushand and Mir Baele Scott /