Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-05-22
COMMUNICATED.
A Song that Saved the Life OF President.

Song that Saved the Life OF president.
When Harrison and Tyler we've elected
in 1910, Col. Coke, of Williamsburg, the IA
Their of the Senator from Texas, remarked
that Gen. Harrison would not occupy the
White House year, for Tyler's !ucl; would
kill him-a prediction speedily verified. a
still more striking evidence of the same good
luck, if you will 80 term it, occurred few
wears later, when the life of President Ty
Ter was in all probability saved by song.
On the 2Sth of February, 1914, President
TYLER, with q number Of the members of his
| Cabinet and party of invited guests, en-
barked on the U. S. steamer Princeton, for
an excursion down the Potomac, and to
witness the effect of the firing of large
breech loading gun called the Peace
maker This gun was the largest that had
then been made, requiring charge OF some
thirty pounds Of powder, and carrying q
ball weighing upwards OF two hundred
pounds. The gun had been discharged sew
eral times, and when the steamer was near
Fort Washington, the party sat down to
sumptuous dinner. When dinner was over,
some of the guests, among whom were Hon.
A. ?. Upshur, Secretary of State; Il. ". Gil
mer, Secretary Of the Navy; Com. kennon;
Virgil Maxey, and Mr.. Gardiner, OF New
York, accompanied the commanding officer.
Capt Stockton, on deck, where, after put
ting it to the vote, it was unanimously de-
cided to fire the big gun again. President
Mai. VIM. holland, Com. of Public Build
ings, had risen from the table and assembled
three or four of the ateps leading from, the
| rh,n min
VIM. Waller, of williamsburg, was request
ed to sing the grand old song, "Wife, Child.
rem and Friends" On hearing the request
the President said to Maj Nolsnd: Hold
on, Major, let US hear Bill sing Wife
Children and Friends.'n They according
ly returned to the table, and While
the touching words, "For the heari
draws a bill that is never protested
when drawn on the firm of wife, children
and friends" were waited on the air, the
heavy boom of the Peacemaker rang out
the death knell of some OF the noblest men
that ever lived. Had the steps of the Presi
dent not been arrested by the song be
would doubtless have been standing with
the members of bis cabinet and shared the
fate of Secretary Upshur, Secretary Gilmer
Commodore keDnon, Mr.. Maxey, Mi. Gardi
ner, the seaman and the colored man who
were all killed by the fatal explosion.
In this connecticut may not be amiss 10 "a
fer to the popular belief that tie tune oi lhe
Star Spangled Banner was original ana
coeval with the beautiful words written by
Francis M. Key. Such, however, is not ti'e
case. The tune TO which the words Of the
Star Spangled Banner were adapted was
that of an old drinking song, called "B!ho IL
He'll" and commenced thus
When old Bibo went down to the regions below
Where Lcthc and Styx round eternity How,
lie awokc and lie cried he would he rowcd back,
For his soul was adry and lie wanted som:
| sack, &c.
| have the song in manuscript one hun
dred years old. The words of Yankee Doc
die were also set to the tune OF an old comic
song, as have been informed, by Pcrhap;
the oldest practicing physician in the State
who, unfortunately, can only recollect one
of the verses.
Lucy Locket lost her pocket,
Kitty Fisher found it,
| Twas lined within with Chamos skin
| And sken braid around it.
B.