Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-01-24
THE THE PRINCET0N'S GUN.
HOW 1T EXPLODED AND KILLED TWO
OF TYLER's CABINET OFFICERS.

|
OF TYLER'S CABINET OFFICERS.
| tn. Story as Told by q Sailor on Board
the yessei-The Scene Upon Deck After
tho ps.eemaker Had Carried Out Its
Work of Destruction.
Charles R. Lawrence, sitting on his door
,tep the other night. his head enveioped III
tightly drawn bandanna handkerchief ana
MS knees and chin but few lhcues hpH''
rasped out the story of the Princeton from a
throat hoarse with twenty years cough
ait was on Feb. %, 1874" said the old man,
aand mind it well, for had son born that
day. Capt Stockton built the Princeton on
his own plan at the Philadelphia navy yard'
and after she was launched l helped to rig
her. Then she went round to Washington
and lay at the navy yard. in the Potomac
When the 2Sth came she steamed down tne
river, with the president, most OF ins caoinee'
Young John Tyler, lot of senators and rep
resentatives, dozen or two naval ofilcers
and ever so many ladies aboard, all the guests
of Capt. Stockton. There was fiddling and
flirting and dancing and champagne drinking
all the way down. Officers on shore were
mighty polite to the wives OF those that were
away in the Mediterranean or cruising with
the Asiatic squadron, and there was no end
OF fun among the young folks. The president
was merry, too. for Miss Gardner was aboard.
Her father was killed that day, but saw her
on the Princeton again when the vessel was
off the battery at New York. She was Mrs.
Tyler then, the wife of the president l saw
her again, long time afterward, at John
| Tyler's home, on the James river The ex-
president showed me his children that day
and gave me thirteen gold dollars.
THE EXPLOSION.
swell, they fired the Peacemaker twice on
the way down the river, and then every
body went below to dinner There was plenty
| Of champagne again and the president gave
the toast, "rhe Princeton's three guns-the
| Oregon, the Peacemaker and Capt. Stockton,
and the greatest Of these is Stockton At
last Secretary Glmer asked to have the
| Peacemaker fired again, and some of the com
pany followed Capt. Stockton on deck to see
| the piece | AIDED The president started up
with the rest, but turned back to hear his
son-in-law, Mr.. Waller, sing song. Capt.
Stockton ordered Lieut.. Hunt to make ready
for firing. Old King was gunner and Barlow
was gunner's mate. They loaded the gun
with twenty-five pounds OF powder and a
PIP pound shot. She was so big that you
could have crawled inside her and had plenty
Of room to spare. Capt. Stockton stood
nearest the gun, and the cabinet officers,
some senator's and a few ladies were not far
away. The secretary of war walked off be-
fore the gun was fired. Capt. Stockton called
out, Stand clear of the gum and then she
| wus fraI Thara M, awful ayrlocipn n
cloud Of smoke and loud scream from the
wounded. When the SIN Ike cleared away
every one could see that the top of the gun
was blown off from trunnions to breecl, and
two dozen people were lying on deck Capt
Stockton was hurt, but he jumped to his feet
and mounted the gun carriage to see the
damage. There lay Col. Gardner with both
legs and both arms gone, Mr.. Maxey with an
arm missing, Mr.. Gilmer with his skull
crushed, Mr. Upshur with one leg blown off,
Capt Kennon with his watch blown clear
through his body, and still running, SO they
said the presidents servant, wounded 50 that
he died soon after, and ever so many more
hurt with pieces of the gun or shocked by the
conclusion. Senator Benton was hurt a little
and scared good deal, and Senator Wood.
bury's daughter had her pretty face splashed
with the blood of the injured. One ady's
neaddress was singed with a hot piece of the
gun. Senator Phelps hat was blown off and
almost everybody on deck was knocked down.
TIE SCENE ON DECK.
"The ladies below deck didn't know what
had happened, and before they came up flags
md canvas were thrown over the dead bod
les. A senator said to the president, You've
lost two Of your cabinet and Mr.. TYLER
burst right out crying. When the news
spread every aody rushed on deck Capt. Ken
mons wife wouldn't be satisfied until she had
lifted the canvas and looked at her husbands
body. Mrs. Gilmer sat on deck with dry
Eyes, moaning and saying it couldn't be true
hat her husband was dead. There was nc
.neirymaking on the way back, except that
30 9 OF the sailors broke in and drank m
what was lett of the champagne. One fellow
JneV said, tried to steal kennon's watch after
It had gone through the poor captains body,
After the accident the Princeton looked ms
t she'd been i'll action. There was blood and
bits OF flesh all about the place where the gun
exploded; the bulwarks were carried away
.he rigging was tangled and one of the wards
was cut clean through by big chunk of the
gun that flew up and went half through The
iecl when it came down. That piece weighed
over 700 pounds and there was more than
l,6Uo pounds of metal blown off the gun.
When we landed the dead bodies were taken
to the White House Capt. Stockton wa.
treadtully cut up about the accident, MS the
Princeton and her guns were bis pets The
'ourt of inquiry cleared him of blame but he
never got over 1t, even after he was made a
commodore. st. Georges Del) Cor. Phil.
ldalnhia Tna,