The Washington critic., 1890-02-06
PRINCETON EXPLOSION.
FUNERAL OF THE VICTIMS FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE.
Events Recalled by the Catastropte at
the Tracy ansion--PennsNivAnia
Avenue An the Habiliments of
Mourning.

hOhTuihks
Probably IL Is not generally known
that Mr.. A. II. Evans, the venerable
attorney Of Washington, was in his
younger days an inspiring journalist.
but his scrap books contain many pages
of matter which he sent out from the
Capitol in those days as special CORE
spondence.
In view Of the terrible catastrophe
which ,has just befallen Secretary
Tracy's family and the funeral of its
victims, which recalls the last similar
scene in the White House, the follow
ing letter written by Mr.. Evans to the
Baltimore Visitor on the occasion of the
burial Of the victims of the Princeton
disaster, is Of especial interest:
lco1espondepcs Of tie Saturday Tisiior.l
BURIAL OF THOSE KILLED by THE LATE
AWFUL EXPLOSION ON BoARD THE
PRINcEToE--N NOMINATION. ron VAcAN-
cIBs IN THE CLBrNET-PRooEBDIN OF
CoNcREss.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March z, 1874.
Like rock, with its trickling, stood Cathmon
in his tears
According to arrangements, the funeral
rites over the bodies of the distinguished
personages killed by the explosion of the
"Peaee-max err ~ on board the United
States steamship Princeton took place from
the President's House on Saturday last,
March 2, at O'Clock p. m. Early in the
morning the United States Light Artillery,
Major Kinggold, from Fort McHenry, made
their appearance and formed with their
right wing resting opposite the western gate,
streets and avenues leading to that part of
the city were soon thronged with thousands
vending their way to pay the last tribute
of respect TO the departed dead, and by 10
O'Clock (the hour for forming the process
sion) dense crowd had assembled in and
about the Presldent's House, numbering,
as has been variously estimated, from ten
along the Avenue, through which the pro-
cession was to move, were crowded with
the fair portion of our population, while
many Of the house tops were covered with
men, all anxious to view the mournful
sight.
With the exception OF the funeral Of the
| lainented Harrison-even il we can except
| that-never have ! witnessed such uni
versal gloom pervading the whole people.
| The very heavens seemed to sympathize
| with bereaved nation, AS tears dropped
| from the dark clouds that overspread and
enveloped them. Business was suspended,
and the whole Avenue, from the White
| House to the Capitol, was enshrouded in
the habiliments of mourning. With the
Executive Mansion and all the public Offices
wrapped in the sable garb of woe, our city
| presented spectacle that could be better
| imagined than described.
The bodies being properly furnished with
collins, etc, in Alexandria, they were
brought to this city the day after the fatal
! ntocf Nl,nn a In
of the White House, whence the funeral
procession was to move. The collins were
here opened, with the exception of Judge
| Upshur's-he being too much disfgured
and mutilated to be seen--and the maugled
faces Of the dead exposed to the gaze of
spectators. But three days before-on Tues
day evening, il being the evening of the
Presidents levee-these individuals occu-
pied the same spot, when all was hilarity
and mirth, "and every heart and every sense
was JOYS" when
Ambitious hearts in Joy beat high
The cup was drained to beauty's power,
And pleasure beamed from every eye
Forgetful of the leeting hour.
And now, horrible risu, nothing meets
the eye but the pale and CHASTITY faces of
the dead. The tongues that were then ele-
quent, are within two Short days, still in
death, and the fires of intellect that burned
so brightly In those eyes then, have now
expired in their sockets-and their proud
and .nanly forms are soon to become food
for worms Truly, ''in the midst of life,
we are in DEATH"
About one o'clock the signal gun an
nounced the movement of the procession,
under the direction of the United States
Marshal Of the District of Columbia The
Funeral Escort consisted of the following
companies and bodies, under the command
of General Roger Jones and his aids:
The United States Marines; Morgan Rife
men of Georgetown, Captain Duval; Me
chanic Rinemen of Washington, Captain
McClelland; Union Guards Of Washington
Captain Harkness; Independent Grays oi
Georgetown, Lieutenant Hill; National
Blues of Washington, Captain Tucker
MISUNDERSTANDING, CaptainF frances;
Mount Vernon Guards of Alexandria
Captain Snyder; Potomac Dragons, Cap
tain Mason; United States Artillery, Major
Ringgold; Dismounted officers of Yoluu
teers, Marine Corps, Navy and Army
Mounted officers Of Volunteers, Marine
Corps, Navy and Army; Major Genera
Henderson, of the Marine Corps, and staff
Major General Scott, commanding the army
and Staff. Then followed the civic proces
sion in the order designated by the com
mittee OF arrangements, the whole extend
ing over mile In length.
Detachments of artillery placed near tn,
City Hall and st. Johns Church, aud tn,
Columbian Artillery, under the command
of Captain Buckingham, stationed near tn,
western front of the Capitol, fred minut,
| guns upon the first moving of the process
sion.and continued them until 1t passed th
Capitol. The bells Of churches In Washing
ton, Alexandra and Georgetown were t0llet
during the movement of the procession
, and the national eolors at all the differen
stations were displayed at half-mast. When
, the head Of the procession reached the Con
gressional Cemetery the military escor
formed in open order, through which th
remains of the dead were borne on biers t.
the public vault. Upon their entrance t.
the yard the beautiful and impressive fu
neral service Of the Episcopal Church wa
read by the Rev. Mr.. Butler OF George
J town, accompanied by the Rev. Messrs
Hawley and Laurie OF this city, andwhe
the solemn ''Amenn was pronounced an,
the remains placed in the tomb scarcely
dry eye could be seen. aud many gave au
dible evidence OF the workings of wound
ed spirit which Time, with its healin
: balm, can alone restored
{ We are gratiied in being able to stat
1 that the gallant commander OF the Prince
q ton, the mistress of the deep, Captai
Stockton, is fast recovering from the ir
jury he received from the explosion of hi
; favorite gun, and will soon be able TO II
j sumo his post.
His mental sufferings (says the Na,ions
LtelHgenctr), all who know the generou
nature of the man, can well imagine, an
, in these every heart must sympahtiz,
Obeying the impulses of his hospitabl
spirit, he was eager to contribute in ever
| modeto the qualification of his guests an(
yielding to request to permit
I lone last salute! one farewell greeting"
/ from the dread engine, which all deeme
safe, but for those whom IL might happil,
: at some day, Ope its destructive jaws,
u gave the word which struck down those fl
U whose safety he would have periled b