Washington Feb.28
[1844]
A most awful calamity has
this moment transpired & overspread
this city gloom. The steam ship
of war Princeton has been here for
two weeks past. There is mounted upon
her two [wooden] wrought iron cannon
which carry a boll of over 200 lbs &
it requires for a charge between 30 & 40
lbs of powder..The week before last
she was visited by the President, & heads
of departments, military & several officers
& the military & [Word] [Word] of the
two houses & the guns were repeatedly fired.
Last week she was visited by the members
of the two houses generally & they witnessed
also the opperation of the vessel & the guns.
[It was of this day]
This day a party, consisting of gentlemen
with their ladies, visited the ship & one
of those large guns exploded. It spread
destruction & death around it. Mr Upshur
Secretary of State - Gov. Gilmer, Secretary of
the Navy, Commodore Kennon, Colonel
Gardner & Virgil Maxey of Maryland & five
seamen were killed. Capt. Stocklow who
commanded the ship is injured, but it is
thought to be only by the concussion and
not dangerously. No ladies were injured.
I wrote to Harriet an account of
my visit to the ships, last week
Should this letter reach you before
the news reaches you otherwise, let the
matter be known, but my main
object in writing is that you may know
I was safely at home this day for which
I desire to be grateful.
Some were there from our mess as
it was expected there was to be dancing
& a ball on board in evening
Mr. Upham & lady were there but are
uninjured.
Yours in haste
J. Collamer
Mary Collamer