Evening Star Newspaper, January 23, 1921, Page 59

REMEMBER the case well, for it was the only time Pinckney ever quoted the Bible to me. Anyway, he said it was the Bible he got this sayin’ from, but when I doubted it he hedged and said it might be from Shakespeare or maybe Bernard Shaw. What brought It out was my remarkin’ emphatic that this clubby friend of his, Jerry Hinkle, gave me & pain in the neck. “Meaning, I presume, mey, “that his personal gether pleasing to you? “That's ckimpin' the proposition a whole lot,” says L “When he's around I can feel the short hairs on the back of my neck begin to bris- tle up.” " says Pinck- v is not alto- Precisely wh Shorty?” insists Pinckne: 7 “Well, T can’t just say,” I admits, nless it's because he's so satisfied with being such a nut. Honest. Pinckney, that bird actually seems fond of openin’ his mouth and adver- tisin' how little he knows. Yes. I expect that's what gets me so sore on him. At which them black eves of Pinck- ney's flicker the way they always do ‘when he's about to spring something simple. “Tut, tut, Shorty! he. “The good Book, you know, te that we should ‘bear patiently with fools.” A ‘That's true dope. too” says T. “And come to think of it, that's what T've always tried to do—let the fat- heads have it their w 1 get along fine and dandy until T bump up against one of the Jerry Hinkle brand, and then it's all off. Why say, when he starts that blaw-blaw of his.” which means about as much as what a saxaphone throws into a jazz tune when he wants to get a rise out of the leader—well, he gets m: won- derin’ why he ain't pinched for vio- latin' the muffler cut-out ordinance. 1 most of his conversation ain't use- less noise then I'm no judg Pickney chuckles eass there is more or le: v, as the poet has it. in Jerry's conversation, but he has his good qualities. There his hearty good fellowship, for instance. And he's such an impressive looking chap.” “Huh!" s: [ 3 Yet I couldn’t deny either statement. Meeting Jevrry Hinkle casual, and not hearin' too many of his fool views on this and that. you'd be apt to think he was quite a guy. One of these big. substantial built parties, movin' slow and deliberate and bulgin' through the sides of an ordinary chair when he sat He's strong on chin and nose, of course, traveling in s set, he's a finicky dresser. Also there is something cheerful and friendly about the he roars out a hail to anybody. “Well, 1 say, old top: how are you now?' That's his usual greetin’, rumbled out in a_ deep baritone drawl that can be heard half 2 block on Broadway durin’ the rush hour. Kind of convincin’, too. You almost believe he means it, even when You know him well. But beyond that what he has to say is nothing but poll-parrot stuff. It ‘may listen all right. but as a mat- ter of fact it's only the latest thing he’s heard or read on any subject. Just an echo. Why. he’ll drift into tne physical culture studio with Pinckney and maybe inside of two minutes he'll be tellin® me exacily what Dempsey should have done in that last bout of his, and if I hadn’t real that exact dope in some sport writer's column an hour before I might think he was as good a judge of boxin' as Tex Rickard. It's the same with reports on the stock mar- ket. or what Congress is going to do next. or the campaign to wish a blue law Sunday on us. All second-hand, as frosh as a last year's phonograph record. You know the kind, I expect. “Hciass® now, Pinckney,” 1 asks, “did you cvor know Jerry Hinkle to dea of his own?" “Oh, absolutely,” says Pintkney. “He holds that four pear! studs are not too many to wear in a dress shirt and that the ends of a bow tie should : be tucked under the collar, while the men’s fushion notes in all the theater programs advise quite differently.” “And I'll bet both notions could be traced back to John Drew or some- body like that,” says I. “By the way, Pinckney. who is it that finances Hin: kle in his brilliant career?” Accordin to Pinckney it's a case of Jerry’s being the sole heir of a late aunt. No big wad, but enough for him to live in decent bachelor quar- ters, keep up his club dues and not have to be afraid of meetin' his tailor to face Never had to tackle any real work, 1 zsk: “Oh, yes,” says Pinckne During the war he was called to Washington and held rather an important position und and is on some board or other as & dollar a ar man.” Yo fou might know,” says I “And most of 'em was overpaid, at that Well, I don’t wish him any hard luck, put 4f the time ever comes when he has to earn enough to pay his laun- dry bill I'd like to gtve about thre 10 one that he makes a flivver of | Pinckney, though, seems 1o think T'm too rough on Jerry. “He may have a latent talent concealed some- where about him,” says he. “Really, 3f such an emergency arose, 1 should expect that Jerry would meet it. Per- haps he would do something big. “Like gettin’ to be first assistant on a huckster's cart, eh?" I suggests. “He's got the voice for it ‘Well, it couldn’t have been more'n & coupie of months later that Pinck- ney reports how Jerry has gone on the rocks. Seems that some of suntie’s securities had stopped payin® @ividends and Jerry was 8o annoved over it that he got to lookin' up his Investments. From that he took to readin’ the Wall street quotations, and listenin® to the Johnnies talk at he club about buyin' and sellin’ this stock and that, and the first thing he knew he was kiddin' himself that he had absorbed all the wisdom there was on this financial game. So he . mtarts in tradin’ at a broker's. And ' what they did to Jerry’s little income wad in a few weeks was a plenty. ¢+ WiPoor old chap!" savs Pinckney. oT'm afraid he's nearly cleaned ou “Why worr] says I. “Here's a ! should, and before I could duck I was chance for him to cut loose with l||em{ * talents of his. If he's as! 8 i nd as he admits, | it shouldn't take him long to get bac into the super-tax class.” But Pinckney only shakes his head and the next report I get about Jerry is that he’s dropped out completely; given up his three rooms and bath, resigned from his clubs, disappeared. Not off the dock?" says I. No." says Pinckney. “I'm not tell- ing any of the fellows, but the fact Jerry has gone way out we ming—where he has a | cousin who has a small law practice in one of those absurd little count j=eats. About the only relative he ha 1 T believe, so naturally he has | look him’ up.” i, “Cousin will be delighted,” says 1| | “He’s bound to find Jerry a great | help. ‘specially if he ain't makin’ more'n enough to live on himself.” And we both thought. so far as we | j were concerned, that this closed the chapter on Jerry. You know how it is in New York. There are so many of us that anvbody has to loom up pretty big to be missed more'n a d or sp after he quits. Oh, I expect his sionally, he put on one of Jerry's old : I maybe his old waiter kept his favor- ite table reserved for two or three meals; and the billiard room lizards might have wondered why it was so quiet between shots. Hardly more'n that. A late oak leaf droppin’ into one of the Central Park ponds would make about the same commotion. I noticed that Pinckney had some new friend trailin’ around with him the next Monday. As for me, I for- got all about Jerry in a week, and two months later, if vou'd asked me about a party by the name of Hinkle. {1 might have guessed that he played shortstop for the Robins. And when you stretch out months Into two or three years, which was what happen- ed in this case, I was ready to hunch my shoulders and insist I'd never heard of any such guy. Then here a short time ago our Citizens' League out in Rockhurst-on- the-Sound rose up on its hind legs, as; it does every so often. and begun | howlin' for a new post office buildin’. | Course, 1 joined in, as a taxpaver i 1 put on the committee to go to Wash- ington and poke our congressman in the short _ribs—that is, speaking poetically. Not that they thought 1 could do it better than a lot of others, but so many had side-stepped that somebody had to be the goat. Anyway, three of us, luggin’ a peti- tion that took up most of the room in my suit case, and Coached by elo- quent stay-at-homes as to some snap- DY come-backs we must spring if the Hon. So-and-So tried to stall us off, we landed there all primed. And wel hadn’'t been in the House wing more'n half an hour before we was handed the stall, all right. The Hon. Who'sit was sorry, but he hadn't a thing to d6 with appropriations of that kind. Besides, the budget bill had gone to conference and if any more items was added we'd have to see the member in charge of that particular committee. “Well.” says I, “that don't scare me much. Bring him on.” No, he couldn’t do that. This party who had the say about such things was an important guy and mighty “JERRY? SAYS 1, SWAPPIN’ HEARTY GRIPS WITH HIM, “I HAD YOU LISTED WRONG. IT WAS IN YOU—THIS SORT OF THING, YOU KNOW.” busy. An interview could be arranged for ‘us probably, if we insisted. We did, But we had to wait over until laté the next afternoon before we got the word that if we'd come to a certain committee room the matter of a fed- eral buildin’ for Rockhurst would be taken up. . Now wouldn't that crimp you!” says I to the others. ight think we was askin' to have the Washing- ton Monument moved to our town square. Say, I'm going to slip this pork barrel statesman a few feverish remarks when I meet up with him.” They said they felt the same as I did about it only they didn't know as they could do the subject justice the way they was sure I could. And perhaps it would be better for them to_wait outside. “No," says I. “I'm at my best when I'm leadin’ @ mob. We'll go in a body, and when I get to shootin’ in the crisp comments you back me up. it kind of throws the works all out when we're let in at the appointed hour and I finds myself facin’ nobody but & quiet-eyed, neat dressed little lady who's aittin’ at a big desk, dic- tatin’ to a secretary. “Ah, yes'" says she, glancin’ at a date pad. “The delegation from Rock- hurst, N. Y., I presume. My husband has asked me to meet you and hear all about what you want. You have the usual petition, I suppose And instead of counterin’ with the 2ippy openin’ I'd planned I finds my- self unlimberin’ the suit case and 4 { often, THE SUNDAY STAR, JANUARY LISTING JERRY WRONG BsSeweiFord THE RAMBLER WRITES OF GUN EXPLOSION handin® over the document without a word. ‘M-m-m-m, yes." says she. glancin’ at it casual and tossing it on the desk. ‘Twenty-six hundred signers. And— er—let me see: Rockhurst's total vote at the last presidential election was How rapidly some of those ern towns grow, don’t they I expect was kind of a sheep- ish-lockin’ trio about them. But with all that sarcasm bottled up inside of me I didn’t intend to be shunted that skirt or no skirt. Excuse me, ma’am,” says I, “but 1 think we'd better take this up direct. As 1 understood it, we had a date to meet Congressman — er — What'shis- miling sketch e that was it. Hinkle,’ “ savs I. “J. Ripley, eh? What's the J for “Jeremial > 1. 1a at's the whole of it ‘The Hon. J. Riple: says s: she. s I, beginnin® to remem- ry Hinkle who used to in New York?" he nods. “The Why, say!" don’t know Shorty “I don’t necd to,” says Mrs. Hinkle, “for I've heard Jerry speak of you and of your physical culture studio, and Pinckney.” Well, what do vou know about that! says I, kind of gaspy. “Jerry Hinkle in Congress! How—how does he get that the last I knew vs she. him if he vas living an idle, butterfly ort of existence and was very much bored with it all. That was why he came out to Wyoming. He told me all about it almost the first week he was there. You see, we were boarding at the same place. I was teaching school at the time. Jerry didn’t guite know what to do. so I suggested that he study law and go in with his cousin.” “Study law!" says I. “Jerry! And he actually did it.” “He was admitted to the bar in less than a yvear.” savs,she. “You see, I ;:oulld‘help him gome with his read- Yes, 1 was beginning to see. In fact, T could almost throw the whole picture on the screen: Jerry landin® out there at this one-night stand. get- tin’ acquainted with the pretty school- ma'am, impressin’ her with his big talk and workin’ up her sympathy for a social favorite who'd gone staie on this smart set act and yearned for better and higher things. = Being four days’ ride from Sth avenue he could get away with that bunk, ‘specially if the young lady happened to be a movie fan, which she probably was. And then I could build up the scene where, after they'd got to be real friendly, she urged him to break into the legal profession, eggin’ him on to borrow some of cousin’s law books and coachin’ him evenin's how to get | the stuff into his empty head. At just what stage she discovered Jerry's bluff or how much more noise than sei there was to his talk I couldn’t gu of course, but it must have been after she'd got in too deep to back out. Anyway, you could see that she was no quitter. Somehow or other she'd jammed him through, maybe sittin’ up i I DIDN'T THINK nights with him while he was takin’ his exams. i “I expect it was you that -entered him in the political game, eh?" says “Well, that was rather an accident,” says she. “You see, the republican candidate for our district got himself shot while out antelope hunting only a week before the convention and some one had to be found in a hurry. I may have spoken to a few influe tial men about Jerry and as I had been rather active in organizing the woman voters they were very nice about it. Do you know, they wanted me to Tun?" ‘Why didn’t you?” 1 asks. ‘Oh, T had more faith in Jerry.” says she, smilin. “They agreed with me, too, when they saw him. He has such a commanding presence, you know. And after he'd made his first_speech he was as good as elected. I could help him with his speeches, for I was familiar with - local conditions and knew just what he ought to say. He did it ‘so well, too.” “T'll bet he did Yes, I could almoat hear that big boomin’ voice of Jerry's fillin' a crowded hall and repeatin’ faithful what the wise little lady had pumped into him in private. No wonder the honest voters got all worked up over this dark horse candidate' who filled a frock coat so complete and who fed ‘em just the things, they wanted to hear. “It was great fun, says she. says 1. campaigning,” “We spent our honeymoon “I call him; “THERE IS SOMETHING CHEER- AND FRIENDLY ABOUT THI 3 HE ROARS OUT A HAIL TO ANYBODY.” _— that way. And every night I sat on the stage’ where Jorry was rpeaking He insisted that I should. At first he was afraid he would forget some of his speech, but. really. I had to prompt him only a few times. 1 think that our being a bridal couple helped | some, too. Anyway, he was elected by a big majority and—well, here we erry seema to be gettin’ on fine don't he?' says I. = “Splendidly,” says Mrs. Hinkle. “You know a new member seldom gets on important committees, but I—that is, we have managed it so that he was recognized almost from the first. Per- haps you didn’t hear about his irriga- tion speech I admitted that T hadn't. “It was rather widely quoted at the time,” says she, “and since then Jerry has been accepted as an authority the subject. : “Well. he had good trainin’ in_the old club a_certain Kind of irrigatio ys 1. “Invented a cock- tail. didn’t he? But T expect the brand of irrigation he sprung on Congress must have been different Mrs. Hinkle laughs easy and nods. faybe vou gave him a few point- 1 suggests " savs she. “I try to help him with ail his public work. That is what T am doing now. _You see, T meet all the post office delega- tions for him while—while he is at- tending to other duties.” “I'h-huh,” says I “Say, Jerry addressin’ the House now, is hi hayin' a confab with the cabinet?" “No,” says she. “He—he's being shaved just at present. But he ought to be here any minute now. I told him he must be back by—why, here he is!" And sure enough in stalks the Hon. J. Ripley Hinkle, all dolled up like a reg’lar statesman in a frock coat and a wide-brimmed Stetson hat, holdin’ his chin high and walkin’ heavv on his heels. He ain’t too proud, either, to remember an old friend. “Well, well!" savs he. “If it fsn't Shorty McCabe! How are you, any- way, old man?"” “Jerry, savs I, swapping hearty grips_ with him, “f had you listed | wrong. 1 didn’t think it was in you— this sort of thing, you know. How'd you come to pull it oft?" “Oh.” says he, “it was simple enough. Just got tired of being a nobody and made up my mind to go in for politics. Didn't take me long. T knew I could do it if I tried, of course.” “Course.” says 1. And then I puts the new post office proposition up to him square. “Do we get it, Jerry?” I-asks. “Why—er—let me see,” says he, scratchin’ his right ear. “How about it, Millie?” “It depends;’ had a from this New York dis fayors the appropriation. “Then that settles it, Jerry. “Providing,” says Mrs. Hinkle, “he will support your irrigation bill. Per- haps you'd better call him on the [ phone ‘and get his personal 0. K. “Why, sure!” says Jerry, and pro- ceeds to ring up. “Tell him.” adds Mrs. Hinkle. “to nend you a'mole to that effect if he And you should have heard the smooth way Jerry works that all in. Ingide of three minutes the deal is fixed. “It's all right, Shorty,” savs he. “You'll get your new post office or T'll know the reason why.” Which explains confidential why three civic heroes returns to Rock- hurst-on-the-Sound with their chests out and their brows ready to be draned with the wreaths of victory. “We're some grand little go-get- ters. eh?” 1 asks the other two we land back home. Not one of ‘em denies it, either. 1 has to 'fess up to Pinkney, though, how I had the wrong dope on Jerry. “But T hadn’t counted on his tryin’ to et into Congress.” says I “If you'd mentioned that I'd have bet he'd have hard work keepin' out. Why? Be- cause T've listened to that bunch in the House morn once and I'd have known that Jerry was qualified to be one of "em, almost from birth.” ain't or says she prompt. “T've talk with the member ict and he eh?" says (Copyright, 1921, by Sewell Ford.) —_— The Andalusian Beggar. (] ORD NORTHCLIFFE” said & London correspondent, “brought back from his recent visit to Seville a number of stories about the Andalu- sian beggar. “There was one story about a beg- gar in Malaga. This chap's post was on the steps of the cathedral, and there “was a rich oil dealer—the Spaniards are very charitable and very devout, you know—who on his daily visits to mass would give the beggar a peseta. _ “Well, it happened that the Span- iard got the flu, and didn't show up at the cathedral for a fortnight. When he finally turned in at the cathedral gate one afternoon and put his. cus- tomary peseta in the ragged cap stretched out to him, the beggar said with a rather frosty smile: ‘Pardon me, senor, but you forget our little account, I think.’ *‘Account? What account? said the oil merchant. “The beggar gave him a reproach- ful look. “‘Senor.” he said, ‘haven’t you been away from the cathedral for two full weeks?' I had the “o¥e ‘And wasn't it your custom to give me a peseta a day? Yes, but——" ‘Then, senor, you owe me fourteen Pesetas, “‘Right. Quite right’ murmured fthe other beggars crowded on the cathedral steps. ‘Juan is right, senor.’ - \;cfvxx rt?flc‘kl'lum the oil dealer, o . salary? SNy axoiEe “A murmur of disgust rose from the Qther beggars, and the dealers own hograr drew himself up to his full ‘Seror he said. ‘if you have no more honor than that you can go and Bet another beggar. For my part, I am done with you for good.’ " The Limit. A TAWYER was talking about the graft which he has unearthed in the New York building trad “These grafters,” he sald, “are the limit. “Really, you know, they are inhuman. They remind me of the farmer at the Palm Beach Hotel. ‘This farmer came down to break- fast rubbing his hands briskly. ‘What ye got for breakfast, boy? he said to the waiter. Fried chicken, sah’ the waiter answered; ‘cerals, bri'led fresh mack- erel, liver and bacon, sausages, buck- wheat cakes, chops, steak and mush- rooms, doughnuts with maple sirups, tea and coffee, ham. ; “‘Right!’ said the farmer, rubbing his hands more briskly than ever. ‘Bring me all that, boy—and six nice fried eggs.'” T've been fll o 23, 1921—PART 4. -’ ABOARD U. S. NAVAL FRIGATE PRINCETON ol UN Named “Peacemaker” Blew Up When Salute Was Fired, Killing and Injuring Many Prominent Persons—Princeton Was Extraordinary Ship, According to Records—Sailing Vessels of the Potomac, Many Claiming Georgetown as ' "Home"—Indians Along Historic Stream Never Pictured With Sailing Craft. MONG the tragedies of the Po- tomac river, or tragedies on the Potomac river, if you wish it that way, which the Ram- bler is to set down in these little an- nals was the gun explosion on the frigate Princeton. It was a great gun in those davs and it had been given the name “Peacemaker.” which wasa name often given to guns that were thought to be efficient in a high de- gree. This gun blew up while firing a salute, which was a remarkable thing, as the gun had previously with- | stood all firing tests under service| conditions. The Princeton itself was an extraor- | dinary ship, being the first “propeller or screw steamship of the Navy and | only two months from the hands of her builders at the time of the acc dent. The date of the explosion was February 25, 1884; the place of the tragedy was in the Potomac off the: mouth” of Broad creek, three and a half miles below Alexandria. After leaving Alexandria, in_going down the river, your boat, following the channel, Iy and comes close to the Maryland shore at Fort Foote. Then southward vyou sail with the high green bluffs on the left. A trifle more than a mile be- low Fort Foote you come to the mouth of Broad creck. which is three-quar- ters of a mile wide and regches in- land for about a mile. In lhe river channel and half-way across the mouth of Broad creek the great gun Peacemaker blew up. spot every time you go down to River View. Marshall ‘Hall, Fort Washing- on. Mount Vernon, White House or vmont. Those killed by the gunburst were Abel P. Upshur of Virginia, Secretary of State; Thomas W. Gilmer, formerly Governor of Virginia and then Secre- tary of the Navy: Commodore Kennon of the Navy, Representative Sykes of New Jersey, Representative Maxey of Maryland and a Mr. Gardiner, an_ex member_of the legislature of New York. Those severely wounded were William Wilkins of Pennsylvania, Secretary of War; Miss Wickliffe, daughter of the Postmaster General: Col. ' Dade, Senator Benton, Judge Phelps of Vermont, Commodore Stock- ton, commander of the Princeton, and seventeen seamen. * Ok ¥ ok From the files of the Rambler is rosses the stream diagonal. | You cross thei meeting 25 well as in accordance feelings that the mavor respee en in the several wands of t w. be pustponed to Wednesday of Mareh tional Intelligencer on M 2 The bodies of the lamented Upshur. Gilmer. Maxey, Kennon and Gardiner were brought to this city in coffins from the ship Princeton, on board of which they passed from hife to death by means not I fatal than fire from heaven. The cof- fins were conveyed with due solemnity to the President’s Houss and p in the east room there to await the funeral ceremonies. * * The National Intelligencer, in its ac- count of the funeral, which was held on Saturday, March 2, s resurrected the following: From an old man who preserved a fresh re- membrance of this sad afair the Rambler re- ceived, quite a number of years ago, this story: On February 28, 1844, President Tyler, the ‘members of his cabinet and their families and many other prominent persons, said to number more than 400, were Invited by Com- modore Stockton to spead the day om the frigate Princeton. which was then lying at anchor off Alexandria. After the guests were on board, anchor was weighed for a short sail down the river fo a point below Fort Washing- ton. On the trip down the heaviest piece of ordnance on the frigate was fired a number of times, presumably as a matter of entertain- ment for the company. The gun had been con- structed from a model designed by Commodore Stockton, and a decided interest was taken in the weapon by President Tyler. At 2 o'clock In_the afternoon. on the return trip, the Princeton anchored off Broad creek and the company was invited to luncheon in the eab- ins below the gun deck. After luncheon, Com- modore Stockton proposed that the gun be fired once more as a salute, he said, to the memory of the great peacemaker. George Washington. On this, the President, his cabinet and a num- ber of other gentlemen repaired to the gun As the gun w trunnions back wi red. the breech from the blown off and this section was split in halves. One-half fell on Secretary Upshur. Twp sailors removed the weight, but the Secretary expired in & few moments. ~Sec- retary Gilmer was struck and killed by this section of the gun before it felled Becretary Upshur. The party on the gun deck seattered and the whole ship shook under the force the explosion. Excitement, very naturally, wi great. The bodies were removed from the Princeton, taken to Washington, placed in hearses at the wharf and carried to the W] House. where they lay fu state in the e :room till the day of the funeral, which wi day of general mourning in Washington. Turning to the files of the old Na- tional Intelligencer' of the morning after the accident, the Rambler copied the following story, generally accurate, but containing a few minor mistakes which are often to be found in matter prepared in haste, under the pressure of excitement and col- lected from different persons, no two of whom saw the same thing in the same way, or at the same place or time Most Awful and Most Lamentable Cata: trophe—Instantaneous Death by the Bursting | of One of the Large Guns on Board the United States Ship Princeton of Secretary Upsh Secretary Gllmer, Commodore Kennon and Vir- gll Maxy, Esquire: In the whole course of our lives it ha never fallen to our lot to anmounce to our readers a more shocking calamity, shocking in at which occurred on board the United States ip Princeton yesterday afternoon whilst un- r way, in the River Potomac, fourteen oF fifteen miles below this city. Yesterday wa: courtesy apt. commander of the Princeton, for receiving as visitors to the fine ship Princeton (lying off Alexandria) a great number of guests with their familles, literally a numerously invited company, to spend the day on board. The day was most favorable and the company was large and brilliant, of both sexes, not less probably in numbers than four hundred. Among them was the President of the United Staten, the heads of the several departments and their families, and at the proper bour, aft er the arrival of the expected guests, the ves- sel got under way and proceeded down the river to some distance below Fort Washington. During_the passage down, one of the large guns aboard (carrying & ball of 225 pounds) was fired more than once, exhibiting the great power and the capacity of that formidable weapon of wai The ladies had partaken of a sumptuous re- past; the gentlemen had succeeded them a table and some of them had left it; the vessel was on her return up the river and opposite the fort, where Capt, Stockton consented to fire another aliot. By no means not so many persons were gathered around the gun as during the discliarges in the morning, for the ladies who then thronged the deck were. on this fatal occasion, almost all below decks and out of the reach of harm. The gun was fired and the explosion was followed. before the smoke cleared away so as to observe its effect, by shrieks of woe which anuounced a dire calamity. The gun had burst at a point three or four feet from the breech and scattered death and desolation und. Mr. Upshur, Secretary of State: Mr. Gllmer, so recently placed at the head of the Navy; ‘Commodore” Kennon, one of its gallant officern; Virgll Maxey, lately returned from diplomatic_residence at The Hague: Mr. ardener of New York, ong_the these, seventeeen seamen were wounded, several of them badly, and probably mortally. Among those stunned by the concussion, we learn, mot all seriously injured. were Ca Stockton himself, Col. Benton of the Sens Lieut. Hunt of the Princeton and W. D. R inson of Georgetown. 'Other persons were also more or less injured, of whom, in the horror and_confusion of the moment, no certaln ac count could be obtained. The above are be. lieved, however, to comprise the whole of the persons known fa the public who were killed or_dangerously or seriously hurt, The scene upon the deck may be more e imagined than described, nor can the fma, tion picture to itselt the half of jts horrors. Wives widowed in an fnstant by the murderous daughters smitten with the heart-rend. g sight of thelr fathers’ corpses; the wail- ing of agonized fem: the unhurt, but heas wounded seamen borne down below; the tears and quivefing lips of their brave and honest comrades, who tried in vain to subdue or to conceal their feelings. What words can adequately depict a scene like this? The bodies of the killed remained on board the ship last night. They will be brought to the city this morning. In the Washington papers of the day after the explosion was the fol- lowing, undgr the head “Public No- tice”: Information of the dreadful catastrophe hav- ing reached the city last evening while & lai body of the citizens wers holding a public meeting connected with the ehi tion of delegates to the City Convention, it is ia compliance with & reauest adogted at that fleet and | ]1843. Her sponsor was Lieut. Edward | | R. Thompson. U. S. N.. and in the Spon- sor's book the Rambler read the fol- lowing account of the launch: standing the pitiless rain a crowd =: navy sard and within the shiphouse company of ladies and gen flemen had gathered. On board were 200 or i00_ people. many of whom endangered thei tecks by venturing leaning down to get & look | 1 at the new engine below. i A s<harp crashing sound was heard, and as' the vessel glided out of the shiphouse into the water Licut. Thompson gave the vessel her| name, uccording to the time honored custom. | broke a bottle of American whisky ver tee of members of the Franklin s posted on the platform surround- % with an instrument for the pur- As she moved off the ways " rang | out and ¢l 1 long mingled with the Secretars of the Navy, and the Dayid Henshaw on bourd, e THE FRIGATE PRINCETOX Gen. Harrison's honored was _borne along it to the tomb. Although the chief mar- ket day and the busiest day of the weck with all classes of venders the bustle of business was lushed at an early hour, the streets were silent though full of moving masses, the stores and piaces of business being generally closed and many cf them being hung with the drapery of mourning. The Rev. Mr. Hawley, the Rev. Dr. Laurie and the Rev. Mr. Butler con- ducted the religious service at the White House. The funeral procession moved to Congressional cemetery, es- corted by a battery of light artillery, under Capt. Ringgold, which had marched from Fort McHenry, Balti- more harbor, to Washington between 2 pm. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday; a detachment of marines, the Morgan corpse Rifles of Georgetown, Capt. Duvally the Mechanics Rifles of Washington, Capt. McClelland; the Union Guards of Georgetown Capt. Harkness; the Independent Grays of Georgetown, Lieut. Hill; the National Rifles of Washington, Capt. Tucker; the Wash- ington Light Infantry, Capt. France; the Mount Vernon Guards of Alexan- dria, Capt. Snyder, and the Potomac Dragoons, Capt. Mason. A detachment of United States artillery fired minute guns at the corner of the Avenue 24d 475 street and the Columbian Artil- lery of Washington, Capt. Bucking- ham, fired minute guns from the west terrace of the Capitol. Minute guns were also fired at the navy yard. In the newspaper files of March, 1844, the Rambler finds the names of the following enlisted men wounded on the Princeton, and who were treated at the Naval Hospital on Pennsylvania avenue southeast: Joseph Traisel, quartergunner; John Potter, quarter- gunner; Willlam Taylor, seaman; James M. Green, seaman; Charles Lewis. captain of Torecastle; John L. Kissich, gunner's mate; James H. Dunn, marine; Charles Robinson, sea- man, and William H. Canning, sea- man. Whether or not these men got well, the Rambler does not know. 1tis interesting to turn to the Mes- sages and Papers of the Presidents and read President Tyler's official comment on the tragedy of which he was a spectator. On February 29, 1844, the day following the explosion, he sent this communication to the House and Senate: I have to perform the melancholyduty of sannouncing to_the two Houses of Gafigreas the death of the Hon. Abel P. Upshur, late Secre- tary of Stats d the Hon. Thol W. G mer, late Sec ry of the Y. ‘This most lamentable occurrence transpired on board the United States Ship of War the Princeton on yesterday at about half-past four o'clock in the evening and proceeded from the ‘explosion of one of the large guns of that ship. ‘The loss whi the government and country have sustained by this deplorable event is heightened by the death at the same time by the same cause of several distingul persons and valuable citizens. I shall be permitted to expre erief at an occurrence which denly stricken from my side two gentlemen upon whose advige I so confidently relied in the discharge or my arduous task of administer- ing the office of the executive department, and whose services at thin interestiog period were of such vast importance. In some relief of the public sorrow which must necessarily accompany this most painful event, it fords me much satisfaction to say tkat it was produced by no carelessness or in- attention on the part of the officers and crew of the Princeton, but must be set down as one of those casualties which to a fre T or less degres attend upon every service and which are invariably incident to the temporal affairs of mankind.” T,will also add that it in no measure detracts from the value of the im- provement contémplated in the construction of the Princeton or from the merits of her brave and distinguished commander and projector. JOHN TYLER. The bell of the Princeton, in posses- sion of the Navy Department, played its part or rang its part in the hun- dredth anniversary of the incorpora- tion of Princeton borough, N. J.. in 1913. In the library of the Navy De- partment is the copy of a letter, be- ing “Memoranda prepared for Com- mander Richard Henry Leigh, U. S. N., furnishing information concerning U. S. 8. Princeton for Senator James E. Martine of New Jersey, who has been granted permission to have the bell of the Princeton exhibited at the 100th anniversary of the incorpora- tion of the borough of Princeton, N.J." Among the notatlons sent to Senator Martine were tWe account of the ac- cident on_the Princeon, House report 479, Vol. 2, 28th Congress, 1st session; an account of the bursting of the “Peacemaker.” in the Army and Navy Journal, June 26, 1880, and an article in the Independent, September 8, 1904, written by Mrs. P. Y. Pember. In the docket with this maiter was the in- formation that the Princeton was the first propeller-built boat for the United States Navy and that she was de- signed and constructed under the superintendence of John Ericsson in Philadeiphia, and also under the direc- tion of Capt. R. F. Stockton, U. S. N., who later commanded her. Her name was given her in honor of Capt. Stockton’s home town, Princeton, N. J. %k % % The Princeton was launched at the Philadelphia navy yard, December 10, kst Before the launching there was prayer by the Rev. Dr. Suddards. The long prayer is incorporated in the report and the report concludes with this_ interesting historic note: “This is the single instance found in |examined records of any religious service at the launching of a United States Navy ship. The Princeton did not have a long life. She was broken up at the |Boston Navy Yard in 1849. With- |out taking the time to go througn the service record of this ship, the Rambler Is sure that her career was a worthy one and that more space than is now at the Rambler's call would be needed to print the names of all the gallant men who saw serv- ice in her. In_ the Navy Depart- ment library - is- the copy of a letter sent to a Washington woman, evi- dently in reply to one from her ask- ing information of officers by the name of Hunt, Hunter and Johnston who served on the Princeton in 1841 The list sent in answer to that in- quiry follows: Lieuts. Montgomery Hunt, N. Y.; Timothy A. Hunt, Conn. Wm. E. Hunt, N. Y.; Charles Hunter. Bushrod W. Hunter, Va.; Charles G. Hunter, N. J.; Thomas Hunter, Va.; James G. Johnston. Ky.; Robert E. Johnston, N. C.; Stephen Johnston, ©Ohio; Zacha Johnston, Md.. and Surgeon Le B. Johnston, The Bushrod W. (Washington)/Hunter referred to was a native of Wash ington city. The Princeton was built of white oak, ship-rigged with a spread of 14,413 square feet of canvas. She was given two propellers. Her first 12,000 pounds and the second . “And with the latter she obtained about 12 per cent. increase in speed.”” She had a single teles- tppic smokestack that cpuld be housed below the bulwarks, so that she could appear to be a sailing vessel. Her hull cost $81,416: her engines, $60,400, and her boilers, $29.400. Many colums of space have been given over to steamboats and only the barest mention has been made lof the sailing craft of the Potomac. This seems to be unfair discrimination, and the Rambler does not want to be charged with playing favorites even in the matter of boats. Certainly in the matter of horses it is a losing game to play favorites. The Rambler wants the Potomac sailing craft to have their innings in these annals, and the reason he has not hitherto turned his pen, or typewriter, toward them is that he had no information about them. At this writing the Rambler does not know that the Indians of the Po- tomac rigged a sail to their canoes, but they must have progressed in the sciences up to that point; because other savages lower than’ they in the scale of intelligence and achieve- ment called the winds to their aid in navigation. The Rambler does not re- member ever having seen a picture of a Potomac Indian sailing his canoe, and tte Indian is always represented as paddling his frail craft, or his stanch craft—according to the way you handle it. The records of the “ports” or “ports of entry” on the Potomac—St. Marys City, Port Tobacco, Dumfries, Coichester, Alexandria, BI densburg and Georgetown—would reveal a long story of ships, cargoes, masters and owners could we but get at them but that is not easy to do. The rec ords are not there. They were goOV- ernment records, and if you have ever had any experience in this line you know tkat it often happens that gov- ernment records are not where they ought to be. Somewhere in one of these narra- tives the Rambler called attention to this advertisement, which he found in the National Inteliigencer of May 15, 1801: H. & T. Moore, auctioneers. will sell at Mer- chants wharf, on the 9th of May, tbe sl Lively.”” burden twenty-one fons, 3 very hand- some vessel, in good order and well found. Hes a large, commodious cabin and is particulagly .well calculated for a packet to run between ‘Georgetown and the city of Washington, for which purpose she was fitted out. In the Natlonal Intelligencer in the summer of 1801 Brohawn & Boys, who ran a lumber yard at Notley Young's wharf, on the Washington channel, advertised that “the schooners Dol- phin and Kitty will constantly take freight every three weeks from this city to Annapolis and Baltimore.” In the same year “a handsome fast-sail- ing sloop, named the George,” com- manded by Capt. Tristam Butler, was making trips as regularly as the weather permitted between Alexan- dria and Norfolk, and that sloop was advertised as “the Alexandria and Norfolk Packet.” In 1844 “the Hand Line” of packets plied between Washington, Georgetown and Phi {delphia, Weekly sailings were ad- vertised and these were the vessel Schooner Orator, Capt. B. Scott; schoon- er 3 W. Caldwell, Capt. T. H Friendship, Capt. C. M. sioop Henry Read, Capt. J. Bayliss. At that time there was alfo a packet line between Georgetown and New York. and among the craft of that line werg the schooner Phoebe Eliza, | “the | ington and Georgetown Line FROM AN OLD PRINT. S. P. Osborn, and the schooner In Capt. Victory. Capt. Charles Penficld. 1853 there was a packet line New York, Alexandri fleet comprised the sciiooner Fairfax. Capt. Charles Penfield; schooner Em- pire. Capt. Rufus Knapp; schooner Statesman, Capt. J. D. Cathell; schooner Washington, Capt. J. Ken- drick: schooner Senator. Capt. W. Kirby: schooner Hamilton, Capt. A. Dayton; schooner Arlington, Cupt. H. Lewis, and schoomer Arctic. Capl. George Wilson From 1840 to 1855 there was a packet line between Georgetown and Baltimore, and the ships of that line were the sailing packet John Embry. Capt. Isanc Wood, and the ship Re- peater, Capt. Thomas Travers. Capts. Wood and Travers were residents of Alexandria, and Capt. Travers became harbormaster of Alexandria. Capt. Travers, who bore one of the oldest family names on the eastern shore, was born on Taylors Island, Calvert county. A ship which he commanded was burned by the Britirh n peake bay during the wa - of 1¥ bought plantation bucic of mons Island and in the car came to Alexandria and was ms there in 1828. He bougnt a from the Sollers heirs, and tha' which was bullt in 1804, is ing and is occupied by M: Brown, a daughter of Capt Trave.: Its number is 508 South iienry siree and in the years that & & gone ! was a fashionable part ¢’ Alexa ‘The Alexandria agents « ‘Travers packet line wer« & Lambert, and the agents wers Rose & M- Frederick strest dock. Solo- a0 ied ou wuse, ary dria, Norfolk and Rich cad Wood came to Alexand .a ir Marys county, Md, ana numerous grandchildren . represent him in Georgetown and Alexandria. Some valuable notes taken trom the records of the Georgetown custom- house fwere sent to the Rambler some time ago by A. H. tSern. They show the names of vessels claiming Georgetown as their home port, to- gether with the names of owners and masters, from 1796 to 1833. The oldest of these is the Rosanna. built in 1796, of ninety-four tons burden, command- ed by Capt. E. Hefferton and owned by Alexander Smoot. The next is the Union, twenty-four tons, built in 1797, Capt. Edward Arnold and owner Joseph B. Parsons. Then follow the Sallie. forty tons, built in 1799, sailed by Charles Mintree and owned by Joe Radcliff; the John, seventy-five tons, built in 1800, sailed and owned by Ezra Simpson; Two Sisters, twen tons, built 1800, owned and sailed Joshua Ellis; Talbot, forty tons, built in 1800, sailed by Joseph Middleton and owned by Alexander Suter; Betsy, twenty-three toms, built 1801, sailed by Robert Gibson and owned by J. ‘Wheelright; Polly, thirty tons, built in 1801, sailed and owned by Samuel Smoot; William, sixty tons, built in 1804. sailed by James Spilman and owned by Richard Parrott; American forty-eight tons, built in 1806, sailed by Henry Smoot, jr., and owned by Daniel Kurtz; Ann, 123 tons, built 1805, sailed by B. Wood and .owned by John Eliaso Adeline. 132 tons, built in 1807, commanded by John Southern, and owned by Francis Dodge: Ceres. ninety-eight tons, built in 1806, commanded by L. Smith and owned by J. I. Stull; Eagle, twenty- seven tons, built 1805, owned and sail- ed by John McPherson; Eliza, sev enty-seven tons, built in 1808, owned and sailed by Alexander Semme: Eliza Ann, twenty-five tons, built in 1807, and owned and sailed by Henry McPherson: Henry, fifty-one tons, built in 1809, owned and sailed by John Pritchet; Maria. 104 tons, built 1808, commanded by John Nelson and owned by Walter Smith; Presage, 155 tons, built 1808, commanded by Alexander M. Rose and owned by Washington Bowie; Planter's Friend, thirty-three tons, built 1806, sailed by Robert Russel and owned by Henry McPherson; Republican, forty tons, built 1805, sailed by Charles Arnold and owned by J. B. Boarman. * ¥ x % The Rambler, up to this point, has overlooked two early Potomac ves- sels that were named Rambler. One was a sloop or Small schooner of 26 tons, built in 1802, sailed by Charles Chiseldine and owned by John Brent, and the other Rambler was a vessel of 121 tons, probably a brig or brig- antine. built in 1828, and of which Charles Colley was master and Fran- cis Dodge the owner. The largest of the Georgetown ves- Sels up to 1833, where the Rambler's list comes to its end, was the ship Caledonia, 647 tons, built in 1825, commanded by Hezediah Coffin and owned by Walter Smith; then came the Francis Depau, 595 tons, built in 1833, C. A. Foster, master, and Walter Smith, owner; the Katharine Jack- Son, built in 1833, was of 456 tons and her master® and owner, respectively, were John Peabody and Walter $cott. the ship Eagle, which was built some ' time before 1812, was of 395 ton William Morrill was captain and Walter Smith owner; the General Lin- gan, built in 1812, was a ship of 363 tons. Her master was William Weston and her owner Washington Bowie. ‘The Shenandoah, built in 1823, was a ship of 475 tons; her master was Alexander Rose and her owner Cle- ment Smith. The Ulysses, built in 1815, was a ship of 392 tons, and the name of her master, as given in the old records, was Alexander se. and her owmer, Clement Smith., - Atalanta, bullt in 1803, was of 354 tons. .