Washington Feb. 28

Page 1

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 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 & 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. 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.

Mary Collamer.

Yours in hasteJ. Collamer