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The USS ''Princeton'' disaster of 1844 occurred on February 28 aboard the newly built when one of the ship's long guns, the "Peacemaker", then the world's longest naval gun, exploded during a display of the ship. Six people were killed: *Armistead, the slave and personal valet of President John Tyler *David Gardiner, father of Julia Gardiner, President Tyler's fiancée *Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer *Beverly Kennon, the Navy's chief of construction *Virgil Maxcy, American chargé d'affaires to Belgium *Secretary of State Abel Upshur Twenty people were injured as well. President Tyler survived the disaster because he was below decks. == Background == The was launched on September 5, 1843, and was considered a state-of-the-art ship. It included the very first screw propellers, as well as 42-pound carronades. The ship was also home to two long guns, the "Oregon" and the "Peacemaker". The latter was the largest naval gun in the world. She was brought to Alexandria, Virginia, for a display. Dignitaries present included President John Tyler and his cabinet, former First Lady Dolley Madison, Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri, as well as 400 other dignitaries. Refreshments were served in the salon below deck. Captain Robert Stockton, who was excited to prove the ''Princeton''s speed and weaponry, agreed to fire the Peacemaker in front of many onlookers. The original gun, the Orator (later renamed the Oregon, due to political disputes between Britain and the United States) and the Peacemaker were mounted onto the ''Princeton''. Though the Orator had undergone intensive testing and had been reinforced due to cracks that were detrimental to the integrity of the cannon, Stockton rushed the second cannon (Peacemaker) and mounted it without much testing. According to Kilner, the Peacemaker was "fired only five times before certifying it as accurate and fully proofed." After several test runs, the ''Princeton'' was considered ready. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Princeton disaster of 1844」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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