Emergencies and World Disasters
When a Presidential Salute Became a Shrapnel Massacre: USS Princeton 1844
25 min•24 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
When a Presidential Salute Became a Shrapnel Massacre: USS Princeton 1844
A single gun fired only five proof shots while another had been fired more than 150 times - and that divergence turned a presidential outing into a massacre that killed six people. Which decisions about testing, design, and pride turned an elegant new warship into a scene of shrapnel and political fallout?
In this episode, we tell the story of the USS Princeton on February 28, 1844, describing the ship's innovations, the two guns called the Oregon and the Peacemaker, and the choices that led to disaster - and ask how an ignored engineering blueprint and a different approach to construction might have changed history.
Person: John Ericsson
Person: Robert Field Stockton
Date: February 28, 1844
Location: Potomac River near Mount Vernon
Event: Gun explosion killing six people
- The Oregon gun was proof-fired more than 150 times before going to sea.
- The Peacemaker weighed 27,000 pounds and was fired exactly five times before certification.
- The Oregon fired a 225-pound shot nearly five miles on a 50-pound powder charge.
- The Princeton carried roughly 400 guests when the Peacemaker exploded.
- The Franklin Institute later found the Peacemaker had a welded band instead of shrunk hoops, making it "almost certain" to burst.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A single gun fired only five proof shots while another had been fired more than 150 times - and that divergence turned a presidential outing into a massacre that killed six people. Which decisions about testing, design, and pride turned an elegant new warship into a scene of shrapnel and political fallout?
In this episode, we tell the story of the USS Princeton on February 28, 1844, describing the ship's innovations, the two guns called the Oregon and the Peacemaker, and the choices that led to disaster - and ask how an ignored engineering blueprint and a different approach to construction might have changed history.
Person: John Ericsson
Person: Robert Field Stockton
Date: February 28, 1844
Location: Potomac River near Mount Vernon
Event: Gun explosion killing six people
- The Oregon gun was proof-fired more than 150 times before going to sea.
- The Peacemaker weighed 27,000 pounds and was fired exactly five times before certification.
- The Oregon fired a 225-pound shot nearly five miles on a 50-pound powder charge.
- The Princeton carried roughly 400 guests when the Peacemaker exploded.
- The Franklin Institute later found the Peacemaker had a welded band instead of shrunk hoops, making it "almost certain" to burst.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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