The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-31 00:00:00

THE BRIGHTON REVIEW.

The Volunteer Review and Sham Fight at Brighton
on Monday were favoured by finer weather than had
been anticipated. In London the morning was fair,
but at Brighton there was a fall of rain, then a short
snowstorm and the first detatchment of troop which
arrived by train soon after six o'clock, had to march to
the place of assembly under dispiriting circumstances.
however, the sky cleared after a while, and though
the cold was sharp, the prospect of having a dry
day after all was enough to cheer the Volunteers them-
selves and the very large crowds which turned out to
See them. Something more than good-humoured
elthrislasm prevailed among the spectators (remarks
Zze Times). The masses vitti lined all the avenues
through which the troops were to march, the ladies
. handkerchiefs,
thronged oalconies and windows, waving their
nandkerchiefs, seem to have given the Volunteers as
hearty ros,c_ption as might have been vouchsafed to
an Army come in sober earnest to relieve a beleaguered
city,
Tha proceedings of the day commenced at half-past
eleven with a march past before the Duke of Cam-
bridge, the 22,500 troops looking the perfection of
neatness. The attacking and defending forces then
proceeded to their respective positions, and a grand
'ham fight followed. The first round was fired from
tbe northern side of Newmarket Hill, and was imme-
diately replied to from the Palmer Heights by the
attack. The defenders had their twelve guns dis-
Posed in three batteries, two on Newmarket, and
one on the Race Hill. An artillery duel raged for
killy a quarter of an.hour, and then General Hig-
Vinson threw his left forward by Newmarket
Plantation as though to take the Hill, but this
was only a feint, for as soon as the defenders
engaged with his opponents, -and a sharp fusillade
ennunenced, the real attack across the valley skirting
Cottage and by Hogstrough Bottom was deve-
PPed. The defenders gallantly stood for a longtime,
but, harassed by an overwhelming artillery.fire, under
"hinh line after line of men were sent forward in
Irresistible waves, they at last bad to give way. After
the fight had lasted about an hour and a half, it was
finished with the usual emptying of cartridge pouches,
bY firing volleys at about two hundred yards, and, this
• being over, the "Cease fire" was sounded and the
troops returned to Brighton.

A VIEW FROM A BALLOON.
~„A Correspondent of the Daily News, writing on
alenday evening, gives an account of an ascent in a
balloon, from which we make the following ex.
tracts
At half.past six this morning, as we stood over the
coil of what looked like oiled yellow silk in the yard
k of the Kemptown Gasworks, there appeared to be
scant prospect of the balloon asoent which had been
arranged for the purpose of obtaining a bird's-eye
view of the manceuvres and public spectacle upon
Brighton Downs to-day. Mr. Joseph Simmonds,
the experienced aeronaut and the hero of over four
hundred aerial voyages, was in charge of the
arrangements; and as he viewed the low heavy
arY which loomed above, he spoke with little hope
of commencing the inflation. Then a fall of miserable
Lal.eety snow commenced, and after consultation with
we assistant, the old aeronaut of Cremome, it was
resolved to abandon the preparations for a couple of
/wars, and wait hopefully for a change in the weather.
. At nine o'clock we gathered again at the gas.
Worlos. The wind had dropped, the drizzle had ceased,
and the sun was rapidly clearing the clouds from the
surface of a blue sky, which heralded the fulfilment
of the fair promise of yesterday. Under the superin-
tendence of Mr. Howard, the manager of the works,
the inflation at once commenced. The balloon used
on the occasion is known as the "Colonel." . . . .
_BY the courtesy of the proprietors of the Illustrated
idonden News, who had organized the trip to-day in
order that their artists might have opportunities for
obtaining accurate sketches of the positions of the
trooPs, I had obtained permission to place myself at
the mercy of the unwieldy and at the present time
highly unpopular engine of locomotion, which I soon
aavi extending itself before me. The "Colonel,"
When inflated, stands 80 feet highki and is about
.150 feet in circumference. Thitty.six thousand
feet of gas are required to fill it. Today about
two hours were employed upon this operation,
and it was not until after noon that the balloon, with
the car affixed, floated above the gasworks wall. To
it was attached a strong rope, tested to seven tons,
and a thousand feet in length. A detachment of the
Brighton corps of the Royal Naval Artillery Volum.
ers, in charge of Lieutenant A. H. Fry and First
,`-.'lass Petty Officer Yarroll, had been told off to tow
" from the point of inflation to the scene of action
„and keep it captive. The first ascent was made in
aheepcote Valley, which lies between Kemptown
.Iknd the racecourse. Here the balloon was allowed
'lva hundred feet of rope. As we ascended the
'lthole range of the Downs came in view. The march
Nig was over. We could see with the naked
Fp3 the scarlet uniforms disappearing over the hills to
;Pe north.west but it required glasses to distinguish
6ne various corps coated in other colours from the
oyeds of spectators and the furze upon Palmer and
vvolstonbury hills. The grand stand was still full,
tint the masses of spectators were making their way
rith all haste to the scene of action. We were too
,ar away to make out with any precision the positions
:0 be taken up by the attacking and defending forces,
r a descent was made, and the balloon towed to the
r of the hill, where it was met by Mr. William
,PnPaon, the veteran special artist, who had during
e morning been engaged in different parts of the
meld.

.r.,Now the serious business of the day commenced.
We go with an almost alarming flight till we reach
Zeiend of our tether. We come to a standstill with
th Ask, which, for the moment, makes us fear for
safety of our mooring and the strength of the
IThas of the Blue Jackets who are holding our
tires in their hands. The car of the balloon is small,
Lod we have left both the aeronauts on the ground.
We recover our equanimity and look down. There
must be quite five thousand spectators gathered
directly beneath us, for the sight of the balloon
has attracted all the stragglers who have not followed
the troops. 'Away to the south stretch the waters
of the Channel, as smooth and as glittering as a
Sheet of polished silver. We look in vain
!,cs a single sail. On our left, looking towards
Lee sea, is the Rottingdean beach, where the
!tcaginary invaders' ships are lying. A dull mist
" shrouding the town of Brighton. Turning round
we can just distinguish Lewes before us on our
fight, but the general vision for more than three or
lour miles in either direction inland is obscured by '
it kind of gauze curtain, which betokens that not-
withstanding the bright sun overhead there is more ,
show or rain to fall before the day is out. On the
other side of Palmer Hill, where General Higgin-
?Vl troops are gathered, and beyond the railway and
e Lewes road, the white line of which can easily be
r,ed through the dull green hill and dale, a large
("41c clump marks the
,position of Stanmer Park.
ere 5 the signal!' suddenly exclaims Mr.
'llxPeon, who has-been making rapid sketches of the
Zltil*eY, and a cloud of white smoke rises from
e cPposite hill on the right. A few moments
afterwards we hear the boom of the gun,
and know that the action has commenced.
give the word to those below that we
E.wn to make a move. It is our intention to be towed
vs;_the direction of Newington Farm, which lies in the
rolt°ra, where the first effects of the attack are already
to ice, observed, for the battery at Palmer has replied
`ao signal, and there is a movement in the columns.
e„Yre can only reach the farm, or a cottage which we
'v in the hollow, and get safely moored, we shall
rahaand a view of the whole fight. At present we are
too far from the scene of action for any minute
eau ervation. It seems hard, however, to free our-
-13,41:_e1l from the idle crowd beneath which is hanging
40 cur rope, greatly to our inconvenience and die-
Of pd. Our signal has evidently been misunder-
ii"vol and we find ourselves being hauled in, making
scent more rapidly even than we rose, and
b„etirrent strikes us which brings us to ground with a
pi;01331; nearly throwing us out of the car. Before the
PLe Can reach us we have put out ballast and are
`u_S again. As we *look over at the receding earth
macover to our dread and consternation, that the
tittle Jackets seeing us come to earth, have released
t.„,e tone, and on our sudden rebound have failed to
Ter it. We are travelling at a tremendous rate,
fresh wind has sprung up. We hear the shouts,
have lost the rope 1" "Seize it 1" and are
Lojedering where we shall be carried, when to our
2Toite relief we see the rope tighten, and feel our.
w, held once more.
LT's are now on the bzow of the hill. While we have
ir'n concerned more about our pereonal safety than
ete Movements of the troops, the whole position has
anged. The opposite hill is alive with the advancing
lort. jile on the right the defenders have evidently
utneis position, and are falline. back. The artist
1.„, axes the most of his minutes. With glass and pencil,
vlOrke uninterrupted by the hubbub beneath. . .
el!! We may stay no longer. The order is
to pull in, and we reach the earth in
. . . Mr. Simmonds, fearing an accident,
of
It9:lences to release the gas. Before a quarter
6, had escaped a sudden gust of wind catches
5i4: balloon on the side. ¶lhe case, which is made of
1.4...4 French embroidery cambric, coated with india-
tzio"yr and birdlime, rips from bottom to top. him
tt_rcent more the captive balloon, which had been in
64_,A° air over three hours, lies a shapeless sheet and a
Z.egle of cordage on the grass, and the gaping crowd
sPerems to meet the troops returning to Brighton.

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.
Poet

you -- : II Virell, how do you like my poem, which
~ aord.ered for your daughter's wedding? "—Cobbler:
telf.,43Eurably ; I could have hardly done better my-

thTbe notion of having your house connected with the
Wife
by telephone, is utterly absurd. How's your
to see bonnets by telephone?
11-14r* litende In the course of a recent lecture, stated
beat Cato did not begin to learn the %reek language
until h
the! e was 84 years of age. The boys of to-day tell
, t fathers that . they are anxious to follow the
"`*4erde of Cato.
*Z7.llell a man is dismissed from employment he al
-
A Pe has a good deal to say against his late employers.
whtliano in fact, is likes gun. He makes a great noise
ell ea is discharged.
ell •0
The di
W3tence between ar long and short yarn is very
h ,alla.ustrated by the difference of one's feelings
iret °4uing a skein for one's grandmother or for one's
eetheart.
inks ""e Of the Western courts a lawyer threw an
to kt'ajci at another's head. The Court required him
Ogiee. He did so, and added, "while I am
thr°,l:t it, I may as well apologise beforehand for
get.."lng another inkstand at him the first chance I

orlf,r(hr fell into a pail of milk in a Connecticut town
er
~.1 11,gght, and in the morning was found sitting upon
71 af fresh butter. A local paper says that the sole
fto *nation is that, in trying to extricate himself, the
ler„ig dby diligent and continuous strokes of his long
tvE;°utl,rited.the,milk into butter. The farmer's boys
mukb" 'IP in the morning, discovered the-frog in-the-
the L,Lilu arranged things as they were found, enjoys
--44aernent of the folk about'

THE EASTER HOLIDAYS IN LONDON.

The cold weather had an appreciable effect in re-
ducing the number of excursionists who left London
during the Easter holidays. The passenger traffic,
however, appears to have been fairly distributed, the
falling off being apparent on all the railways. Still
there was a large exodus otexcursionists. On Monday
64,113 visited the Crystal Palace, 29,805 the
Zoological Gardens, 34,603 the South Kensington
Museum, nearly 30,000 Hampton Court, and 32,930
Epping Fore.A. These numbers show a total decrease
of about 50,000 upon thc.,e of last year. South Ken-
sington alone showed an increase of 2,000. The
excursions to more distant places also showed a falling
off,