The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-08-07 00:00:00

BALLOON VOYAGE ACROSS THE
CHANNEL.

An interesting account of the balloora voyage sworn
the Cnaonel was given by Mr. Simmons, one of the
aeronaut. who perform. I the perilous feat, at Friday 'e
meeting of the Balloon Society in London. Antorig
the luoidenta mentioned was the remarkable aposaar-
sum of the steam front a steam sr, welch was steering
to the south. This appeared exactly like a comet.
There were at the time many square mile, of water
of a beautiful dark tint, forming a beck ground,
against which the vapour warn shown up, and making
it stand out, as it were, like a comet against the sky
on a dark night. A phenomenon which he had Dever
before obeerved attended throwint out piece* of Paper,
about four Inches square, to aeoertain the direcUon in
which the balloon wa, drifting. Thew in strugglipg
downward became surrounded with a prismatic halo
that resolved Keen at last into a beautiful ralubow- '
tinte I globe the size of • Ulall'e hat, some of them
mourning the appearance of • small ball ion of gold-
berner's skin with • light inside. Several sailing craft
were mistaken for atounere from their" wake" or white
line of broken water, which, cowmen...deg at the bow.,
passed astern, h eying the appearance at considerable ale-
vatioos of steam from the funnels. While pawing the
month of the Scheldt, be sketched the town Mid
environe of Flushing, but in the descent it was jerked
out of the o tr. It wee a good proof of the perfect
wolness of his companion that he marked the spot
where it dropped so a. to be able to give direction.
for its recovery. None of the plot ballroom that were
sent up were se-n, and the proba`dlity was they had
travelled a c onple of thousand miles further than the
big b Moon. Some physical inconvenience, was suffered
by Sir C. de Orespiguy at the greatest elevation by •
feeling of great stiffness in the leg, which was broken in
the wont of last year. Ile managed, however' otter •
suffering intense pain for a few minutes, to get the limb
extended on the bottom of the car, awl by dint of strong
rubbing restored it to a n woad condition. While at
the height of 17,000 feet they experienced teepee cold,
ant "chattered" involootarily more during that time
than during the whole of the rest f the toy Age, for
they could not keep their teeth quiet. They had
neglected to take proper overcoat. aud m ackayAsiltee,
I and were able only very imperfectly to supply the
deficiency by enveloping themselves ais well as they
' condi in newspapers. Ile had been much struck Ono*
.1 his return by the suggestion of the value that Justus-
' tapeous photography would be in balloon sweats for
laying down the shoals and channels of a large river,

an estuary, or coast previous to a regular survey.
The distinotness with which they had Seen the shoals,
the mein and the branch chanuels, was very remark-
able, the effect being exactly that of looking at • chart
lying on • table. Though the tide was high, they could
see all the charnel. aedistinctly as if they were perfectly
dry. But for the slightest perceptible ripple of the
water, it wee practically invisible. In some shaded
places where sunlight was obscured by °buds the
, water was more visible and the white crests of the
small waves were seen, though on a very
diminutive wale. When at a height of 8.000
feet, a large steamer would not subtend an angle of
more than one-eighth of an inch on the edge of a
piece of paper extended at arm's length, yet in spite of
the extreme minuteness of the camel they could dis-
tinguish details of the rigging, me objects on deck, and
distinguish people walking about. Everything, indeed,
1110011111 a so phenomenally distinct as to offer great
inducements for experiments in instantaneous
photography. Not only wee the sea b Atom
visible near the shore, but even part of the way am es
the German Ocean they saw &poen emcee which must
bars been the bottom. At some points, what he took
to be shoals were distictly seen, and even where the
water wag deepeat differences in odour were discerned
—some green, some red —.toe either to the bottom or
to the presence of shoals of fish. Ile had heard
Cornwall that shoals of pilchards produced • red
appearance, and other 596 different colour.; and,
therefore, fish might have been the cause of the
different patches of colour that were seen. On one
occmion they took to their cork jackets, foe they
thought the balloon WWI drifting north out to sea ; but
towards the end of the voyage they were much
eneocraged by the appearance of many vessels
evidently coming out from the land, convincing them
that they were nearly across.

CAPTAIN WEBB'S DEATH.
The Ni.. York Gerold of Sunday hes the following in
reference to the death of the courageous Ina'Uhlman :
" Captain Matthew Webb, the fatuous BogUsh swimmer,
made the greatest attempt of his if. at Niagara to-dar,
and failed. His plan wee to swim the terrific whirlpool,
about two mday below the Falls—something that bed
cover been done, Lod generally r.gardel as impossible.
Visitor. at Niagara are familiar with the great whirlpool,
which I. hastily Wiles natural wonder than the °attract
It. power is irresetible, sod there bin, instance on record
of any living being going thr owl tt in safety. The Repoli
leading to the wholoo .1 p • ,io•r are alo, of tremendous
davhing up -or •rs; ,eat, not rt,m o .Ci in the (total
circular pool, bolt. it doomed p•rems tiny. been known
to remain titter, for we-ks, revolving all the time
with great rapidity. N otwithatanding the almost
certainly fatsl nature of the .ttempt, Captain Webb
resolved to snake it, and visited Ntgata several weeks
MO to look at the situ.tion. No one, however, believed
that he he would carry out hi, promise. He did
DO - *Avert se it exiemivsly, and app orently be cared
nothing but to make a grand exhibition. He arrived in
Buffalo from New York (the trlegram is dated from
Boff.lo) with his manager kat evening, and remained
till this morning, when he took the last train. When be
really determined to carry out his plan. ha went to the
Clifton House, on the C median side. Hie manager tried
to persuade him not to attempt the fearful undertaking.
but Webb had made up his mind, and seid he would take
the entire responsibility. He seemed to realise the danger,
and. before starting, made his will, leaving all his
property to his wife, who. sits his two children, is in
England. There woes, little faith in his promise to anake
the attempt that scarcely any credit was given to the
announcemant, and lees than two hundred people
assembled on the banks, many people at the time rosily
knew nothing about it He took dinner at the hotel, and
then .pint some time trying to get afloat. At half-past
three p.m , perfectly cool and cionfileno, attired in
• shirt and light clothes, he went down to the ferry
on the Canadian side Mons. At the ferry he
embarked in • sluff, rowed by John licOloy, who wag
the only one who cared to take the risk of rowing
him down to the point where he wished to JuilliB Re
started down lament. and maths %ass, McOloy asked him
how much he Sal made Ivy giviug swimming exhibitions.
Webb replied • About 25.000 dollars? ' How much have
you got left,' asked tha ousm.n. 'About 15.01/0 dollars
wee the rrply. 'Then you had bettor let MI pull you
.loor., and goons 15.000 dollar 'pros, rather than try to
go through that. You commit d , it, it I. sure death,'
but W.bb was determined, and laughs I. In • reckless
manner he took otf his clothes, and llcCloy said he would
never nerd theca again. Re told Gas boatman to meet
him with his OlOthco and blankete at the Swim Glen below
the •hirlpo 1, as he with. I Liso to Boiton the next day.
Having wide all preparations he s oi-I Good-bye,' and
Plunged into the river at • pilot • little above where
they are building the new Caned • Southern Bridge As
5,011 as Webb want McOloy. who dared go no further,
turned, and pulled to the Maid of the Nut landing.
Webb plunged into the water at thirty-two minutest
past four, New York time. He came up instently,
and swam with a bold, vigoroui stroke, apperentle
with ease till be struck the drat rapids, loins
under the Railway Suspension Bridge ; were be wee
carried along by the curreat with tremendous velocity,
but .till he eeerned to hold his own. The spectacle at
this time was very thrilling. If o shot along like an avow,
' re-aPPrillred
with the whirlpool straight bsrore him. As he went THE ABBABBINATION OF CAREY.
through the rapids he dived each time, and
SI strong SA ever. MO his intention was to go through COMNITT•L o r O'I3OIIIIIILL /fOl TRIAL,
on the Caned. side, but the current wart too Aron( for Caerrowg, Friday.—The examination of O'Donnell
him. In Pin teen minutia he reached what is known as wee concluded to-day, and he wee committed for trial
the cloannel.or place where the water shoots right and let'.
Theo :shrew., ounp tub:
ribgrihdtgeerle w.s • mer, , speck. Suddenly for wilful murder. The Prisoner's statement WWI that
eiegdiea,uosared sod
th, woe he was not guilty of wilful murder. "It wen done
tie Met that was seen of th 1 great English •11iM61,00. He
was undoubtedly sucked down iuto the frightful by me (he said) in self-defence. trey pulled •
revolver out of his right-band
hvoerste.a.monined.4l7,:dia..indstuannatbideeatoth...k.lt.w.ash
progthougr....ht twheishrevoalverGoondut.dof
th,isconuanodty."
Donn: p.iiaolanbe:udreresciniohe:
that he was injured in some manner while diving, as bimetal( as Patrick O'Donnell. aged 45, born in the
P's&rdto'ck.t.the womanl an-atrtchT-veedle-
His manager and the reporters Were blast ul that he would
cifurma,ernlyellaisabigutuilerb.y to bay• marl'
get through, and drove down the Canada side to the
whirlpool part, but they Muhl 11114 no trace of hint Ho
n:ver appeared. Toe search wee kept lop till dark, In hog with the Latter. The irixouni. In the „di...1
yein. webb's mauve retuned to Bugaie Oh the lan =7lll be trild at lb. Railab" Allag.
Iran to-nlght.*
....Daily NOM

FIGHTING IN TON QUIN.
70U ULM) AND WOUNDAD.

An official despatch iron Saigon, dated Fri lay
evening, announces the receipt of intelligence from
Tonquin confirming the news of the suocaseful sortie
made by Colonel Baden" from Nundinh on the I).h
ult. Toe enemy, who« forces were entirely composed
of Ann amites,loet seven hundred in killed ant wounds I.
The French captured seven run., besides a largo
quantity of ern-therms. The petitions taken were how-
ever, re-oocttpied by the Aunamites Itomedistely after
the departure of the French troops. The Annamits
aimn comment is stated to be among the
Toe I.re on the French side was 12 killel and wounded.
The despatch ride that the heat is oppressor°. The
French naval erptedron in Chinese waters has left
Helm/ Bay for HID' Kong.

ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN ISCHIA.
II ILLIACII FROM QUI= VICTORIA.

Rout Sato 'day.— Ace 'rang to fatelligence reCeiVe,l
here from the island of Ischl• soother shock of sairh.
quake we. felt at the village of Foil) at about half-
past two this afternoon. Several houses fell in, and
three persons were buried under the ruins. They
were subsequently extricated alive. A shock was also
felt at lechia, the cwital of the ialand, Mat we, not
attended with serious consequences. The Dir.ggo .f
this evening announces that Qteen Vice wilt has tele-
graphed to King Humbert expressing her sympathy
In reit4lll to the cata4troube which ha. occurred in the
island of Ischia. The King, lu reply, thanked her
Majesty for her friendship towards Italy, which
country, be added, would always regard the maple of
England with feelings of the wannest sympathy.