The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-20 00:00:00

THE BALLOON CENTENARY CELE-
BRATION.

The first aerial voyage in England having taken
place from the Honourable Artillery Company's
ground at Finsbury on the 15th of September, 1784,
in the presence of the Prince of Wales, afterwards
George IV., then Captain-General of this ancient and
interesting volunteer corps as the Prince of Wales is
now, preparations were made to fittingly celebrate the
100th anniversary of the event, which occurred on
Monday. A committee of the company, of which
Captain Holt was chairman, acting in conjunction with
the Balloon Society of Great Britain, headed by Mr.
W. H. Le Fevre, C.E., successfully perfected the
arrangements for the ascent on Monday afternoon of
three huge balloons from the grounds at the rear of
the Finsbury Armoury, whence, at five minutes
after two in the afternoon, just a century
before, Mr. Lunardi, the secretary to the
Neapolitan Ambassador in London, started upon the
first aerial voyage performed in this country, and
ultimately descended, at 20 minutes past 4, in safety
in a meadow at Standon, near Ware, Hertfordshire.
According to the aeronaut's own description of this
balloon, it was "composed of oiled silks, of which 520
yards are inserted in alternate stripes of blue and red,
which give it a very lively and pleasing appearance.
Its form is spherical. The horizontal dimension of it
is 33ft., its circumference 102 ft. More than two-
thirds of the globe are covered with a strong net, from
which depend 45 cords, forming equal sections on its
lower part, and uniting at the bottom. These are
fastened to a circular frame, that forms the upper
part of the vehicle in which I mean to perform my
aerial voyage. It will be furnished likewise with
wings and oars; the use of the former is to excite air
when the globe is becalmed, and thereby to
move it horizontally they have the form
of large rackets, and are covered with
a loose flounce of oiled silk. The oars, which differ
from the wings only in size, will be worked with a
vertical motion, intended to effect a depression of the
machine, by which I hope to be enabled either to
check its ascension or to descend without the neces-
sity of letting out the inflammable air." This he
appears to have accomplished, for, although one of
the oars broke and fell as he ascended, with the
other, after hard labour of 15 or 20 minutes, he
descended. By some mischance the balloon Ville de
Boulogne, in which M. Lhoste, secretaire de L'Acade-
mie d'Aerostation Metereologique de Paris, has twice
crossed the Channel from France, did not arrive
on the ground, but M. Lhoste accompanied General
Brine, RE., in his celebrated balloon The Colonel,
which has made four voyages across the Channel,
as did also Captain Baylis, of the honourable
Artillery Company. This balloon, which was the
first to start, and holds 35,000 ft. of gas, rose
majestically in the air shortly after four, immediately
ascending to a considerable altitude, and sailing away
before a current of air in a north-westerly direction.
Soon afterwards it was followed in the like direction
by 11Ir. Dale's balloon Monarch, holding about
28,000 ft. of gas, and in the car of which, besides the
owner, were Mr. Shadbolt, with a photographic
apparatus, and Mr. Emmett. Finally, about five
o'clock, ascended the Robin Hood balloon, holding
23,000 ft. of gas, in which the owner, Mr. Youens, was
accompanied by Sergeant Bugler Louch. It, too,
proceeded in a north-westerly direction. As each
balloon ascended and departed on its way without any
mishap, clearing the roofs of the high warehouses
by which the grounds of the company are surrounded,
the spectators, of whom about 5,000 were present in
response to the invitation of the company and the
Balloon Society, cheered the aeronauts heartily.
The requisite gas was supplied from a four-foot
main by the Gas Light and Coke Company,
under the superintendence of Mr. Harris, C.E. The
ancient armoury of the Honourable Artillery Com-
pany, with its many curious relics, telling of its past
famous history and traditions, was inspected with
much interest and attention, the officers of the
regiment courteously acting as guides through the
building. Subsequently, in the Long Room, Colonel
Beaumont, RE., presiding, M. Wilfried de Fonvielle,
editor of the.Lumiere Electrzque, delivered an address,
in which he described the improvements made in the
construction and the gear of balloons during the past
century, particularly alluding to the improvements
effected by the late Mr. Green, the inventor of the
cone anchor, which had been the means of saving the
lives of so many aeronauts when they drifted out to
sea, and had been rescued by passing vessels. He
spoke hopefully and sanguinely of the ultimate
success of the efforts now being made by gallant
French officers to steer balloons by the medium of
electric currents.

Thanks were accorded to the Honourable Artillery
Company and to the Balloon Society for the part they
had respectively taken in connection with the celebra-
tion, as well as to M. ae Fonveille and M. Lhoste for
their presence on that occasion. The band of the
regiment, under the direction of Signor G. Tamplini,
bandmaster, played a selection of music during the
afternoon and evening. Altogether, the celebration
passed off successfully and satisfactorily.
General Brine, telegraphing on Monday night from
Blayndon House, Steeple Blaydon, Buckinghamshire,
says: "We landed near Winslow, six miles south of
Buckingham, and 55 miles from London, at a quarter
to six. All well."

Mr. Youens telegraphs: "I ascended in balloon,
Robin Hood, accompanied by Mr. Louch, Honourable
Artillery Company at 4.45, weather hazy, crossed over
St. Pancras, Regent's-park, Kilburn, to Sudbury.-
4.50, 2500 ft. from earth; 4.55, 3000 ft. ; 5.0, 4000 ft. ;
5.5, 4500 ft. ; 5.10, 2500 ft. ; 5.15, descended in grass
field of Manor House Farm, Sudbury, Middlesex.
Robin Hood is the same balloon that had to descend
on houses at Liverpool in 1882."