The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-24 00:00:00

THE LOST BALLOON.

The Times of Monday said:—No additional news of
any certain character has been received about the lost
balloon.

A Reuter's telegram, dated December 17, from
Madrid, states that the Customs officer stationed at
Laredo, near Santander has telegraphed to the Pre-
fect of Santander that at ten o'clock last night he saw
a balloon, supposed to be the missing balloon Saladin,
pa-as over the port at a low elevation, proceeding in
the direction of Bilbao. The Spanish authorities
have despatched orders to the gendarmerie to render
every assistance wherever the balloon may descend.
A subsequent telegram from the same source re-
ceived late on Saturday night states that a large
balloon was seen that afternoon about two kilometres
distance from Bilbao by the conductor of the tramway
running between that town and Arenas. The balloon
was going in an easterly direction towards the sea-
coast. A policeman also saw it, and gives much the
same information on the subject.

A further telegram from the same place, dated
December 18, says :—" No further news has been
received here 'respecting the balloon, supposed to be
the Saladin, which was seen near Bilbao yesterday
afternoon, notwithstanding that the Prefects have in-
stnieted all the Mayors in the North of Spain to give
information in the event of its being again observed.
The •balloon is believed
_to have been carried out to
sea."

The Board of Trade has received the following copy
of a telegram from the Collector of Customs, Dart-
mouth, to their assistant secretary, Marine Depart-
ment, Board of Trade, dated Saturday :—"A pilot
reports having teen two bright lights at eight o'clock
on Sunday evening last two or three miles off Dart-
mouth Harbour, moving very rapidly towards S.W.,
then disappeared; in about ten minutes a dark o'ject
was visible above and below them. They appeared to
be from about 20ft. to 60ft. above water, and could
by no possibility have been shown from any vessel,
but must have been exhibited from a balloon,
Weather at time hazy, with a fresh north-east wind."

It is stated that the belief is.now generally gaining
ground that the missing balloon must have dropped in
the Channel, a few miles south of Bridport. This
conclusion has been arrived at from the fact that a
great deal of gas had been permitted to escape
from the Saladin before Mr. Gardner and Captain
Templer left the car; and that when last seen
Mr. Powell was standing up in the basket
grasping the valve line. The probability is that
he intuitively laid hold of the line when it
was torn from Captain Templer's grasp, and
pullecl the rope in order to bring the balloon down as
near as possible. Mr. Powell no doubt reckoned upon
an immediate pursuit after the balloon, and he may
have hoped to maintain himself afloat until rescued by
some craft. The theories that he may have been
carried any great distance are now generally disre-
garded, especially in official circles, and it is thought
that, should the balloon be even speedily recovered,
the chances are that Mr. Powell's body has long before
this been washed out of the car.

A telegram from Brid port on Monday evening says
that nothing has been discovered in the bay, although
several parties have been. Engaged since Saturday,
and the ordinary Coast Guard has been dotibled.
Some of Mr. Po Nell's family will take up their quar-
ters at Weymouth for a time, and others will remain
at Bridport.—A Brighton telegram says that a
bottle was picked up on Monday evening on the shore,
containing a note purporting to be written by Arr.
Powell, and thrown from the balloon, stating that he
was suffering great privation, but was about to pass
over Spain at a great altitnde. The handwriting and
phraseology of the note throw doubts on its genuine-
ness.

A telegram from Madrid, dated, Monday, says The belief that the balloon which was recently seen
in Spain has again been carried out to sea is considered
well founded, since the telegrams which were received
on Saturday and Sunday _by the Observatory in
Madrid all sigi44l S. 411,1 S.E. winds on the northern
cast orSpain.

A piece of wood which it is thought formed the upper
rail of the car of the missing balloon was brought on
Monday night to Weymouth. It was sent to Bridport

for identification by Captain Templer. The piece of
wood was picked up by the steamtug Ocean Queen,
near the breakwater, a few days ago; but it did not
attract special notice until seen by a gentleman, who
at once formed an opinion that it was part of a balloon
car.

A thermometer in a broken state, and which it is
believed was fixed in the mi2sing balloon, was picked
t-. 1, by some boys on Tuesday evening. The thermo-
meter was broken, there only being about two inches
of the tube left; but what is most important, is the
name of the maker on the mahogany framework,
which is "L. Casella, London." The thermometer is
not like those ordinarily used, and appears to have
been fastened by two hooks, for the purpose of taking
indications of the air, The only figure on the tube is
"100."

Inquiries have been made of Mr. L. Casella, the
scientific instrument maker, who states that there is
little doubt that it is one of those contained in the bal-
loon which carried away Mr. Powell, M.P. The in.
strument was supplied to Captain Templer about six
weeks ago, and is similar to those which are used by
the Meteorological Department.
On Tuesday a hat was picked up off Swyre, near
Bridport and forwarded to that place.

Under the head of "Ballooning Peril' the Graphic
remarks :—lt is much to be feared that Mr. Powell
will never be heard of again alive. One regrets his
loss all the more because of his pluck and resource,
and because he was inspired by no mere spirit of
foolhardy adventure, but by scientific enthusiasism
Many aeronauts, like the late Mr. Green, Mr. Cox.
well, and others, have gone up and come down time
after time without injury ; yet there can be little doubt
that the balloon, in it present form is a very unmanage-
able monster, useful for meteorological or military in-
vestigations, but quite unfit as a vehicle for navigating
the air. Indeed, it is generally admitted by aerostatic
experts that the successful flying machine of the future
roust be sought in some other direction than the balloon.
Individual flying seems all the more difficult of
attainment because the weight of a man's body is
relatively so much greater than that of a bird, that
he would need an enormous pair of wings far beyond
the power of his own muscles to work. Possibly this
difficulty might be overcome on a collective scale ; and
a machine constructed whose car and flappers respec-
tively should correspond to the body and wings, say,
of a condor of the Andes. The subject is always
fascinating, and the wonderful discoveries of the
last hundred years lead us to anticipate the possibility
that human beings may yet emulate the birds.