The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-23 00:00:00

THE PLEASURES OF BALLOONDTO.

The following narrative of a ballooning excursion
with M. Poitevin in his monster machine, Le Globe,"
which ascended from Cremorne Gardens on Monday last,
Is by one of the amateur aeronauts :
We ascended at 6 p.m., with the wind nearly due west.
There were, including M. Poitevin, the manager, meat,-
two persons. We quickly reached a height of one mile,
and, though there was a strong wind when we started, at
that partieuMr elevation it was nearly dead calm, and for
some minutes we were stationary. We, however, roe'
higher, until we were one mile and a half high, and there
we again found the same strong wind. At this time the
first mischance occurred. It seems that the valve, by the
constant hal, become immovable, and could not be
opened. The aeronaut pulled at the rope till he was nearly
black in the face, but without effect, and we still ascended.
The fact of the valve being out of order was known to but
five or six in the car, uM. Poitevin spoke in French to
bis assistant; but I, as ons of thou five or six, felt
very uncomfortable, and made a mental calculation as to
Low long we could exist, going higher and higher, without
food, water, or even cigars—for the letter we were not
al:owed to console ourselves with for fear of igniting the
gas. At last the united egorts of two or three of the pas-
sengers, at the risk of snapping the ropes, pulled open the
valve, and all was right once more.
We now, with quieted minds, could look around us, and
splendid, indeed, was the view. We were skirting the south
of thu Thames, and could see the whole of London, which
Ityiked ridiculously small, while the river appeared as a
small millstream.

At an altitude of about two mike we pasted over the
Greenwich ILailwayt and proceeded onwards to Blackwell
sod the Docks, which we saw like small begins, directly
under oar feet. _ _ _

Leaving Middlesex we entered Ewer, and began to de-
scend, passing over Plaistow Level at an elevation of about
half a mile. The numerous herds of horses grazing here
were much alarmed, and scampered about in every direc-
tion. We now left these marshes and came over cultivated
ground, and descended rapidly—too rapidly, I thought ;
but, alas, all the ballast had been thrown out before this.
Clow and closer *lid we come to the ground ; at last the
two grappling iroto, which were hung down some 80 feet
below the car, touched the earth, and dragged along it.
The wind was strong, and we were rushing along about 20
miles an hour. Beyond pulling up the ground they did
not check our speed, and I quickly saw that at the rate we
were advancing a severe collision would be ieevitable.
Knowing that, if free from the ear, I should eszepe its
greatest violence, I clambered up two of the ropes towards
the balloon, and thus suspended felt but little of the violent
concussion sustained by theta below,which threw many down.
We remained stationary (or some ten seconds, and I was
congratulating myself on the voyage having terminated with
no serious result, when, to my astonishment, up we went
again. I turned round and saw M. Poitevin pulling at the
valve rope ; but, alas lit was soon evident that it bad be-
come jammed again.
Up we went, sumo 80 or 100 feet, passing through the air
at great speed, and then down we came again, with very
much greater fore* than the first time ; and I, who was
then standing in the car, and holding on by the side !opts,
was much braised and hurt. .

Before any one had recovered from the effects of this
second concussion, we were once more off the ground some
30 or 40 feet high, and rushing along, impelled by the high
wind, at as great a speed as ever.
Natters now began to look serious, and I, who had tried
to laugh at even the last descent, felt inclined to do so no
more. The valve was evidently permanently closed, and
though two or three of the passengers lent their aid to open
it, it resisted all their efforts. The gas in the balloon was
not sufficient to hold the car off the ground for any time,
but quite enough to lift it up and allow the wind to act
upon the enormous surface of the balloon.
Again we descended, and passing. near a churchyard
struck against a bank with awful violence, and the car
catching in the hedge and against the trunk of a tree, was
once more stationary for possibly 20 seconds.
Again did several of the passengers as well es myself
entreat the others to remain quiet, but while we were yet
speaking one man jumped oat. Who he is no one knew •,
hat we may thank him and two others for all we wont
through afterwards.
The weight being lightened, the balloon again rose. We
cleared the hedge and started again.
At the nest descent two more men, whom I had seen
preparing for the spring, left the car, and though one was
thrown flat on has facie—whkh I rejoiced to see—they
emaped, I believe, without injury.
The ear was now much lighter, and we ascended again
mere than eighty feet, and then descended, gaming through
one gate and two hedges ere we touched the ground. The
violence of this concussion exceeded all the previous ones,'
end the ear was for a moment standing on its end. I was
standing and holding by the ropes, and also were two
others; the remainder were lying down, one at the top of
the other, at the bottom of the ear. I expected that several
of thew would be thrown out, and my arms were nearly
jerked out of their sockets by the violence of the shock.
Either those two gentlemen or myself could then with
rafety have sprung on the ground, but they, I support, as
well as myself, felt how wrong such an act would be end
to what certain destruction we should be condemning a
poor lady who was nearly senseless at the bottom et the tar,
as well as any one who remained with her.
Quickly did the car right, and quickly did we proceed
with our voyage, amid the groans of many who were much
hurt.

At the next descent one gentleman was thrown from one
end of the car to the other, and put out his kneecap.
I remember but little more. All my energies were de-
voted to avoiding the force of the collisions, and to prevent
m 7 being thrown onto( the ear.
We were dragged on in this way, some say two miles, but
I should think one and a half mile. We passed over water,
wo knocked down pilings, we caught on an iron gate or
rail—in short, we bad some seven or eight more descents,
and I saw no end to this unpleuant proceeding.
The wind appeared to me to increase, for the shocks were
certainly greater each time we touched the ground or
struck against a tree or bank. My strength was nearly ex-
hausted, and there were I believe none who did not feel
that our position was one of imminent peril.
The rate at which we now tore along was so great, from
the increased force of the wind, that to have left the car
at all would have been difficult, more especially as we
never now remained stationary for an instant.
This scene, so likely to have had a tragic termination,
wet brought to an end by two large hayricks, against which
we were dashed, and which were too substantial for even
our huge balloon to break through. We now all sprung
out, and at the same moment the silk rent from top to bot-
tom, and allowed the whole of that huge volume of gas to
escape.
Thus ended cur adventures by air and land ; and I believe
all felt, as I am sure I did, that wo had a wonderful escape.
We found ourselves at Eastham, in Essex; and wet to
the skin, much bruised and hurt. We were glad to find
that the North Woolwich railway station was not above two
or three miles off.