The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-21 00:00:00

TO TEI ID/TOR OF THE 11PRISS.

811,—A short letter in the daily papers of
fistardsty last informed the public of my ietention to make
• balloon ascent on that day. Mr. Cox wall had partially
filled his balloon the previous afternoon, and remained the
operation on Saturday morning, in co-operation with Mr.
Ohm, with • view of starting before noon. The atm".
Once was thick and misty ; the wind on the earth was
N.E., bat the clouds were wowing from the N. with an
estimated velocity of 40 miles an hour, and circumstances
were not favourable for our reaching an altitude of 5 miles.
Ice all my experience I find it takes an hour to reach
5 miles high, and Ikb en hour to descend, and there-
fore I want a base of at least 80 miles, with
air moving at the rate of 40 miles an hour.
About midday • pilot balloon was sent up, which showed
the wind to be due north. Mr. Coxerall proposed an boar's
delay, as the breeze appeared as if it would veer to the
north-east, which would afford a longer journey then if we
' travelled towards Brighton. At I p.m., the ascent was de-
termined upon, although it was evident the voyage could
not be one of long duration, unless we crossed the Channel,
but Mr. Ooxwell said it would not be prudent to do se,
mean tks halloos were filled, allegieg as • reason Waked-
osedve edevatith is inoolopatide with great /Mime, and
'that to ere* the Channel it would be seminary to make
-other and distinct arrangements. We left the earth at
IL 17m. ; within two minutes afterwards we were 3,000 feet
110)0,9 the earth, and at lb. 23m. we were one mile high ;
the second mile was passed at lb. 29m. ; the third at
11 31m. ; the fourth at 21 Ons.; and the highest point was
readied about 2h. 30m. at tie height of 41 mike nearly.
At 2b. 36m. we passed below four miles ; the next mile
downwards warpsiard at 2b. 40m., sad at 2h. 46m. we
were two miles from the earth, which we reached at 2h.
50m., as presently will be described. Just before leaving
the earth the temperature of the air was 61i deg. ; at the
height of one mile the thermometer read 41 deg., but we
bad pained up so quickly that it is most likely that this
reading was higher than the true temperature; at the height
of two miles the reeding of the thermometer was 32 deg. ;
at three miles the temperature was 21 deg. ; at four
16 deg., and at the highest point reached was 12 deg., which
was the lowest temperature we experienced. The results
generally confirm the law as found by the combination of
all the parading a:oedemata, viz :—" That the theory of
a uniform decrease of temperature with elevation must be
abandoned."

The air wee dry before starting, and extremely dry at the
height of four miles, astound in ell the preceding awaits.
Okuda were reached at the height of one mile, and oe
pausing above them the sea of shining white clouds, extend-
lag to the horizon, was, se usual, very fine. From 2h.
151 e. to 2h. 31m. I devoted myself almost entirely to ob-
serving the black line in the polar spectrum. Between these
lines the balloon was revolving once in five infant's. I
saceseded in adjusting the alit of the apparatus to the ens,
and kept my eye to the telescope whilst the balloon com-
pleted three revolutions. Whets the light entered the slit
from the sure itself the lines in the spectrum were Mau-
merable ; all thew I saw before leaving the earth were
visible, sad IMIII y men. The neheloos lhes (H) were both
seen, and the semeilmin areedOMW losehened at they Wet
rod ;at the rased (A) wee visible. Kish Iles tight came
from the shy in the immediate vicinity dile 'eon the spec.
*um was abetter, but all lime were Aide hem B to O.
Oe pawing from the we the igestnun shortened very
(inhale, and when opposite to the sun there wee no spec-
treme—he het, no light at all.
Per Use purpose of learning something of the action of the
oluunkel rays of light I took slips of sensitised photographic
paper, Davie, arranged that similar clips made at the rme
time should be exposed at the Royal Oteernitory, Green.
wish, and the amount of colouration in one minute noted
every Ave minutes, so as to have some simultaneous observe.
time with experbneata I might make in the balloon. The
paper in the balloon wee exposed to the full rays of the
sun, and with this remarkable result, that when above three
miles high the paper did not colour in half an hour so much
as it did in the grounds of the Royal Observatory in one
minute.

At lb. 47m., at the height of n miles, the solar radiation
thermometer accidentally fell over tho car, from the sadden
displacement of one of my instruments. I should be
obliged by anyone who may pick up its remains later:sting
nut whereabouts it fell. We were nearly at the time over
Reigate; but as the instrument was enclosed fo a vacuum
tabs with a globe at 000 end, from which the air bad been
exhausted, it would not fall very rapidly, and m■y have
fallen between Tunbridge and Reigate, or south of a line
*Wag these places.
As the Crystal Palace remained some time in view, it sou
at ant expected that the upper current sou not so swift as
the lower ; after reaching the height of four miles, and we
had determined we were moving directly towards the coast,
Mr. Cozwell continually applied to me for the reading of
the barometer, and directed our companion (Mr. L) to
keep a sharp look-out for the sea.
latemeliately after we attained as elevation of 4 miles,
Mr. Oorwall let off some gas, sad said he felt assured that
there was cot s =ennui tope lost in getting within view of
the earth.

Mr. Colwell again let off gas rather freely, so that we
descended a mile in four minutes. At 2h. 443 m. we were
two miles from the earth, the barometer reading 2112
inches, when Mr. Coxvell caught eight of &why Head,
and exclaimed, " What's that ?" sod then the coast through
a break in the clouds, and exclaimed, "There is sot a
moment to spare, we must descend rapidly and
save the land at all risks." It was a bold de.
cisme, but we were in a critical positioo, and
I do not see what elm could have been don..
Mr. Caswell sew need the valve with a decree of freedom
which would have alarmed any one who bad not perfect
000lidezioe in hie skill. I was requested to pack up my in-
struments u quickly as possible. and then to assist in get-
tin ready a large amount of ballast to threw away at the
last moment. Oe breaking through the clouds we appeared
to be already over the water, but as the ground came up to
us, or second to do as, we fined thssw wan land beneath.
Mr. I. rendered Important service in letting up the neck
lines, and in clearing the ballast for immediate delivery, so
as to lessen the violence of the demonist. When orders were
given to put out send we did so simultausously,which gays •
favourable check, and as the lower put of the balloon itself
assumed a parachute form, theahook was not so Was might
have been expected. Most of the instruments, however,
were broken, owing to their delicate construction and my
attention being drawn from them, yet, strange to say, two
large glass vessels of air, collected at the highest point for
Professor Tyndall, remained uninjured, as did some bottles
of lemonade which Mr. elorwell had planed in the car.

We dneended the but two miles in four minutes ; and
bad we done so lose rapidly, the land would have born
mired altogether, and we moat have f ellen lino the era.
The desesat was within half a mile of the railway station
at Newhaven.

Mr. Cox well's decision and expertness were put to as
severe a test as it is possible to imagine, and itertsialy be is
entitled to my best acknowledgments.—l sato.,
Blackheath, April 20. JAMES OLAISRER.

PIRACY on rim lama Cor.o2.—A despatch from
Wmford, dated April 16, mays that the wiliecaer Lam el,Capt.
Nulls., bawd from Liverpool to Weaced, when off Ea&
laud was fond* boarded by 13 boats, the united more
of whisk numbered 64 mos, who immediately took chew
of the vowel, saying that their families were Marvin.
espied* Mulles offered this meow, bat they ranged to
take it, sad added that they risky wanted proviaose. They
broke opal the batches, sad *a disameriag the cargo sew
sated of mates, they began satin tho raw warm Whoa
they had eosseivisat appeased their hanger they loaded ths
boats, and carried off shoot lb toss of Dora.
OzrwrAz, PAsaca—Osa BILIWNG Dar.—Mow-
DAY, APRIL 20. —A41110608 ea papaw., 1,382; dab by
lemon take* 001 ; total, %OM
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