The Express.
London, England, 1852-08-21 00:00:00

SCIENTIFIC BALLOON ASCENT.

(From the Alhasseues.)
Your meteorological readers will doubtless be in-
terested to know the tesult of the experiments made during
the balloon ascent on Tuesday last, to which you called their
attention in your columns last week. My time has been
necessarily so much occupied, that any account I can yet
give must be very imperfect.
The main object contemplated by the projectors of these
aerostatic expeditions is, the determimation of the laws of
change in the temperature and humidity as we rise in the
atmosphere. Other experiments and observations are not
lost sight of ; but it is proposed to attempt at first only what
it is probable can be satisfactorily executed :—it being of
more use to do one thing well than many things imperfectly.
Such subjects as atmospheric electricity and (less probably)
magnetism may be taken up when the observers shall have
become familiarised with their work.

The weather on Tuesday, the day fixed for the first
ascent, was as good as could be hoped for in the midst of so
much variety as we have lately had. The inflation of
Mr. Green's great Nassau balloon having been accom-
plished, from the Vauxhall Gasworks, the ascent took place
about ten minutes before four p.m., with wonderfully few
instrumental casualties, considering the great oscillation of
the car previous to starting, from the action of the wind on
the balloon. We rose steadily, and continued rising until
about thirteen minutes before five p.m., when the baro-
meter indicated that we were about 19,500 feet above the
earth ; the temperature, which was about 72 deg. at Vaux-
hall, having fallen to 7 deg., or through 65 deg. of Fahren-
heit's scale. From the earth, the sky seemed about three-
quarters covered with clouds; the lowest stratum being
composed of detached masses of cumulus—an intermediate
stratum of highercunsuli—and cirrostratus sad cirrocumuli
above all. The first stratum of clouds we passed very soon
after leaving the earth, at the height of about half a mile;
the second seemed about two soda half miles high ; but the
highest cirrostratus clouds were still above us at our
greatest elevation, although apparently not very far.
Near the highest point of our course, small star-shaped
crystals of snow of perhaps 1-25th or 1-30th of an inch dia-
meter were seen falling (possibly their apparent fall was
due to the rise of the balloon). Observations of the ther-
mometer, hygrometer, and barometer, were taken at very
short intervals during the ascent, and during the first por-
tion of the descent, until it became necessary to provide for
the safety of the instruments. Specimens of the air at dif-
ferent elevations were taken for analysis. The decant was
accomplished with much ease, at about twenty-five minutes
pest five p.m.; and the balloon was secured with little
trouble, near the village of Swavesey, in Cembridgeshire,
about 60 miles norther London. This distance was passed
over in about an hour and a half; showing that an immense
mass of air was moving rapidly from the south. Accounts
received from various stations seem to show that this strong
south wind was prevalent over a large portion of country.
The thunder-storm which broke out on Tuesday evening
had not commenced during our voyage, nor was any indi-
cation of it visible except a shower at some distanoe. The
sun was obscured during almost the whole period.
At the elevation to which we attained no personal incon-
venience of any moment was experienced ; I only perceived
a slight oppression about the ears and temples—but no
difficulty in breathing. Mr. Niekling perceived, besides,
a very slight difficulty in breathing before reaching the
greatest bight, but the feeling went quickly off, even before
we began to descend. So light was any inconvenience which
we experienced from the rarity of the air, that it did not in
the least interfere with our regular work of observing and
recording. The odd would, of course, have become dim-
agreeable had we continued long in it.
The first voyage should be considered chiefly as a preli-
minary and educational one ; neither the managing com-
mittee nor the observers having had any previous experi-
ence whatever in aerostation. It will not be surprising,
therefore, if the experience gathered from the ascent of
Tuesday should lead to considerable alterations in the
instruments and me le of observing in future experiments of
this nature. The results obtained from this first attempt
arc doubtless of much value ; but we Ole in hopes that by
some alterations in our mode of procedure a greater amount
of instruction may be derived from subsequent voyages.
The Kew committee have been peculiarly fortunate in
obtaining the zealous co-operation of Mr. Geeen. His
great experience and well-known ability and caution afford
a guarantee that the risks attending these expeditions will
be reduced to a minimum. The confidence which his dex-
,' trona management of the immense but beautiful instrument
cannot fail to inspire, will contribute much to that calmness
in the observer which is so necessary) in the presence of
unusual phenomena. I am, ac.,
Kew Observatory, August 19. JOHN WELSH.

FATAL COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL. 011
Thursday information wu received of the following serious
collision. It appears that the John Benyen was on a voy-
age from Middlesborough to Alexandria, when, at one
o clock on Wednesday morning, the 18th inst., aka came
into collision with a Norwegian barque (name unknown)
off St. Catherine's Point. The conclusion was so violent
that the bulwarks and set' Ipitif "the first
mentioned vessel were curl . away_,. Ana by companion in. The captain, his it, aid th• ore* inAgining
co. that she had been cut d to tie anatee's ere*,
ender,
Toured to get on boar 'lke baX u . Tbe e ergs et the
crew were successful ;to - , to-Okee, thiptain
Benyon and his wife, in ' lb. 'attionW, dipped be-
tween the two ousels, an • watatigterie.- At the
1 same time the survivors, 8 . rerikair ..el had
into Porn
no serious damage, return to Iter, it_p_tit into Ports-
mouth to repair, where 1:44114 -rite mugs day.
The barque lost her jibboom, a proceeded to her desti-
nation.