The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-16 00:00:00

A FEDERAL GENERAL IN A BALLOON.

The New York Herald states that the following
" exciting accident" occurred to the Federal Gemmel
Porter, oil the coession of a balloon reconnaimancs,
llth ult. :
" At Ave o'clock in the morning General Porter took
his place in Pei:feeler Lowe's balloon. He supposed
the usual number of ropes were attached to it, whereas
there was only one, and a place in this, as was
afterwards ascertained, had been burned by vitriol,
toed in pmerating gm. Taking his seat in the car, time
eionspeined by anyone, the rope was let out to nearly its
full length—about 909 yards—when suddenly snap went
the cord and up went the balloon. This was an unexpected
part of the programme. The men below looked up with
astonishment, and the general looked down with equal
bewilderment. 'Open the valve, shouted one of the
men below. 'l'llmanage it,' responded the general.
Up went the balloon, higher, higher. It rose with
great rapidity, until it became • speck in the sky. The
wind was taking it in the direction of the enemy's ter-
ritory. By this time every staff officer and hundreds of
others were looking at the moving speck. It is impos-
sible to describe the anxiety felt and expressed for the
fate of him, the central object of thought, in that moving
speck, every moment becoming leas visible. It was at last
seen to move in the direction of the Union array, and
the countenances of the men brightened with hope. It
plumed over their heads. Boon it began to descend, bet
with • rapidity that aroused renewed sp
Quickly a squid of cavalry, led by officers of tre°regialims.erar s
staff, plunged spurs into their homes and dashed away in
the direction of the descending billow. The rem of the
story is received from the general's own lip& While the
rope was being payed out he adjusted his glees is !tediums
ter his peuposea view of the esigeny's territory. A sudden
hound of the balloon told him in a moment that the rope
had given way. He dropped his glass, heard the call,
' Open the valve,' made the response given above and set
about looking for the valve. He wag @meth) of being flighty
(the general loves a min se well as the next one), but was
sot at all nervous. He saw the wind had taken him over the
line of the rebel entrenchment& Having no wish to drop in
among them, he let the valve take are of itself, sad
proceeded to take advantage of his position to note
the aspect of rebel objects below. Crowds of
sokliers rushed from the woods, sad he heard their
shouts distinctly. Luckily he was above the reach
of their bullets ;so be wan not afraid on this score. The
map of the country was distinctly discernible. He saw
Yorktown and its works, York river sod its windings, and
Norfolk and its smoking chimneys. A counter current of air
struck the balloon, and its coons was reversed. Its retreat
from over Rebeldom wag rapid. He opened the valve, the
gas escaped, and down he came. He could not my how fast
he came down, but it was with • rapidity he would not cars
to have repeated. The car struck the top of a shelter.
tent—under which, luckily, no one happen to be at the
time—knocked the tent into `pi,' and left him enveloped
in a mans at oollapead oil silk. He crawled out aid found
himself in the middle of a camp, not one hundred rods from
General ll'elollan's headquarters. ' I come mounted, you
see,' was his remark to a gewal to whom he gave the details
of his aerial voyage. And you have oome down safe, I see,'
remarked his staff of ; I cease with this cavalry com-
pany to look you up." You Porter. to have scotflying artillery
&her me,' rejoined Genera"

on the

THE JAPANIFIE Etta...fem.—They are not at all
canted away by the English ladies. On the contrary, they
do not scruple to my that they think us western", of both
sexes, • singularly ugly race. It is very wholesome to be
reminded of tbedifferenos of tastes in this way, for of all the
ugly specimens of humanity, io western eyes, this Japanese
emblem, by universal admission here, includes the Sower.
At Lord -Palmerston's, the other night, nothing drew
from them such visible sign. of pleasure and astonishment
as the Gibus or squash hats, which were successively sprung
as the guests passed the spot, at the foot of the
stairs, 111101 D the mission were waiting for their car-
One of them, at least, understands • good deal
railfaiMglish. and they are said to be immensely tickled by
his translations of the comments which are freely made is
their hearing, under the notion that English is to them
an unknown tongue. Among themselves, though, they
manage to keep their countenances wonderfully on the
whole ; some things seem really too much for them. Thus
their gravity wee fairly upset by the apron and gaiters
of • bishop, the other day, at Grosvenor House. Some.
body . has taught them • few English phrases, for
use in emergencies, as when inconvenienced by the
crowd, and so oe. One of these phrases is, " Mind
your own business,* which they occasionally bring out very
comically, in answer to questions meant for the one
of them who understands English, but addressed to
the wrong man. In one of their visits to the Foreign-office,
on Monday, Mr. Hammond, the permanent Under-Secre-
tary, was rather taken aback by a request to give them •
sketch, off hand, of the British constitution. He ought to
have referred them to Lord Russell.--Correspondent of
Ma nehester Guardian.
Charms's. THE Unwrap Istrhnanoir.
Owing to the blowing up of the St. German's sea slake,
about three miles from Lynn, our fen has been in very great
danger of being once more covered with water, which
caused quite • consternation in this town. On Sunday
last thousands of people Socked to the river aide during
the day to witness the great influx of water canoed by the
Sowing of the tidal water through the breach at fit. Ger.
man's. Never has there been such a sight witnessed here
before. Men might be ease working in all directions :
carpenters making dams and labourers raising the em.
tonkments. The water certainly looked threatening, and
in some of the lowest places trickled down the banks.
What is to be done! was the my. All the means were
tried that could be devised, as upon not keeping the waters
within bounds depended the ruin of many. The beautiful
growing crops lay by,_ upon which many an eye
looked, and the heart recoiled at the thought of their de-
struction ; but we are happy to say up to Tuesday evening
nothing occurred to cause much damage in this locality,
although in somii Im we hear of acres being under
water. It may perhaps not be generally known that the
fens were Ent undertaken to be drained by Sir Cornelius
Vermnyden, in the year 1630, under the supervision of
Francis Earl of Bedford, but this contract was annulled ;
afterwards King Clarke L himself employed Vermnyden
I to carry on the work, bat in oomequenos of the civil wars
it was not carried into effect. In the year 1652 the drain-
age so far as thee contemplated was completed according
to Vermuydeu's plan by William Earl of Bedford and other
adventurers, and through their exertions we (en men reap
the reward.—Stemford Mercury.
A Touou 13TOXY emu. roux —The Yorktown cor-
reepoodent of the New Yak Tribune tells the following
story of • " potting" skirmish between a Federal and Coo.
federate sei . A number of Mitoses of personal
daring are related, characteristic of the Heine regiment.
During the Ent day's skirmish ou oar right, two soldiers,
one from Maine, the other from Georgie, pasted themselves
each behind a tree, and indulged in sundry shots, without
effect as either side, at the suns time k 'mg up • lively
chat. Finally, that getting a little Wises, • calls oat
to Maias, Give me a show' messing step out end give
an oportnaity to hit. Maine, is response, pokes oat
his heed • few Meths, and Georgia cruces away end misses.
Too high, lays Maine. ' Now, give nie a ahow.' Georgia
pokes oil Ids lead, and liaise theme away. ' Too low,'
sings Georgia. Is this way the two 'Sweated swath
times, without hitting. Finally, Melee emits a bell is as to
gram the tree within ita leek or two Cease ear of Georgia.
• Cease firing,' shoats Georgia.. • it is; YUMA/
Mabee. ' Look ben,' says am, we bayp carried es this
bruiser
.les.gA_Fh for one day. 'Epees we veneers for
ratioes ' says the ether. Arid es the tie
marched away different teatimes, one whistlieg Teams
Doodle,' the other '