The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-08 00:00:00

MR. GLALSHER'S OBSERVATION&

The exact time of the descent was 20 minutes
past 3 o'clock, at a spot about 71 miles from Ludlow, in
Shropehhe. The descent was accomplished without any
accident to either the aeronauts or the instruments.
When the voyagers reached the clouds they found • dense
mass of moistare which was 9,000 feet in thickness. These
clouds contained as much moisture as they could possibly
bold. Having shot through this they found above them
a beautiful clear blue sky with the mass of
clouds floating below. This was at about an ele-
vation of a mile and three-quarters, after which
no clouds were perceptible. At this height the air poi-
soned such expanding powers that the balloon, which at
the time of the ascent contained not much more than
two-thirds of its full complement was now quite filled, and
consequently shot up very rapidly. When still higher Mr.
Glaisher attenipted to take a photograph of the scene below
which that gentleman describes as being very beautiful, but
the great velocity of the ascent rendered the taking of a
photograph impossible. At an elevation of three
miles the first of six pigeons which were taken up in
the balloon was thrown out. It could not fly
and dropped as heavily as a stone. A second
was then thrown out with the same result. A third attempted
to fly but failed, and shared the fate of the previous two.
At a height of four miles a fourth pigeon was thrown out.
This one was more fortunate than it predecessors, and suc-
ceeded in effecting • lodgment on the top of the balloon,
but it was not known what ultimately became of it. The
two remaining pigeons were brought down, when one was
found to be dead and the other nearly so. This last when
liberated flew in a short circle and then alighted in Mr.
Glaisher's hand. Eventually, however, it flew in the
direction of Wolverhainpton. At five miles high symptoms
of blindness were felt by Mr. Glaisher, whose last entry of
thermometer was minus five, or 37 below the
freezing point. He subsequently saw, but was
unable to register the barometer at 10 inches, which would
indicate • height of five miles and 'a quarter. This gentle.
man then gradually became unconscious, and the last thing
remembered by him was the dim outline of Mr. Coxwell's
figure in the balloon. Mr. Coxwell however remained quite
conscious and the balloon ascended :with great .rapidity for
ten minutes longer, and according to Mr. Coxwell's reading,
afterwards calculated by Mr. Glaisher, the aneroid baro-
meter indicated that they had attained a height of six miles.
At this juncture great risk was encountered, for Mr. Cox-
well began to feel faint, and on attempting to affect a dis-
charge of gas by pulling the valve string, he found that his
hands bad become powerless. The greatness of the danger at
this height may be imagined, when it is remembered
that their safety depended entirely upon the little remaining
consciousness of Mr. Coxwall, for Mr. Glaisher still re-
mained in a state of unconsciousness. Having at length
effected a discharge of gas the balloon began to descend,
when Mr. Glaisber gradually recovered and resumed his
reading of the instruments. The descent was now very rapid
but irucceesfuL During the voyage ozone was found in the
atmosphere. Terrestrial sounds were beard by Mr. Gladder
ate height of a mile and • half, and by Mr. Cozwell at three
miles. After penetrating, as described, the mass of clouds,
which were two thousand feet in thickness, the atmos-
phere became gradually dryer, and at a height of
five miles none of the instruments indicated the slightest
moisture. A self-registering thermometer which had been
taken up indicated that a temperature of minus 20 had been
reached, which would be 52 degrees below freezing point.
In proof of the coldness experienced it may be stated that a
bottle of water was with difficulty kept from freezing by
1 continual shaking ; but, on Mr. Coxwell's losing the use of
his hands it immediately froze, and remained in that con-
' , &tier' for more than an hour after reaching terra firma,
; I Mr. Glaisher had wisely provided himself with gloves, but
. Mr. Cozwell, who bad not taken that precaution, suffered
the pushy of having his hands turned quite black, in
which condition they remained until the earth WO reached.
The height attained during this ascent is quite en -
I . darted, and it has been attended with no ordinary danger.
' '

COURAGE Or A BoY OF THIRTEEN.—A somewhat
extraordinary instance of courage in a young boy of 13
occurred the other day at Holyhead. A boy mimed jou.,
while sculling a boat with another lad, fell into the water
near the old harbour. One of two men ceasing by plunged
in to his assistance, but his clothes becoming exceedingly
heavy in the water, be was obliged to turn back.
Will
thin, the young lad, whose name was John Williams,
instantly swam to the rescue. The drowning boy Jones
vapid kite so tight as to deprive bun of all power, and
both coneequestly sank. Williams, however, extricated
hiniself, and roes to the surface. Despite his narrow escape
the brave boy made the greatest exertions to bold up his
companion, who, catching his rescuer a second time in his
death grasp, again caused both to sink. W rlliams again rem
still preserving his hold, and by this time the man who bed,
beet passing came to their inlets** and held him till a
boat was brought. Both were apparently dead when
brought to land, but happily young Williams soon recovered.
The lad whom he had so bravely attempted to rescue di/el
the as night.

THE INTERNATIONAL ELHIBITION.

The first hour on Saturdays, from 12 to 1, is the
intellectual epicure's time for visiting the Exhibi-
tion. The company drop in slowly, gradually, all
armed with their well-used catalogues, and the ma-
jority of the ladies wearing spectacles. They are
people who have come to " do" some department
of the show, honestly, earnestly, and quietly, and
they walk right in, without once looking round,
to the special department which they had marked
out for the day's work. The pillar of gold has just
been tipped by the meridian sun, but the platform
below is all coolness and repose, the great foun-
tain has been freshly charged with Rinimers fra-
grant essences, and diffuses a perfume as
potent as that of a Persian rose garden—or what
is perhaps better, Mr. Paul's nursery at Cheshunt ;
the floor has been newly sprinkled, and the various
cases of precious things have been just uncovered
and their contents newly arranged by their several
exhibitors ; the great organs are as yet silent,
like giants reposing, and those terrible bells, which
have frightened so many nervous visitors, give as
yet no indication of the latent hubbub that lies hid
within them. You can at this time see everything
at a glance. Stand on the platform at the base of
the golden obelisk, and on the right you have the
graceful timber-yards of 'Canada and Tasmania
sedulously hiding from view the beautiful stained
glass window which was intended to bound the
prospect in that direction. Turn to the
left and your eye is arrested by the quaint
rood screen, catches glimpses of the iron
triumphs of Colebrooke Dale, and may also
with a little straining take in the specimens of
monumental architecture, and the glittering toys of
the ecclesiological braziers. Perhaps, at the far
end, the American cow milker has commenced
operations, in which case the ear will be puzzled
with a sound, of which we have Lord Derby's
authority for saying that it gives the animal a
great deal of pleasure. Right in front, and
along, although terribly broken, vista stretches the
nave, as rich as the robber's cave in Ali Baba in its
contents, and quite as incongruous in its arrange-
ments. Here the more energetic exhibitors have,
like the robber barons of the Rhine, studded the
highway with their fortalices, and for the same
purpose, namely, that of levying toll on the un-
wary traveller. But it is still beautiful, even in
chaos. The eye revels in the prodigality of
riches displayed, and stops not to criticise
the want of taste in their disposition. Descend
from the platform—there is now plenty of room,
and the boards are deliciously fresh—and the
jewellers' Golconda lies open and unobstructed for
easy exploration. The stern policeman at the red
railing mutters " pass on," it is true, but it is from
the sheer force of habit, as there is not the slightest
occasion to stimulate the circulation. The grave
gentlemen with the catalogues, and the strong-
minded looking ladies in the spectacles, who would
scorn to linger over these glittering toys, are all, by
this time, scattered north and south, east and
west, some enjoying the hot stage of a Turkish
bath amongst the machinery in motion, others
pondering over the chemical, and culinary, and
odoriferous wonders of the eastern annex,
an immense contingent drafted off to the
picture galleries, and a hardy and agile
few up in the clouds, communing with Mr. Le
Neve Forster, and curiously examining his photo-
graphic collection. Everything in short in the Exhi-
bition is, during that witching hour between twelve
and one, coolness and repose, and comfort and
roominess, for the six or seven thousand people
who have dropped in might without much inconve-
nience have been packed in one of the courts.
At one o'clock, and from that hoer until three,
the whole of the interior is suffering rapid transfor-
mation. The loungers are rushing in, taking up
all the best seats, and crowding in everybody's way.
The organs have commenced their sonorous strife,
the pianofortes have been uncovered, and the
sounding brass and tinkling cymbals are loudly
audible in every corner. The difference of cli-
mate between the nave and the annexes becomes less
and less perceptible, and people courageously hurry
off to the western one, where there is most to be
seen of what mostinteresta an English public. We
believe that if the Exhibition consisted wholly of
the contents of this western annex, with greater
room given for the display of each article, and with
the attention not distracted by a thousand other
objects, it would be one of the most deeply inter-
esting in the world, and would be inspected with
national pride as well as pleasure and benefit by
the whole English public.
The question of whether the Exhibition season
shall be protracted beyond the date originally ad.
vertiaed remains still undecided. The board had
a long sitting on Friday, and will have another on
Wednesday next, but it is quite impossible to say
whether the Commissioners, although moat anxious
to meet the public wishes, will be ahle to reconcile
conflicting interests and give a longer day. It
must be remembered that there are both contrac-
tors and exhibitors to be consulted, and that dis-
sentients in either class would be fatal to the pro-
spect of a lengthened season. We should therefore
advise such of the public as man be post-
poning their visits, in the hope that they will
have an extra fortnight or three weeks
conceded to them, to rest on no such fragile reed, as
the odds at the present moment are decidedly in
favour of the closing of the Exhibition at the date
originally appointed.
The whole of the French refreshment depart-
ment was on Saturday evening handed over to
Mr. Morrish, the English contractor, M. Viellard
having retired from its management in difficulties.
The highest temperature on Saturday, as shown
by Negretti and Umbra's patent thermometers,
was :—ln the nave, 61.5 deg. ; in the galleries, 63.9
deg. ; in the western annex, 65.8 deg. The read-
ing was taken at 3 o'clock p.m.
The numbers visiting the Exhibition last week
show an increase over the Exhibition of 1851, as
will be seen from the following return of the total
number of visitors during each of the two 1 ziods
18,51.
Monday (Is.) 50,734
Tueleey (Is.) 49,866
Wednesday (la.) .. 41,917
Thursday (la.) .... 44,209
Friday (2.. 6d.).... 15,726
Saturday (21. 6d.).. 12,672

Total 214,624 238,285
Being an increase on the total number during the
week of 23,661, as compared with 1851.
The number of visitors on Saturday was :—Season
tickets, 5,945 ; payment, 11,355—t0ta1, 17,300.
The following are the total numbers admitted
to the building from the lat of May to the 6th of
Sept. inclusive (19 weeks-111 exhibition days),
compared with 1861: .

Season tickets !Including free list)
Payment and day tickets

761,118
.. 44(11,812