The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-27 00:00:00

B.ILLOON ASCENT.

rORTSZ•, OCT. *5.
Mr. Green haring announced his intention of ascending
from the fortifications of this place on Saturday, the IGth
instant, wind and weather permitting, there was a great as-
semblage of persons collected to gratify their curiosity ; but
notwithstanding every preparation was made, the commit-
tee were of opinion that it would be highly dangerous to
make the attempt, owing to the continuance of the then
high wind, and particularly its blowing from the north-
ward, which must have wafted the balloon over the British
Channel, to die imminent risk of die life of the aeronaut.
The populace behaved with Ix-coining moderation on the
occasion, and nothing like that riotous disposition with
which similar dissppointinents have been attended in other
places, was shown here.
Mr. Green, anxious that the public should not be disap-
pointed again, made known his intention of snaking the at-
tempt this day, at two o'clock, when, the weather being
good, and the wind blowing from the south-west, on the
third gun being fired, a large concourse of persons hail the
gratification of witnessing the ascent of the balloon, in a
very gradual and majestic Style, to a height of shout half-a-
when it continued to sail in a north-east direction.
and was in sight twenty-six minutes, at which time it dis-
appeared in a distant cloud, having passed over Langston::
Harbour and Ilavant, towards Miilliurst.
Mr. Green was accompanied in his aerial excursion by a
gentleman whose name we could not learn, but who, we
unders.tand, is an officer of the Engineers.
We trust that this attempt, commencing under such fa-
vourable auspices, will not have so lamentable a termi-
nation as has lately attended similar efforts.
The friends of' the travellers are anxiously waiting to
hear of their safe landing on terra firma.

RAILWAY lIETIYLES: M•NCIILSTEH AND LIVERPOOL
—ln tile year 1822, a project was Nailed for constructing
a railway between Liverpool and Manchester, on which
steam-impelled carriages aliould travel both with merchan-
dise and passeng.rs, at the rate of ten miles an hoot.. A
numb-r of gentlemen in Manchester and Liverpool, per-
sinCed of the practicability of this design, en:ered into a
subscription to defray the enemies of a survey, with a view
to a parliamentary application, and the requisite sum of
303 guineas was subscribed for the purpose. In the au-
tumn of that year, William Jainea, Esq., an engineer of
London, executed the survey, and suggested a line of road
as marked upon the map accompanying this volume, from
Manchester, by way of Eccles, Chat Moss, New Church,
Newton, Rainliill, Hue ton, and West Derby, to Liverpool,
making a distance of thirty-one miles. Public notices were
accordingly given of the intended application to Parliament,
but the measure WAS not followed up, owing to an appre-
hended opposition from the whole body of inland naviga-
tion proprietors throughout the kingdom, and from other
causes. Ilow long these causes will operate it is difficult
to say ; hut if, as is asserted, the conveyance of goods be-
tween the two towns of Manchester and Liverpool can, by
means of a railway, be effected at little more than half
the present charge for water carriage, and in ow'-fourth of
the time, the resistance of any body of men, however
powerful, to so great a publiz improvement, will, in the
end, prove as futile as was the resistance of the land-
carriers of the last age, to the construction of canals.—
Rains' Ilidory.
Mt IMLOTHIAN RAILWAY.—A prospectus has been pub-
lished of the proposed railway from Dalkeiih, or rather
from Newbottic, to Edinburgh. The length of the rail-
way is 91 miles, and the expense is estimated at 36,862/.
or about 4,000". per mile. It is to communicate with
Fisherrow by a branch, and it is propos...d to employ
upon it five locomotive engines, of six-horse power each,'
worked by steam. There is to be a (corresponding to
a lock on a canal) on the eminence west of Duddingston
Loch, at which a stationary ateam-engine of 20-horse power
is to be employed. The expense of conveying coals on this
railway is estimated at 31 per ton per mile, or Is. ad. per
ton alto ether, reckoning the average distance five miles.
It' the superior great coal of Diddry, Cowpits, Limon-
stone. &c. continues to be sold at the pit at present prices
(ss. loll.) it is supposed it may be delivered in Edinburgh
at 7s. 6d. or tas per ton (including cartage) ; Ond thelprojector
even anticipates that second-rate coal may come to be sold
so low as ss. a ton. It is not stated that a regular stir-
voyor has prepared the plan, or given his sanction to the
estimate; nor is any thing said of the difference of level.
The scheme, however, ccAainly deserves attention.—
seotonon•
The Morning. Chronicle announces the suspension of
hostilities against the watchmen in the following witty
words, which we faithfully copy from its leading article of
yesterday :—" We are quite weary of noticing the mis-
conduct of watchmen ; but people must be still more
weary, we should imagine, of being exposed to such mis-
conduct. On Friday two Frenchwomen were taken to
the watch-house by one of these Duidterrys, for talking
French in Greek-street !"
In an out-house at Mr. Chimney's, Illverston, 31 full-
grown rats, which had taken up their lodgings in a port-
manteau, were lately destroyed.

THE BRITISH PRESS.