The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-20 00:00:00

BALLOON NAVIGATION.

The Constitutionnel has the following from Bag-
ares-de-Luchon, dated the 10th :—Whilst the jour-
nals have been recording unsuccessful attempts to
navigate with balloons, we have witnessed here a fact
proving that the impossibility of navigatin in the air
is not absolute, and that with genius and persever-
ance we may arrive at the desired result. Yester-
day the inhabitants of Luchon and the numerous
visitors were invited to the Prado, on the banks of the
Pique, to witness the experiment. The intrepid
aeronaut, who was to make it at the risk of his life,
is a man of about 3d years of age, named Antonio
Moles, and resides in the small town of Barbastro, in
Arragon, not far from our frontier. In the meadow of
the Prado was a platform, on which his apparatus was
placed. It consisted of a babooon of an ovoid shape,
inflated with hydrogen gas, of merely sufficient size
to support his weight, and that of the articles he had
with him, and at the same time to have an ascentional
power. To the network of the balloon was supended
a small table, on which Molei lay on his, belly,
his back being also secured to the network. To
each of his legs between the knee and the
instep was attached a kind of umbrella, acting
freely on their sticks, and the silk of which
was turned outwards. In each hand was a sort of
hand-screen of silk, opening with hinges, and expand-
ing or contracting at will. A rope from the valve of
the balloon was placed round his neck, and round his
body was a belt containing sand, and about six or
seven pounds of shot as ballast. When the signal for
letting go was made, the balloon rose gently to a height
of about 200 yards. The areonaut then began to make
use of his means of impulsion. His legs were alter-
nately crossed, and then put out at full length, the first
motion clo,ing, the second opening the umbrella, giv-
ing a point d'appui upon a large surface of compressed
air, and causing the balloon to advance, whilst the arms
were moving in the same direction. The atmosphere
being at this time calm the aeronaut found no
difficulty in directing himself in a direct line on the
axis of the valley towards the north, and the speed
appeared to increase progressively as the apparatus
worked better. We saw him in a short time stop at
the turning of the Cier du Luchon, and return to-
wards us with the same rapidity ; half an hour sufficed
for him to perform a distance of 18 kilometres (about
11 miles) going and returning. When he found
himself over our heads he performed the movement
of turning, but rather slowly, as he wished to turn
very short round, it would have been very easy for
him to have made a long turn, by using his legs like
a swimmer when he wishes to turn to the right or to
the left. It was thus that he made the tour of the
basin of Luchon in 18 minutes, passing over the
villages of St. Mamet, Montauban, Jazet, Antignac,
and Moustagon, and, returning to his starting point,
he came to the ground slowly in the same meadow from
whence he had risen. It is more easy to conceive than
express the enthusiasm and excitement of the crowd of
persons who had assembled. The aeronaut was
conducted in triumph to his residence, and he has
announced a second ascent for Sunday next. It is
to be hoped that there will then be a little wind, in
order to ascertain whether that will not prove an
insurmountable obstacle. Antonio Moles has assured
us that he has the means of overcoming any diffi-
culty of that sort, as readily as the best vessel on
the ocean.

TOTNES.—SHOCKING ACCIDENT.—Soon after the
Passing of the 6.35 up mail on Wednesday evening, and be.
fore the arrival of the 6.5 down train, the switchman en
duty at Totnea station found a man lying across the rails,
with his hat knocked off, and with his head and face very
much cut.. He was groaning, and to all appearance in a
dying atate. The porters were called away from the station
to procure medical assistance, and to convey the body on a
shutter to Coombe's Railway Hotel, near the station, the
served ahequwart was smoking
of an
train being detained during the time. The man was ob-
whichanhde
haourpipper;eviously, very much intoxi-
cated;wimams
eodridaetreelyd
leftby the
porter to put it out, after
platform, and was not again seen till discovered on the line.
It is supposed that he had fallen over the parapet of the
bridge which crosses the railway. A medical man soon
arrived, who examined his head, and found one of his eyes
had been knocked out, and his forehead and face severely
cut. It is thought that there is not the slightest chance of
his recovery. It is also thought that he left Plymouth in
great coat, dark trousers and waist-
the morning by the excursion train and was intending to
Ile was a poor man, and was
and about 30 years of age.—Plymouth Journal.
coat, was thin,
LIEUT.-GENERAL LOFTII9.—The death
as cornet, August,
DEATH OF
r Colonel of' the 50th Regiment, has
of this gallant office
returndress ed i
inn a the
long
n g evening.
brown
captain, 1804'; major,
1799 ; became lieutenant, _
813 ;
colonel, 1830;
lieut.-general,major-gene-
at the last promotion, and was
been
1807; rieipeuotretencal.nt.
ral, 1841 ; and :y of the 50th, April 11, 1851.
appointed to the
"Inneservedc with the 2d battalion of the
JeClilvti,3lBCaOrTy,
Major-General Loftus s
He int.
employed in the Peninsula, and
38th during the time it wa
„tau°,
retreat to the lines of
was present at the battle of 13
it of Massena, storming of
colonel 1
of the sth division
13adajoz—commanded the detachment
d -P nt St. Christoval,
Torres Vedras, advance in pursuit
of the Guadiana, and to
and the other forts on the right bankd
battle of Salamanca,
which took possession of the Tete- e 0 , .
which General Philliron surrendered ;
treat from thence,
action at Villa Muriel, and other minor affairs.
lle has capture of Madrid—commanded the light troops of the sth
division upon the advance to Burgos, re
re-
ceived the war medal with three clasps for Bastin°, Fuentes
d'Onor, Badajoz, and Salamanca. ~.... _,... ......_.— - --