The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-02 00:00:00

Mr. Glaisher's Twenty.•Seconnd Balloon
Ascent,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
madeent
ascents
Silt,—Mr. Coxwell's balloon, n Which I had
all the experiments for the British Association up to
April 6, becoming unfit to continue the highac
in safety to ourselves, Mr Coxwell therefore built a
new one, which he named the Britannia, capable of
containing 10,000 more cubic feet than the preced-
ing balloon, with the view of taking a second obi
server, if need be, to the height of five miles, and in.
which 1 had made three trial trips at moderate ele-
vations. Its destruction at Leicester, just as it was
being brought into condition for high elevations,
abruptly stopped all the arranged experiments.
A long standing agreement between Mr Coxwell
and the Crystal Palace Company to ascend on the
Forester's day compelled him to use the old balloon,
which was made as sound as possible, and furnished
with new netting, car, valve, hoop, &c., especially
for the occasion, as the whole of these appointments
had been destroyed with the balloon.
The balloon left the earth at six minutes after
four, it reached one mile high in 14 minutes, the
second mile was passed at 4.34, and the highest
point reached, nearly 14,000 feet, at 4.50. Here
there was no wind, and we continued at between
13,000 and 14,000 feet for more than a quarter of an
hour. At five o'clock we began the descent, and were
on the ground at 5.31.
When at the height of 5,000 feet we experienced
very little wind, and for some time looked down
upon the same field; the balloon, however, revels,.
ing in three or four minutes in the direction of
S.E., N., and W.
When we reched the height of 8,000 fest we felt
the wind press against our faces, and we began to
move quickly from the west. At 12,000 feet the air
was near:y calm, and quite so at 13,000 feet, and we
were here free from any progressing or revolving
motion whatever, enabling me to take several sets
of vibrations of a horizontal magnet as satisfactorily
as on the earth, the result being undoubted that
the time of vibration was lengthened. On begin-
ning the descent the balloon began to revolve, but
in the opposite direction, viz., in the direction of
S.W., N., and E., as observed by Mr. W. 0. Nash
from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in 54
minutes, and afterwards in 5 minutes, these being
the intervals of time in which he saw me succes.
sively in the telescope, and this revolving motion
continued till we reached the earth.
On leaving the earth the temperature of the air
was 73 deg. ; it declined to 284 deg., but not con-
tinuously, and it was 69 deg. on reaching the earth
on our descending. The temperature of the dew
point was 451 deg. on the ground; above 13,000 ft
high it was below zero, and was 48 deg. on reach-
ing the ground. The air was most humid at 5,000 ft
high both in ascending and descending.
At the highest point the number of pulsations
per minute were—Mr Coxwell, 102; Mr Cranston,
118; Mr Norris, 118; my own, 99; and respira-
tions were Messrs Coxwell and Cranston, each 22;
and my own, 18.

Situated at an elevation of 21 miles, without the
ordinary motion of act thB n" f=""
Luc, WV 1A.., Lava., Vu LOL Oil WEIS wawa
view, excepting here and there obscured by its own
smoke, together with Deptford, Greenwich, the
river Thames, Woolwich, the docks, all without
motion, and all apparently near to us—every street,
known building, and pathway connecting them,
seen distinctly; Greenwich Park like a small gar.
den, with its well-known paths like narrow lines,
the Observatory as a grey speck, Blackheath very
small and very bare; all on the same level; every
high building, every hill, every eminence dwarfed
down, every valley raised up, all apparently on a
level surface, and that the plane of the river Thames;
no sound heard excepting now and then the railway
whistle; no moving thing seen except the tiny
steamboat and diminutive train. The horizon was
misty, so that distant objects were not visible; the
Isle of Sheppey was, however, seen ; Gravesend
and Rochester distinct.

Above the mist for one half of the circle was a
beautiful cumulus; other cumuli were like patches
of wool resting on the ground.
Then, passing the eye to places 30 or 40 miles
distant, observing the gradual diminution of the
fields till they were all lost together, forming a
large sea of verdure.

I
cannot conceive a finer prospect than being
thus becalmed in the car of a balloon, and viewing
such a scene with a declining sun. To be fully ap-
preciated, however, it must be seen.
We were accompanied by two gentlemen only,
Messrs Norris and Cranston. On descending the
grapnel first missed; sand was thrown out, and we
rose instantly and passed over trees ; then the grap-
nel caught in a tree, breaking off large branches,
and finally we came down in the centre of a field,
having experienced one sharp bump, but no instru-
ments were broken. The place of descent was
Why bridge, near Rainham, Essex, on the property
of T. Mashiter, Esq.—l am, Sir, yours, &c.,
Blackheath, Sept. 1, 1864.

JAMES GLAISHER.

Determined Suicide of a Military Officer.

PORTSMOUTH, Sept 1.
A most determined act of self destruction was perpetrated
this morning at Anglesea Barracks, Portaea, by Captain
Thomas Burchell Holloway, of the 21st Regiment (Royal
North British Fusiliers).

It appears that about a quarter to six the deceased's ser.
vent, Private Conway, rapped at his matter's door, but
failed to obtain an answer, and he went and reported the
circumstance to Captain Alfred Holt, who obtained an en-
trance into the room by means of a latch key. He die.
covered the deceased, who was undressed, partly in and
partly out of bed, with his head touching the floor. At
first Captain Holt thought deceased had died from disease
of the heart, which he had suffered for some time ; but, on
raising him on to the bed, he found that his throat had
been cut in the most frightful and determined manner.
The wound literally extended from ear to ear, the head
being almost severed from the body. There was a very
large pool of clotted blood by the side of the bed, and it
was apparent that the deceased mast have leant his head
over the side of the bed, and while in that positionhave cut
his throat. Information of the tragic occurrence was given
to Police-sergeant Constable, of the Borough force, who
proceeded to the barracks, and discovered a white-handled
razor in the pool of clotted blood, and it was apparent
as
the instrument with which the deed was
The razor belonged to deceased, and he must
ethatthititsw.
have taken it from his razor-ease at the other end of the
room. Dr Arthur J. Greer, the regimental surgeon, was
promptly in attendance, and pronounced life to be extinct.
The body Was
quite cold and stiff, and death must have
taken place some hours previously.
So far as can at present be learned there is no assignable
Motive for the commission of this rash act. On the pre-
vious evening he appeared quite well and hearty, and
nothing unusual was observed in his conduct or demea-
nour. About a quarter past nine he bcrrowed a latch-key
from Ensign Robert Willoughby to open his room-door,
and after doing so he returned the key to that officer. It
is supposed that he then went to bed, as nothing more 'was
heard of him, and he was never again seen alive.
The body awaits a coroner's inquest.
The regiment has only returned from India abort
six
weeks, and, during the brief period they have been b a bar-
racks here, two fatalities have occurred, as it we s only
about a fortnight since that a private beloneinr tf th p re-

--,
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111141)

both the Northern and the Southern States, and
me my Northern opinions, and I was told that it won. as a
much as my life was worth to introduce the subject of slavery;
but when I got there and sat down among them they intro-
duced it themselves, They asked me to tell them what
I thought of their domestiO institutions as compared
to my own. They asked me if I did not think that
the slaves in their country were better off than the
people in my country were—were they not better clothed
and better cared for than the working people in Eng-
land ? I said if the working men in England did not
work they were not paid, but if they would work they were
paid for their work. I do say that slavery is the curse of
that country. (No, no.) But good may come out of it. Yet
I say slavery was the beginning of this war—slavery is at
the bottom of.it. (No, no.) I do not mean to say the North
would conquer the Seuth. I hope they will come to see it
right that there should be no more American-born slaves,
but that slaver; will be allowed to die out, and that every
American will be paid the value for his labour. (Applause.)
I thank you, my lords and gentlemen, on belt tlf of Sir John
Rarmden and myself, for the honour you have done us in
drinking our healths.
Several complimentary toasts followed, and the meeting
broke up.

NEWS PAP I
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