The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-04 00:00:00

rim SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 4, 1864.

Another Balloon Ascent,

Last evening M. Godard made another ascent in
his huge Montgolfier, or heated air balloon, from
Cremorne-gardens, in the presence of some thous-
ands of people. From the same place, and at the
same time Mr Adams ascended in a balloon
called the "Prince of Wales," which was in-
flated by gas in the ordinary way; but the two in
point of size and appearance were out of all compa-
rison, and the interest of the spectators was almost
exclusively concentrated on that of M. Godard, in
reference to which the other looked like a mere
satellite. The vast difference in size between the
two might have induced the belief that the English
balloon had been selected to set off by contrast the
magnificent proportions of the other, which would
not have been so striking if the larger balloon of Mr
Coxwell had been put in comparison with it. Still
the Montgolfier is an enormous structure, and ex-
ceeds in size the famous " Giant" balloon of M.
Nader, being 117 ft in height, 95ft 9in in circumfer-
ence, and 300 ft superficially, with an area of 30,0001 t.
It is pear-shaped, and made of canvass, but lined
throughout the inside with silk. It is ornamented
on the outside with representations of the
French eagle, and is encircled at abotit :a :third
of its height from the top with a parachute
arrangement, resembling the wings of a bat,
and divided into twenty-four compartments. The
upper part of the machine is surrounded with a blue
border, and from its neck or lower end the car is
suspended, with the furnace immediately above, the
flame of which, is visible from the earth as the balloon
floats among the clouds a dark gray mass, distinct in
its elegant outline. The balloon itself, with all its
appendages, weighs upwards of 4,6201 b, and its cubic
capacity is 498,536. The car weighs 585:b, and is
upwards of 13ft in diameter. It is surrounded by a
rail breast-high. The furnace for inflating the balloon
is placed in the erentre of the car, and weighs, with
the chimney, -801 b. It is Oft Gin in diameter and con-
sists of three cylinders, so arranged as to counteract
the eff:ects of the radiated heat upon the occupants of
the car, having also a metal colander inside the flue to
intercept sparks from the fire below. The heated air
for inflating the balloon is generated by burning rye
straw, cleaned from the ears, and compressed into
small bundles. For the purpose of inflation the bale
loon is suspended from a horizontal rope attached to
two masts, each upwards of 100 feet high. About
three quarters of an hour in the whole were con-
sumed last evening in the process, which was
watched with eager interest by the crowd. The
stokers kept constantly feeding the furnace in the
interval, with the compressed straw, until the huge
mass wes completely distended. 't here was a brisk
wired, and at one time the balloon swayed much to
and fro in the process of inflation, and looked as if
it would break away from its moorings. At length,
all being ready, M. Godard, accompanied by several
gentlemen, entered the car, and the balloon rose
amid the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd. A
moment or two before that Mr. Adams, in his gas
balloon, ascended with the rapidity almost of a
rocket, which had rather a ludicrous effect in
comparison with the stately ascent of the
other. He soared into a great height compared
with M, Godard and his companions, who ape
peered to be just at a convenient altitude for taking
a bird's-eye view of London. Both balloons took an
easterly course, that of M. Godard diverging rather
more towards the north than the other, and both
were watched with much interest by the crowd at
the starting point until they passed out of sight.
the Godard balloon, descended on the marshes of
the River Lea, near Walthamstow. It ascended
again, and proceeded from Mr. Boston's to Mr.
Tasker's farm, where the grappling irons were
thrown out and caught a tree. The balloon then
swayed about with great violence against the tree,
the branches of which it broke. Serious damage
was done to the balloon and car. Some of the party
in the car jumped out as it was descending, and
one had his leg sprained, while another was cut
about the face and hands, not, it is believed,
seriously.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC FLOATING REFORMATORY
is THE MERSEY.—At a meeting of the Liverpool Town
Council yesterday the sum of £1,506 was granted towards
the expenses incurred in the fitting up of the Clarence, an
old man• of-war now anchored in the Mersey, for the recep-
tion of Roman Catholic juvenile delinquents; The council
made it a condition that the manager of the reformatory
should from time to time receive you-hs committed by the
borough magistrates.

The fifth ascent of Monte Roca this year was
accomplished on July 17, and proved to be ono of the most
rapid and successful of the season. Two parties, consisting
of Mr J. R. Fowler, with two guides, and three other gen-
tlemen, with three guides, left the Rifle Hotel at 2 10 a,m.
reached the summit about 9 30, and after remaining there
for three quarters of an hour returned to the Riffel about 3
p.m. The whole range of high Alps from Mont Blanc and
the Grand Paradis theßernese Oberland, was visible, and
nothing occurred to mar the success of the expedition.

A FEDERAL OEDER.—The following special order
has been issued at Memphis :—" Head quarters,
District West Tennessee, July G.—Whereas railroad trains
from Memphis 1 o Saulsbury (on the Memphis and Charles-
ton Railroad, 53 miles from Memphis), have been fired into
frupiently by Confederate soldiers and guerillas within the
last few days; and whereas there are many persons along
the line of the railroad and at Memphis who approve and
encourage such murderous proceedings, it is ordered that
40 of the most prominent and bitter t!'ecessionists in and
between Memphis and Lagrange be arrested, and that 20 of
them each day be placed on the cars, in the most conspi-
cuous positions, one being placed each side of the engines,
and no train will be allowed to leave Memphis without a
Secesh guard until this murderous business is desisted from.
Several citizens of Memphis have publicly applauded this
firing upon trains, They will be given prominent posi-
tions on the cars. Quarters will be fitted up for them at
White Station, where they will be tenderly cared for when
not on duty en trains. Brigadier-General Hatch, com-
manding the cavalry divisicn, is entrusted with the execu-
tion of this order. By order of Major-General Washburne."
A Memphis despatch of the 7th states that a number of
leading QiUzais had been arreated and put under guard,