The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-02 00:00:00

PRICE sd.

THE PARACHUTE.

Mr. Faraday has addressed the following letter to the
Editor of a Morning Paper on the subject of Mr. Cock-
ing's descent in the parachute :
" Sir,—Though very unwilling to appear in the public
Journals or intrude on your kindness, I am induced, by
what appeared to me an unnecessary reference to my name
in the late inquest, to ask of you the favour of publication
for the present letter.
" I knew Mr. Cocking long ago, was a fellow-member
with him of the City Philosophical Society, and heard
him deliver the lecture, twenty-three years since, referred
to by Mr. Gye at the inquest ; and the recollection of
his companionship, abilities, and kindness at that time,
adds greatly to my feelings of sorrow for his melancholy
death. I did not knew that he thought of putting his
parachute to the proof by a descent until I saw his in-
tention announced in the papers, and did not sco him or
the parachute until the day of the descent. He then asked
me at the gardens my opinion of its safety, and' I said
that as to its capability of retarding the descent it was
purely a matter of calculation into which I could not go.
Hu said that lie had made both experiments and calcula-
tions, and was fully assured the velocity of descent would -;
not be greater than that of a man falling from a height of
two feet. I then remarked upon the weakness of the con-
struction of the upper ring, and asked why he had not
given it a form better able to resist collapsion ? Why it
was not assisted by stretchers or ,bracings, &c. ? He gave
me the same answer generally that he had given to Mr.
Gye, that it was strong enough, and that be obj(eted to
more weight above. I made other objections, as for in-
stance, to the opening in 6he middle of the parachute, the
place of the centre of gravity, &c., but finding him perfectly
satisfied with his preparations, and resolved to ascend
(as is fully proved by the evidence on the inquest),
finding also by the care of Mr. Gye that every precau-
tion was taken to enable him to abandon his intention at
any moment, I desisted from making further ;emarks, which
might tend to disturb his presence of mind, though they
would not have prevented his ascent. I, however, said not
a word to him to advance his going ; but, being doubtful
and anxious, had expressed myself so to some on the
ground, and amongst others, to Mr. Green, who asked me
whether I would rather be in his or Mr. Cockings's situa-
tion, I said in his ; and this he told to Mr. Cocking in my
hearing. With these feelings on my mind I retired in
part, and did not speak to Mr. Cocking for the last hour
and a half.

" Hearing that Mr. Mason was disturbing Mr. Cock-
ing's attention, I did venture to say to the former gentle-
man that as Mr. Cocking was resolved to ascend I thought
it unwise. Mr. Mason told me that be had made calcula-
tions, the result of which was, that the descent would be a
very rapid one. I observed that Mr. Cocking had also told
me he had made experiments and calculations, the results
of which were that the descent would, be slow. Mr. Mason's
calculations and objections, as far as I know, bad no rela-
tion to the strength of the parachute, or to the actual cause
of the failure and sad result.

" The opinion given by Mr. Green and Mr. Gye (who
appear to me to be the best judges under the circumstances)
regarding the failure of the parachute makes me glad that
I said no more to Mr. Cocking than I did. The retention
of the rope attached to the balloon at the moment of sepa-
ration may have been due to some disturbance of mind
through anxiety, thus bringing on the fatal termination ; and
I am very thankful that I, at least, was not the cause of
any such anxiety.
" In conclusion, my sincere thanks are due to the coro-
ner for his kindness and consideration. It is much to be
desired, though perhaps not be expected, that others would
more frequently have the same thought.
" I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
" M. FARADAY.

" Royal Inetitution, July 1.

CALCULATIONS OF MR. COCKING'S
PARACHUTE.

(From the Railway Magazine.)
The unfortunate experiment of Mr. Cocking, in his de-
scent on the 24th ultimo with.the parachute, has excited so
painful a feeling in the public mind, that we shall be ex-
cused from saying a few words on the subject. It appears
that Mr. Cocking's apparatus was au inverted frustrum of
a cone, thirty-four feet in diameter at the top, and three or
four at bottom, which was open. We are informed the
upper ring was a tin tube, about two inches in diameter,
and the lower a wooden hoop ; the superfices of the cone
was strong linen or canvass, and the whole, with the basket
in which he was, weighed about 15016. He took up, we
are informed, two cwt. of ballast, making, with himself, a
total of about five cwt. We know not the proportion of
the axis of the frustrum to either diameter of the cone ;
but supposing the parachute a flat circle, which would
have been a better form for resistance, of the thirty-four
feet diameter, it would expose a resisting area of little
better than 900 square feet. With these dimensions,
the mass would have descended with a velocity of near
thirteen" miles an hour—three times greater than safety
would permit; but from the bad formation of the machine, and
the great hole in the middle, the resistance must have been
less and the velocity greater. Could he have rid himself
of the two cwt. of ballast, he must have descended more
than ten miles an hour—that is, near three times as fast
as he ought. In every way it was an ill-contrived, ill-
judged experiment ; the tube was too weak, and, we are
informed, it came unsoldered the day before he went up.
To descend with a velocity of five miles an hour, rather
too much for perfect safety, requires a resisting area of
1,000 square feet for every 1001 b.; Cocking's had only
900 for more than five times the weight. His distance was
nearly sixty feet from Mr. Green, too much for easy com-
munication.

It has been stated that several scientific men had ap-
proved of calculations of the safety of Mr. Cocking's
parachute. We can hardly believe it ; we ourselves, at
four o'clock, gave our opinion against it to friends who
asked us. From the height, 5,000 feet, stated by Mr.
Green, and the time of descent, seventy seconds, or more,
observed by Mr. Bishop, we perceive that our computation
of the maximum velocity, thirteen miles an hour, would
have been very near the truth, had the parachate not have
collapsed.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF CHANCERY, AuG. 1.

lIOL3IES V. CRISP.

• The LORD CHANCELLOR gave judgment in this matter.
A testator had in his will given each of his daughters a
legacy of 16,0001.; one of them married before his death,
and to her he paid 5,0001., adding a codicil to his will, in
which he stated that the legacy she was to receive out of
his estate at his death was to be less by this amount. The
executor of the will collected the assets and absconded, but
a small sum was recovered, and the question to be decided
was, whether this suns was to be divided, or whether the
daughter who had not received any portion was to take as
much as would place her in the same state as her married
sister before they came to any division of the other part of
the estate. His Lordship was of opinion that the portion
given to the married daughter must be considered as a pay-
ment, and that the other daughter was entitled to be
placed on an equal footing in the division of the assets.

TICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT, AUG. 1.
BLUNDELL V. WINDSOR.
This was a bill by a shareholder in a company called
" The Anglo-American Mining Association," against other
parties who were shareholders at the time the company
was dissolved, praying to have the affairs of the Company
wound up, and to compel the other parties to contribute
to the losses, part of which had fallen wholly on the plain-
tiff. The defendant Winsor demurred, for want of equity,
on the ground that the Company was unlawful, ana, its
scheme a fraud upon the public. There was also a de-
murrer for want of parties. The Company, it 'appeared,
was formed in 1833, for the purpose of working, gold mines
in America.

Mr. KNIGHT supported the demurrer.
Mr. JACOB appear:A for the plaintiff.
The demurrer was allowed.

ROLLS' COURT—Avamsr 1.
HUGHE3 V. WYNN.

In this case a petition was presented to discharge an
order, directing the taxation of the bill of costs of the peti-
tioner, who had acted for several years as attorney for the
defendant, Mrs. Anne Wynn, and her late husband. The
petition alleged that a sett/en:milt of the accounts between
the parties had taken place in the month of June, 1828,
and therefore prayed the discharge of the order. On the
other hand it was contended, that no such settlement had
taken place, and that, even if it had, there were circum-
stances which would prevent the Court from interfering un
the present occasion.

His Lordship the MASTER of the ROLLS, in giving
judgment, said, that the petitioner, in the two affidavits he
had filed, had not alleged any entries to Prove his allega-
tion, and, therefore, under these circumstances, be felt him-
self bound to dismiss the pet)thn> with costs,