The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-21 00:00:00

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

On the motion of Mr. W. MARTIN, leave was given to
introduce a bill amending the laws relating to municipal
elections, and the bill was subsequently introduced, and
read a first time.

The house then adjourned at twenty-five minutes to one
o'clock.

Mr. Glaisher's Tenth Scientific Balloon

Ascent.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,.—My short letter of Saturday last informed the
public of my intention to make a balloon ascent on
that day. Mr. Coxweil had partially filled his bal-
loon the previous afternoon, and resumed the opera-
tion on Saturday morning, in co-operation with Mr.
Ohren, with a view of starting before noon. The at-
mosphere was thick and misty; the wind on the
earth was N.E., but the clouds were moving from
the N. with an estimated velocity of 40 miles an
hour, and circumstances were not favourable for our
reaching an altitude of 5 miles. In all my expe-
rience I find it takes an hour to reach 5 miles high,
and I like an hour to descend, and therefore I want
a base of at least 80 miles, with air moving at the
rate of 40 miles an hour. About midday a pilot
balloon was sent up, which showed the wind to be
due north. Mr. Coxwell proposed an hour's delay,
as the breeze appeared as if it would veer to the
north-east, which would afford a longer journey
than if we travelled towards Brighton. At 1 p.m.
the ascent was determined upon, although it was
evident the voyage could not be one of long dura-
tion, unless we crossed the Channel, but Mr. Cox-
well said it would not be prudent to do so, unless
the balloon were filled, alleging as a reason that
excessive elevation is incompatible with great dis-
tance, and that to cross the Channel it would be
necessary to make other and distinct arrangements.
We left the earth at lh. 17min. ; within 2 minutes
afterwards we were 3,0001 t. above the earth, and
at lh. 23m. we were one mile high ; the second mile
was passed at lh. 29m.; the third at 11. 37m.; the
fourth at 2h. Om. ; and the highest point was
reached about 2b. 30m. at the height of 41 miles
nearly. At 2h. 36m. we passed below 4 miles; the
next mile downwards was passed at 2 h, 40m., and
at 2h. 46m. we were two miles from the earth,
which we reached at 2h. 50m. as presently will be
described. Just before leaving the earth the tem-
perature of the air was 611 deg.; at the height of
one mile the thermometer read 41 deg., but we
had passed up so quickly that it is most likely that
this reading was higher than the true temperature ;
at the height of two miles the reading of the ther-
mometer was 32 deg.; at three miles the tempera-
ture was 21 deg.; at four miles, 16 deg., and at the
highest point reached was 12 deg., which was the
lowest temperature we experienced. The results
generally confirm the law as found by the combina-
tion of all the preceding experiments, viz.:—•' That
the theory of a uniform decrease of temperature
with elevation must be abandoned."

discussed out of doors, though we do not -believe it
The air was dry before starting, and extremely dry
at the height of four miles, as found in all the pieced-
was ever seriously entertained in the Cabinet. This
was to take Sir C. Wood, who has come to know a
ing ascents. Clouds were reached at the height of good deal about India, from the Department which
one miie, and on passing above them a sea of shin- he has learnt to administer, and place him in the
ing white clouds, extending to the horizon, was, as War-office, of which he knows nothing. The Duke
usual, very fine. From 2h. 15m. to 2h. 31w. I of Argyll was then to succeed to India, of whichk he
fromh as had
dutiesn o e
wx phei re ine nhcee
n,
nadnedr s
tLord
perfectly,
f ee
tGrey,ly
wt am, n
l d
devoted myself almost entirely to observing the
black line in the solar spectrum. Between these have the Privy Seal, which fortunately does not
lines the balloon was revolving once in five minutes. require knowledge of any kind. But from this ela-
I succeeded in adjusting the slit of the apparatus to borate plan for destroying the efficiency of the pub-
the sun, and kept my eye to the telescope whilst the 1i c service
State
country
beenl spared,
be administered
l and two chief
Departmentsby
ythose ofthewhohave gained by experience a perfect
balloon completed three revolutions. When the
sight entered the slit from the sun itself the lines in
acquaintance with them. To make the matter
the spectrum were innumerable; all those I saw short, the Government, after consulting fully on the
before leaving the earth were visible, and many matter, has determined to postpone Parliamentary
more. The nebulous lines (H) were both seen, and considerations to the exigencies of the public ser-
Palmerston will recommend her
the spectrum a good deal lengthened at the violet vice, and Lord . _
Majesty to appoint Lord de Grey Secretary for
end ; at the red end (A) was visible. When the War. We are disposed to think that this arran e-
light came from the sky in the immediate vicinity went is the best that could under the circumstancesg
of the sun the spectrum was shorter, but all lines be made. It is certainly to be regretted that both the
were visible from Bto G. On passing from the sun Secretary for War and the First L3rd of the Admi-
the spectrum shortened very quickly, and when rally should be in. the House of Lords, but the
War-office a Minister
whor h
im-
opposite to the sun there was no spectrum—in fact,
Panacs madee ot keepinghimself
at the
master of the work has been
uo light at all. felt to outweigh this inconvenience. The successor
For the purpose of learning something of the of Lord de Grey in the Under-Secretaryship is,
action of the chemical rays of light I took slips of we understand, the Marquis of Hartington, who
sensitised photographic paper, having arranged that will thus, after a very short apprenticeship, leave
similar slips made at the same time should be ex- the Admiralty Board to represent the War-office in
.
posed at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and
betn Houseof Commons. Lord Hartington, it will
the amount of colouration in one minute noted every
remembered,
emfoaoteedofthtehecellaestb Dteerbydßesolution
whichdecided
Adminis-
five minutes, so as to have some simultaneous obser- tration, and we have always regretted that he was
vations with experiments I might make in the not at once initiated into official life. He speaks
balloon. The paper in the balloon was exposed to well, and enjoys, besides, the great advantage which
the full rays of the sun, and with this remarkable high rank and an ancestral connexion with the
result, that when above three miles high the paper Liberal party always confer
tiin Panrlitahe meGvernot.lnn
did not colour in half an hour so much as it did in fininednitn Lordgwaiiisucreoebssaobrlytobe
llaanxiours n
tog toinVite the co-
the ground of the Royal Observatory in one minute, operation ofp one of the independent Liberals.
At lb. 47m., at the height of 31 miles, the solar Should this be the case, there will, wa hope, be no
radiation thermometer accidentally fell over the car, difficulty iu obtaining a man fully competent for
from the sudden displacement of one of my instru- the post among those 7hoareohabiituailsmupeldiioarttelers
ments. I should be obliged by anyone who may of Lord Palmerston,
art without
belonging
the anwhgnole,g immediately
think wey
pick up its remains informing me whereabouts it the hcongratulate they country both on the appoint-
fell. We were nearly at the time over Reigate; but ments we announce and the policy they represent.
as the instrument was enclosed in a vacuum tube Lord Palmerston has rightly estimated the import-
with a globe at one end, from which the air had ance of the War Department when, in spite of
been exhausted, it would not fell very rapidly, and
older
and e
inconvenience,etlessable and il ni
elelt es ofe
hasthe
may have fallen between Tunbridge and Reigate,l claims
sdo of ode
the Queen to place at itspot i
head the h
Under
or south of a line joining these places. Secretary, who has had four years' experience of its
As the Crystal Palace remained some time in duties. We are glad, too, to see again what in these,
view, it was at first expected that the upper current latter days has been a rare phenomenonh—eda Secre-
wasddle not so swift as the lower ; after reaching the ta ry ofi State whoe hasthat
ranks yet
orf
reached
Ministry
height of four miles, and we had determined we
age,
recruited from the generation which has arisen
were moving directly towards the coast, Mr. Cox- since the Peace of 1815.
well continua:ly applied to me for the reading. of the POST.—Our anticipation respecting the reception
barometer, and directed our companion :‘Mr. I.) to which the late proclamation of the King of Den-
keep a sharp look-out for the sea. mark would meet from the German Powers has
Immediately after we attained an elevation of 4-1 been fully realised. The FederalDiethreorprotested
miles, Mr. Coxwell let off some gas, and said he felt against the assertionte D
byueth hies Danish
of Schleswigcwno of
and
assured that there was not a moment to be lost in
Holstein,sovereignty
and
in
h already rumours of a threatened
getting within view of the earth. " execution" have begun to circulate. It iS now
Mr. Coxwell again let off gas rather freely, so apparent that the interests
not aloneof the Holsteiners do
ion
where interference ebythe
German
language
that we descended a mile in four minutes. At 2h. enlist
that the
a ground
for isympathieseteoff the German
46m. we were two miles from the earth, the bate- powers,
meter reading 21.20 inches, when Mr. Coxwell Dinewgt
neirag' and
sa seu pi
sp lsipe
odkienn
,i
everyh
er region
of the Danish
caught sight of Beachy Head, and exclaimed, King granting a special constitution to Holstein
" What's that ?" and then the coast through a break was intended by the Danish Government to fix a
in the clouds, and exclaimed, " There is not a mo. line of demarcation between Schleswig and Holstein
men tto spare, we must descend rapidly and save the which might prevent the possibility of anyfurrtthheisr
land at all risks." It was a bold decision, but we
interference
by the
very reason it has of Germancourse powers, e andrwslththe disap-
f
were in a critical position, and Ido not see what proval of the Diet. Not alone as the Duke of Hol-
else could have been done. Mr. Cox well now used stein, but also as Sovereign of Schleswig, is the
the valve with a degree of freedom which would Danish King deemed by the great Council of Ger-
have alarmed any one who had not perfect confidence man potentates to be amenable to their jurisdiction,
in his skill. I was requested to pack up my instru-
vianid on such an assumptionftthhee nngforanterofduceert
hyaiwniireib-
ments as quickly as possible, and then to assist in areegdeesniteodthtoe itinileillt)titttteThs,
of necessity condemned as
getting ready a large amount of ballast to throw inconsistent. An issue is now raised which is clear
away at the last moment. On breaking through the and intelligible, and which must ere long be defini-
clouds we appeared to be already over the water, tively decided. So long as the population of Hol-
but as the ground came up to us, or seemed to do, stein could show acait in theiruksaa bh
grievance,ealc
osuo l
dl long the
leastth e
we found there was land beneath. Mr. I. rendered iiateurfejfienedceboy of
the Da
reference to the engagements en-
important service in letting up the neck lines be , and ter!: into by the several powers constituting the
in clearing the ballast for immediate delivery, so as Confederation. It might be indeed that the Duke
[
to lessen the violence of the descent. When orders of Holstein could with justice remind Austria of
her misgovernment in Hungary and
i Venetia, or
were given to put out sand we did so simultane-
twit the Prussian King upon his novel nterpreta-
ously, which gave a favourable check, and as the
tion of constitutional government at home, but still
lower part of the balloon itself assumed a para-
he could not divest himself of obligation formally
chute form, the shock Was not so bad as might have and deliberately undertaken. As a matter of fact,
been expected. Most of the instruments, however, the world knows that the great German Powers,