The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-07 00:00:00

BALLOON ASCENT.

Mr. Hampton, the celebrated aeronaut, whose
name will ever be remembered in matters of aerosta-
tion, from his three descents, some few years since,
with his parachute, particularly by one from Chelten-
ham, on the 3d of October, 1838, when he made a
triumphant descent from an altitude of two miles in
10 minutes and 12 seconds, at which time the balloon
reached the earth before the parachute, made a splendid
ascent from the Vauxhall Gardens, Manchester, on
Monday last, in the presence of several thousand
persons. The following is Mr. Hampton's account of
his aerial voyage :
" From the situation of the gardens being incon-
venient for inflating, as the gas had to be forced down
hill, and as I had been informed by the proprietor of
the gardens, previous to my coming to Manchester,
that the main was twelve inches, which I found only
to be three inches, caused me great difficulty in in-
flating. From such cause, and the anxiety of the
managers of the gas works to render me every assist-
ance in the business, I was compelled to commence
the inflating the day before my ascent, at eight o'clock
in the morning, and continued during the night and
the two days, until the ascent, and, after all exer-
tions, could not complete the inflation as I had
ished, and in consequence, I was obliged to decline
the offer of three gentlemen who had proposed to ac-
company me. Indeed, so slight was the ascending
power, that I was obliged to dispense with the grapnel
I usually take, and only have a small one no larger
than my hand, which, had not the day been calm,
would, of course, been attended with danger. After
placing only four bags of ballast in my car, I then
found I had sufficient power to ascend from
the gardens, and gave orders to remove the balloon
windward f the place where I had been filling, so as
to clear the trees. I gave the signal to the two gen-
tlemen who had hold of the car to let go, when she
immediately rose slow and steadily. After leaving the
gardens, finding my ascending power very slight, I
was obliged to throw out two bags of ballast, when she
rose more rapidly, and the wind being from north-east ,
she took a south-west direction over the town. I then
got into another current, and as she still ascended, I
passed through a layer of dense clouds, and lost sight
of the earth altogether. For some minutes I remained
in such clouds, scarcely able to distinguish the ropes
round the car. At last a most beautiful light sur-
rounded me, which indicated I was still rising, and
in a few seconds more rose above the clouds, which
presented one of the grandest sights possible to
behold. Beneath the car was an appearance of one
immense forest of snow, layer over layer, which
appeared as if I could have stepped out of the
car, and walked on the same, and the car
appeared to drag on them. After viewing
this beautiful field of snow, I then looked
at my compass to see in what direction I was going,
and by a small feather fixed by a thread to the car I
perceived that the balloon bad changed her course
and was going south south-west. Having passed
through three layers of clouds, the upper one ap-
peared as if it hrd divided the balloon, as by looking
up I could perceive the upper and lower parts of the
balloon free, and the zone, being surrounded by a
cloud, appearing like gauze. So beautiful and still
was the atmosphere that I remained for some seconds.
Here was one of the grandest sights aeronauts so
often witness, if they ascend high enough, that it
would take a painter to depict and a poet to describe.
On my right were layers of clouds, one above the other,
like large blocks of granite glittering in the full rays
of the setting sun, and appeared to form a Gothic
arch sufficiently large for the balloon to pass
under, on the edges of which the setting
sun shone with all the splendour and brilliance of
the variegated rainbow, the beautiful tints,:the awful
dead silence ; not a sound could be heard, earthly
nature appeared all dead. Such was truly heavenly,
and totally indescribable. Alone, sitting in my car,
at an altitude of two miles, above four different layers
of clouds, and twice seeing the setting sun, first in
total darkness, and then passing to the grand views I
have before described, can only be imagined by those
who have witnessed them, in whose minds they must
arouse thoughts of the great workings of the Al-
mighty Creator. In about a quarter of an hour,
thinking I had left the town, I prepared to descend,
and passing through layer after layer of clouds, some-
times in perfect darkness, at other times in full view
of the setting sun, and long before I came in view of
the earth, I could distinctly hear the whistle of the
railway trains and the buzzing of the town, which in-
dicated I had not, as anticipated, got away from Man-
chester, for when I came through the clouds,
as the shades of evening were closing, I
could perceive the gas-lights, like stars shoot-
ing, and the different factories, with their
lights glittering, and then found I had little time to
lose in my descent, as I wished to pack up before
night came far on, but had some difficulty to find a
place suitable for such purpose, being surrounded by
the different buildings in the vicinity of Mancheiqer.
Not having sufficiently got away, and having only
two bags of ballast left, I was obliged to part with
these cautiously, so as to prevent the ascending of the
balloon, and yet check my descent so as to float on
until I could get an open space to descend, which, I
am happy to say, I effected near Phillip's-park, after
remaining in the air three-quarters of an hour.
Several hundred persons Immediately assembled in
the grounds, and many rend ered assistance in packing
up the balloon, and I immediately returned with the
same to the Vauxhall-gardens."

CITY, 'WEDNESDAY EVENING.—A subsidence of the
panic,. has been observable to-day, and although the floc
in the English funds have been rapid and exten-
sive, the general result shows considerable improvement.

which already contained upwards of
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIBTr OFLONDON.—The collection
11
saTs, receivedArk' yesterday the most important
gaenni
animals,
'
addition which has ever been made to it. The aurochs,
I,lOROe
or Europeon bison, of which we have fossil remains in
this country, now only survives in the great forest of
Bialowicsa, in the government of G d
ro no, where the last
remnant of this noble race is. protected by express
enactments. We announced in August last that two of
these almost fabulous beasts_were on their way to this
country, having been captured by command of the
Emperor of Russia,
as a special mark of his favour
towards the advancement of the objects of this society.
We have now the gratification of stating that they have
been safely deposited at their destination. We conga-.
tulate the lovers of natural science on the acquisition of
so unexpected an opportunity of contemplating alive an
animal so rare and of such strange interest, the sight of
which will carry back the classic reader to the German
wars of Rome, and the palaeontologist to the days of the
mammoth and the mastodon.
TRELEIGI! MINING COMPANY.—The annual general
meeting of shareholders in this company was held yes-
terday, at the offices, 57, Old Broad-street. Mr. G. P.
Carr, in the chair. Mr. Nicholson, the secretary, read
the director's report, and the statement of receipts and'
expenditure, by which it appeamcl that there had been a
progressive increase within the last six months of .he
year as compared with the first. In the first six mceths
the amount of ore raised was 6,3031. 3s. ld. at a cost of
5.710/: Ils. Bd. In the latter six months the amou at was
10,4881. I ls. 4d., at a cost of 6,0021. 4s. 3d. The: Good
Fortune M.lne had been suspended, and the pit-work
drawn up; the continued poverty of the lode, end the
utter hopelessness of any improvement determining the
directors not to continue further operations inthat quer-
ter. The financial statement for the past year showed
that, after a payment of two dividends of ss. per share
on the paid up capital, the appropriation of 3001. towards
a reserved fund, and also providing for all liabilities,
there remained a surplus of 3,1001., from which it. was
proposed to make a third dividend of 6s. per share, -pay-
' able on the 11th instant. The total receipts &vz the
year amounted to 19,2481. 4s. 4d., and the expend titure
to 15,4154 ss. 6d., leaving a
balance of 3.839/. 19! 3,10 d.
• The report was received and adopted, and after a vote
of thanks to the Chairman, the proceedings
te rzny sated.