The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-05 00:00:00

ASCENT OF MR. GREEN.

- • [From the Reading ltiercurtf.l
,Ort Friday, the ist of-August, Mr. GREEN, the
celebrated English aeronaut, (accompanied by Mr. ilEssnv
SlatoNDN of iiroad-street,) made ninth ascent, from this
town.' Long before 12 o'clock, not only The Forbury, which
was selected for The ascenta but all the heights in and round the
town commanding even aNistant view of the exhibition, were.
crowded with spectators. For the benefit of Mr. Green, a large
space, including the plat, was encircled with waggons, at the
back of which were placed a row of hurdles, forming a barrier as
complete and close as a wooden fence. To this enclosure there
was one entrance, at which the company paid for admission ;
at an early hour it was completely filled with a display of beauty
and fashion surpassing every assemblage ever witnessed in this
town. 'We believe all the nobility and gentry within twenty
miles were present; and if we may judge from the number of
carriages of every description which lined the streets, the great
majority of the population within a similar distance must have
entered the town.
In the centre of the enclosure, the balloon, which was ex-
tremely magnificent, being 107 feet in circumference, and cal-
culated to contain 136,280 gallons of gas, was drawn up be.
tween two poles ; it comprised 700 yards of oiled silk, in alter-
nate stripes of blue, red, and yellow, covered with a net work,
from which ropes proceeded, to which the car was attached.—
Here the operation of filling the machine with gas was conduct-
ed, and the arrangements were so perfect, that many thousands
were gratified•with a view of the proceedings. Several scientific
gentlemen of this town afforded their valuable aasistance during
the process of inflation ; and great praise is due to all the indivi-
duals of the-committee, who most kindly volunteered their ser-
vices to preserve order : indeed, such were the judiCious regula-
tions, as t o give universal satisfaction. The Reading military band
enlivened th e scene by playing at intervals favourite pieces of mu.
sic. The work of filling the balloon proceeded very successfully •
at three o'clock a pilot balloon was sent off; it took a north-
east direction, passing over Playhatch Chalk-pit. At four
o'clock a second balloon was Sent
ac off which took a similar di-
rection. The mhine n- w appeared to be sufficiently distended,
and the preparations to oe nearly complete. At half-past four
the third pilot was started, anti in a quarter of an hour after
a shout from within the enclosure announced to the thousands
without that the intrepid aeronauts had entered the car. The
band struck:up " God save the King';" and at seven minutes
to five o'clock the balloon rose majestically, amidst the accla-
mations of innumerable spectators, who appeared struck with
. astonishment at the novelty, beauty, and magnificence of the
spectacle, which now, for the first time, burst upon them. 31r.
Green was Standing up in the car, bowing Jo the spectators,
and 31r. Simonds waved the flag in token of the confidence he
felt in his new and perilous situation. The weather was pretty
favourable, the wind brisk, south west by west, and conse-
quently the' balloon moved qUicklyin the opposite direction :
in one minute it had ascended to an immense height, and took
a steady course over Wargrave ; in -about fifteen, minutes it
was obscured in a white cloud, but soon re-appeared, and was
visible in the whole half an hour, It was a very interesting ob.
ject as it hung upon the edge of the clouds, oacrtaionally chimp-
peering; and the most intense anxiety marked every counten-
ance whilst the smallest vestige of it could be discerned.—
This feeling afterwards increased when totally out of sight, and
the greatest sympathy was manifested respecting the course
and the safety of the Intrepid navigators. From this uncertain-
ty we were relieved by the arrival, at three o'clock on the fol-
towing afternoon, of Mr. Green and his compaptop de lA:tip:gr.
Mr. Green thus estails the particulars of the voyage :—On
ascending, the balloon puisued a steady N. E. course, after
which, having passed over a large field of clauds, they met with
a current of air from the N. W. Finding then that they had
lost sight of Reading, and the machine proceeding with great
rapidity, the valve was opened, and they began to descend; but
on passing through the clouds, no favourable opportunity to
alight presenting itself, about 201 h of ballast -were hove over;
the balloon then re-ascended, and continued its progress. About
half-past five, observing that the country was open, they con-
tinued floating at about 2,000 feet from the surface ofthe earth,
till they arrived at a spot which appeared favourable for their
descent, being free either from woods, emoting corn, or houses.
The valve was again opened, and a safe descent effected in a
grass field belonging to 31r..Franklin, at NOrth Mims, in the
county of Hertford, at a quarter before six, having travelled a
space on the map of about 40 miles. This, however, is no cri-
terion of the apace actually passed, as the variation of course,
occasioned by different currents of air, renders it impossible to
calculate it with accuracy ; but Mr. Green thinks it cannot
of
ootertiunetrireeia;:warni
dinsd:t
have been less than between 50 and 55 miles.
a
A t the greatest elevation, the mercury in the barometer stood
at ..4. 2., indicating an altitude of 6,248 feet, or near a mile and
a quarter. The titmilometer fluctuated from 62 to 40
The descent itself was very gradually accomplished; the car
s several
aila obuarlleononseeiszcaedp.etldie; ropes, but
abpuptl
ibnyg the
iron
caught
violence
striking the ground so gently, that the shock was scarcely per-
gr
tine
t! acting upon the balloon, the skin was stripped from
ceptible. The balloon was driven along the surface of the
iryea:rfeir'ne=t;
stopped which
bity fastened; tened ; arid the. bald
In securing the balloon and car, evempear:nstanfaseetenwinasg
re.ie
rope.round a gate-post.
ceived from tile persons near the spot, and particularly from *
gentleman who had assisted Mr.. Green in descending, in 'the
seine parish, after his first ascent at his Majesty's coronation.
This gentleman (whose name is unknown to air. Green.) kindly
offered refreAments which time did not slow them to accept.
Ile also promised to convey information to the friends of Mr.
Greve In London ;. he being pledged to accompany his compa-
nion to this town. The gas being discharged, and the balloon
packed up, a messenger was dispatched to Hatfield for a post-
chaise, 1n the interim, several gentlemerr arrived, and ten-
dered every kind (Ace to the voyagers. Among them were Sir
W. Pepyi, Pottrell-house, Walhani-green ; Hammond,
' Esq. of Potter's
-bar; and J. o.liricknel, Etq., of Colneh
near St. Alban's.

. To the intrepidity. of Mr. Simmonds, Mr. Green
_pays his
highest compliments; nothing could exceed his undaunted
coolness and strength of nerve. It appeared at first to Mr.
Green; as well as to many other persons, that from the cola.
mitt' under which Mr. Simmonds labours (he being deaf and
dumb), the risk at the time of descent would be considerably
increaSed by. the impossibility of orally communicating with
him ;,but his undeviating attention to the orders he at first
receiyed, his extreme stcadiness and presence of wind in ad-
hering to the balloon while dragging along the .ground, are
above all praise. In fact. to his proper conduct at the proper
occasion, Mr. Green attributes much of his own safety, as well
as that f the balloon.

1 .
CONFLAGit ATI° N OF TILE TEMPLE OF SAINT
PAUL'S, 'AT - ROm E.—Extract of a private letter from Rome,
dated,July•l7, 1823 e-" Knowing your attachment to hale in
general; 'and more particularly your predilection for Ro.ne,
I am ,persuaded that . you will share the general con-
sternation and regret of this city. The august, the mag-
nificent temple, of at. Paul is no more. The short space of
one night sufficed to destroy that which cost so many years
to erect. "Will give you the- account of how it took place.
In the night. of • the 15th to the 113th some workmen, har-
ing been employed in mending some pipes se-d gutters to
carry. the water off the roof of the church, had, tither by im-
prudence or forgetfulness, left a little chafing-dish alight on the
ceiling, which was, es -you may remember, ertirely of woad : It '
is not known whether some sparks fell, or whether :he mere heat
of this fire cothmunicated a flaCne to the wood air ads ten com-
bustible from age. About 4 in the morning a travell,irhappening
to pass by on horseiaelt, saw the fl rues pouring eut. in volumes
from thisanagnificent edifice.-
.I.le immediately, by dint of sheets
ki .and Icekineeat (heel-set:woke the neighbours, and 'ran after-
-wards. thicemen the town calling out for firemen and the neces-
sary assistance to ceeieguieh the fire; but in spite of every ex-
emote nothing could save this noble building, the:let:ilea having
been too long at work, and the distance being too great to allow
of any aid arriving in time to save this monument, so interest-
ing to our religion and so 'valuable for its contms. e The
beautiful cedars of Lebanon are consumed ; -a• vast quantity of
pillars lie strewed. about, and some are even caleined by the
heat or the llamas in short, nothing remains but the ruins of
this once superb edifice. The tirenien, it is said, performed
prodigies of valour, and -.several threw themselves into the
middle 'of the flames, to cut off or pull down fragments of the
burning pile; they did every thing, in fact, that men could
do to save . it, !el,. in vein. Our Holy father, the Pope, is
much bett:r aft e L :•sill than .sehat you will have real .a the
pr:die prints. T.:: ; e,:,t'ealamity has been carefully. concealedfrom him in ord r o ~.,arts to iris great age a grief waich might
have a fatal effect upon hien." 1

- k
N InVSP.APUItS•- A iter enquiring. (says Mr. Chal-
niers, in his Lift of lieddirrian) in various countries for the
origin of Newspapers, 1 had the satisfaction to find what I
sought for in England. It may gratify our national pride to
be told, that 11-lank-Ind are indebted to the wisdom of .Eliza-
hAi and the prudence of Burlaigh, for the first Newspaper.
—The epoch cap' the • Spanish Armada is also the epoch of a
genuing Newspaper. 'ln the Bri.ish 31useiun there are
several Newspapers, which had b.;.en printed while the
ti parish fleet was in the. English Channel, during the Year
108. It was a wise policy to prevent, during the ItiGmeat
of general -anxiety, -the danger of false reports, by publish-
ing real intbitnation ; and the earliest Newspaper is entitled
The English- Mercutie, which,- by- authority, iniprinted
at London, by Christopher Barker, her Highness's rinter,
5.511. • ' •