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

THE BURSTING OF THE VAUX
t.'t Lt. ;ON

Mr. H. C• 00, ,
has furni4liai

E:'( iagazise
V nUX

ball, with the foil••wing na aea.nr: • the acci,
dent which occurreo to Mr. Albert Balloon;.
which ascended with firework, 'root V...ixh...11 on Tues
day night, taking up Mr. Alert Smith, Mr. Prici.more
Mr. Coxwell, and Mr. Gvpson.
" Various rumours, in addition to conflicting writte7
statements, having been circulated as to the cause ar:
result of the precipitate descent. of Mr. Gypson's
on Tuesday evening near the 13dgrave-road. Pimlico, 8,
explanation of the circumstances attendant on thernishs;
may probably prove intere,,ting. Alter frirrn ths
the gardens with an ascending power Calculated insur.
a clear start, and to give full etY.ct to the frre Cork.
which were suspended by means of a line from the boor
the balloon took a course at first across the river in ti-
direction of the new Houses of Parliaincut. A fe,
seconds had scarcely elapsed, before tie• first whiz at•
flash indicated the combustion of the pyretertedes,
For an hour and a halt b.Fore we started lightning wf'
incessant, which elicited from ..ur frieiids
the spectator apprehensions for Our safety, t.ild no soc.t.t
had the fireworks been discharged than a vivid flash oc
curred, for the moment it appeared as if she heavet
were on fire, and that our destruction w,is certain. Tt.
appearance of the regions above was av-fully gran.
The expansion that succeeded was immense, dwe a
were convinced that the gas was escaping from V,
neck. Mr. Gyspon immediately took the valve lint
with the view of relieving the upper part of the bal
loon. That operation was unfortunatelN ,lelayed a yes
seconds too long, for, notwithst.miing that 'he love.
valve was fully open, the siik ,ustained a fractirt
which occasioned us to drop. and hang a e..nsid,r,,bl
distance under the balloon. The responsibk, and indee,
qi ntige
ncleoen
of
f its somethingbeing
groundless
critical position I filled provoked the charg, of my hay
nwds ess thor a.
u:
mud Ain. clontisaeT.
ulncsatall;.ed f
instant the ballast was discharged, and h 1' t e me connectim
the lower valve to the hoop immediately cut. The silk
then formed, as it were, into a spacious and
chute, and we descended with gyrations indicative of ra
pidity and also danger. Presently myriads of the t.,ras•
lights which shone so brilliantly but a moment before
appeared to be rising to us, and instantly the car and tht
ground came into fearful collision. The spot where wt
descended was close to some unfinished houses ans.
building materials in the 13elgrave•road, Pimlico, abou'
a mile from the gardens. Our course having beet
semi-circular, providentially we all escaped without in.
jury, and the balloon is but slightly damaged. I hay
no hesitation in stating that the accident was entire].)
attributable to the state of the atmosphere influenced
the lightning."

A BANKER AND HIS NIGHTCA.P
The Journal du Havre relates an incident in %alio!,
the chief actor is one of the kings of European finance
The journal prefaces its observations by showing tki!
danger which there is in delaying the departure of rail
way trains, a piece of imprudence which has already
caused many accidents. " After such lessons," it says.
" as have already been received, it might be uupposetf
that no motives would induce the infrinc, ment of the re-
gulations of the service, and that the fear only of making,
the public run such a risk would be sufficient to ca.
sure their maintenance by the compaides. If we aro
well informed, however, an incident very recently took
place on the Havre Railway, which has fortunately been
fraught with no bad consequehoes, but whin shows
hin the balance of companies, the grave interest id
that,
security does not always weigh against the valur
of a nightcap! The circutnstanees are these:—A wealtil
banker, king of his kind, was called by important bu,i,
ness to Havre. He had decided ,:,pon leaving that town
oy the ten o'clock train on ttie Saturday following hil
arrival. Being made aware at a short notice of the
little time left him to get to the train, he quitted the
Hotel Frascati, where he had been staying, and bast-,
erred to the station, the preparations for his j ,tarney
having been slightly hurried. He reached the station
just as the train was about to start. He had barely time
to jump into the carriage prepared for him, and the
signal was about to be given tor starting, when be
perceived that that indispensable covering, with which
he was wont to preserve from the dampness of the
night the seat of those vast speculations which move
the world, bad not been left ready for him. His ser-
vants, being instantly called, said that in the hurry of
departure the precious night-cap had been packed up in
the luggage, which was already placed in, the track,
and the time and the hour did not permit even
the thought of getting it out. But no regulation,
however rigorous, can stand against the danger of
exposing so precious a head to a current of air,
which might, by embarrassing the brain, exercise on.
the morrow a disastrous influence upon the money
market, and, perhaps, change the destinies- of Europe.
The station master was called, and. I,:,eing informed of
the gravity of the matter, gar-_, instant order for the
stoppage of the train whilst search was made for the ar-
ticle required. A quarter of an hour was taken up in
this operation, and after the delay, of which the
other travellers vainly tried to ascertain the cause,
the train started, and regained by an increased
speed the time which had been lost in searching for
the nightcap of M. de Rothschild. This incident, gives
rise to serious reflections. We merely give an account
of it, c ncluding with a remark which was rne.de by one
of the passengers, to whom the affair was explained, and
who felt astonished at all this fuss abo',:t a nightcap,
\
~,aying that he never should have though( of such a thing
from M. de Rothschild,
who cannot :,at have been, born
with a caul."

THE PRISOI`'.ERS OF TORRES
VEDRAS.
The following is quoted by an evening contemporary
as an extract of a letter frBm Colonel Furman to Count
Mello:

" Fort St. Michael, Loat►da, April 12,
" We arrived here on the 25th of March last, and on
the 27th twelve of us were transferred to this fort, in-
clu drig General Celesrino, and have remained in close
confinement ever since, divided in two prisons.
During the day our door is allowed to remain
open, but at sunset the adjutant comes to close it
himself. All letters that are either sent by us or r.ceived
are read first by Oliveira, the governor of the tort:
The remainder of the prisoners were left on board.
Count Botnfin, and his son Lewis, wei e sent on board
the corvette Rel4mpago. Six were afterwards sent to
the fort of Penedo. situated at the entrance of the bar,
and six to that of St. Peter. Count Bomfin's son, Joze
Bente, and Major Horta, were sent to Benguel.fi; Girao
and Surumenbo to Golego Alto ; Moraes rind three
others to Massagano. Count Villa Real and. !Jon Jamie
were sent here yesterday. On the 28th my companions
in this fort addressed a petition to the Crovernor of An-
gola to grant us some means of subsistanee, but up to the
present time we have had no answer. The gen-
rosity of the merchants of this town and ladies, however,
thank God, has preserved us. The first subscribed

1,700,000 milr. (39.00, the latter 800,000 milr. (1801.),
not forgetting that of the naval officers on this station,
of 335 000 milr. (804 as well as that of the Noble Mar-
quis of Fay al, wit) seat us, before we left Lisbon, all
sorts of provisions, clothes, &c., and placed at the dis-
posal of Count Villa :teal the sum of 100 moidores, to
be distributed among us un our arrival at our destination.
You will, therefore, perceive, my dear friend, should you
be unlucky enough, to fall into their hands, what you
tray hope for."

MANCHESTER.—EITRAORDINA.RT DECLINE IN Inn
PRICE OF NEW POTATOES.---AMIdSt all the rubbish
which has been written about the potato crop and the
" vastator," or, as it has not been inaptly termed, the
mot tater, we tear the great decline in the price of the
little tater has been entirely overlooked, in the anxiety
to learn something about its big brother. In our own
market, on the first of the present month, new potatoes
realised from 725. to 120 s. per load ; but the luxury of
early potatoes no longer existing, they are now off rWi
at from 20s. to 255. Prices will soon range still low,
and those who for weeks and months have been content
er
er
to put up with American beans, hominy,
sub-
stitutes, may rejoice themselves over a
—Manehester Courier.
V 0, MAY 7.—We the
hnd ofo t
potatoes.
PER RACER, FROM MONTE . IDE
_ eague, Lord Hoe;den, who
was to follow. The Cassini
arrived here yesterday,
happy to inform you the French steamer Cassini, with
Count Walewsky on boarde
Bahia, where he left his collivis
proceeded to-day on. to
Bu.LenpuosssAedyureps,daunridnait
theieosrnelpgoAhrtiy.A
HON. ARTILLERY d—theßastttrleorn,
g tacwitaheLord
rihi
sent of this regiment, g m under the command of a senioi
er
captain, proceeded on Thursday to Erith for ball practicer
the firing at the targets was excellent. The de-
tachmentwith the band playing,
it being one ot their privileges, ma
when
passed through the City
only enjoyed with
her Asjesty's 3d Buffs.
A report having beer. industriously circ:ulated that
it is intended by the Jewish electors of the city of
London to vote for Baron Lionel de RothF,ehild only, and
not for the other three Liberal candidates, we deem it
our duty to state, without fear of com,radictioa, that it is
the determination of the Jews, as body, with respect t(1
this important election, to give their entire support to
the whole of the Liberal catefiidates, viz., Russell, Patti-
sun, Larpent, and Rothscl):rild.—Jewish Chronicle.
TILE HON. CHARLF:s HARDINGE'S INDIAN DRAW':
MS.— The followie-g are amongst the most distinguished
persons who have visited the collections of drawings
India, Casimir, the Punjaub, &c., by the no
o
Charles Hardi nge, now exhibiting at Mr. terrnc:
Gallery, 26, liiiymarket.—His Royal Highness
Waldemar of Prussia, his Grace
t.
Wellington, tbe Marquis of Exeter, _
reheyd: imt:Derikaregi Ouo_ift
inches'ikr, the Earl and CountessG
Earlord of
Colville Ellen
bur ough, Lord Newport, r
Jers,-":,,, the Earl and
Lord Countess Eldon,
Lady Murray and party
tie Lord Bishop of Roehesete2opley,
Sir Charles Lemon
Lady Paul, Lady Charlotte Copley,
Sir John Hensler, Lod.
Bart.; Sir James Hogg, B Northland, the
Augustus
Sir Keir Grant, 14
• Poulett, Laity Frederick Bentinck, Sir Josh'
b h Cl
-Dennison, Lady .iza et Clements, the I 3 of
d.
Charlotte
Henry Cust, Lieutenant-General Sir Aleut* de
and Rev.
Cathcart, Sir John Shaw,
Woodford, Colonel Patrickson, Colonel Harding, Colo ni
Gunthorpe, Charles Hindley, Esq., M.P., &b.
NATIONAL TRIBUTE TO SIR HARRY SMITH,
A correspondent of the Cheltenham Examiner sugge ref
that a handsome testimonial to this distinguished of 6
might vary easily be raised if every person in the Vittt
dual of the name of Smith were to subscribe one r pent
for the purpose. Take the Smiths at a milliot
doubt much below the amount—and upwards of k,oot
would be the result, besides, how many would adr ,pt t;
nomenclature for the privilege of subscribing.
STRIKE AMONG THE BRICKLAYERS. Thy bricl
layers and labourers 01 Derby struck for an IC junco
wages on Monday. The price demanded is eits. p
week for the former, and 15a. for the latter, being #
increase of 2s. per man per week.—Derby ver