The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-27 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

- - -
A Jury was summoned for thiee o'clock, and at four o'clock
Mr. JEMMETT, the Coroner for the County of Surrey, arrived
at the Plough, and proceeded immediately to hold the Inquest.
The Jury having been sworn, they retired to view the body,
which lay in a small room up stairs.
William Sullivan, of No. 6, Hungerford-market, Strand,
bootmaker, sworn. Witness had' assisted Mr. Harris ever since
he began the construction of his balloon. The balloon started
about half-past four o'clock from the Eagle, City-road, and
Mr. Harris and a young Lady were in the car. The name of
the young Lady was Stocks. Two or three °theft& were anxious
to ascend. with Mr. Harris at the time that she made the
engagement. Witness, by Mr. Harris's order, held one of the
cords, and kept the balloon suspended in the air four minutes
and-a half, when Mr. Harris cut himself away, and ascended.
Mr. Harris had been on an aerial voyage before. The Gentle-
man (Mr. Graham) with whom he ascended, was now present.
Some minutes after the last rope was cut, Mi. Harris waved
his hat as a signal to those below that all was right. The bal-
loon ascended steadily and in.good order, and it was considered
by the Gas Light Company as the most perfect machine of the
kind that ever came within their observation.

Anthony. Geary, under gamekeeper to Mrs. Gee, of Bedding-
ton Park, in the parish of Beddington, swore that about five
o'clock; on Tuesday afternoon, he was in the Park and saw a
balloon, about the height of two trees, or 80 or 90 feet, descend-
ing wish great rapidity. Witness was about M) yards from the
spot where it seemed to be descending. The balloon descended
by the side of an oak, and caught a bough about the middle of
the tree, which was broken off; he had not seen any, one in the
car up to the time it fell upon the ground, nor had he heard any
cries for help or screams. When it came in contact with the
ground it" Robbed" down in a lump an did not rebound.—
Witness then heard a low moaning from the car, and lifting up
the balloon which covered it, he found the young Lady and
lifted her out. Others came up, and the Gentleman was lifted
out. He was to all appearance quite dead. Witness washed
the temples of the young woman and rendered her all the assist-
ance he could. The deceased and the young woman were
brought to this house (the Plough). When she recovered her
speech, she asked where she was ? Witness saw no other marks
upon the deceased than a black appearance about the neck.—
Witness heard a great noise like the roaring of distant thander,
just before he saw the balloon. There was no tear or rent in
the balloon.
Mr. John Rowland Wallace, of Carshalton,"Surrey, surgeon,
swore that he was called upon between five and six o'clock on
Tuesday evening to see two persons who had fallen from a
balloon. Saw and examined the female first. She was not
senseless, but very low, and scarcely able to speak. Saw no
marks upon her at that time, but she complained generally of
severe pains in the back, stomach, and Jegs. Found the de-
ceased lying on the grass on his back; he was quite dead.—
Witness ordered the body to be brought here and the legs fo-
mented with warm water for a certain space of time. Witness
afterwards examined the breast bone, and found two or three
ribs fractured, and also a fracture on the left side.
. Mr. Wallace was asked as to the state of the young woman,
and said she had no external bruises nor fractured bones, but
he considered her in danger.
Mr. Wm. Kerville, of Nelson-street, City-road, assisted in
the inflation and management of the balloon before it ascend-
ed. It was inflated with hydrogen carbonic, which is created
from coals ; it is, in fact, smoke purified. It was conveyed
into the balloon by a pipe laid on from the gasometer at Hack-
ney-road. Witness thinks the injury arose from the con-
struction of the large valve at the top of the balloon, which
is for the purpose of suffering the gas to escape. There was
a larger and a smaller valve, to each of which was affixed a
line descending to the car. There might be three lines, but
witnesss recollects only two. The accident arose either from
the lines becoming entangled, or from the inexperience of the
deceased. Witness is rather inclined to think that inexperience
was the cause. The valve was of a new construction, which he
never had had an opportunity of trying before, and witness
thinks he was not aware of the power of the new escape valve.
Witness thought him perfectly capable of managing a balloon in
every other respect, but was unable to manage the new valve.
The witness, Sallivan, begged to say the lines were not en-
tangled, for he had minutely examined the balloon that morn-
ing. Witness was firmly of opinion that Mr. Harris lost his
power over the balloon, in consequence of his attention to the
or Itfr.Gra
three
liihwasmthe(ythewaereerosnuaruett)osagiedt,etnhat
tan gwlhede
young Lady when she fainted.
.n therenewwilezr.i.,„„ne twoiy

of opinion that the fatal result was caused by the construction of
the valve.

This closed the evidence, and the Coroner having shortly
charged the Jury, they returned a verdict of " Accidental
Death."
Miss Stocks was somewhat easier when the writer of this
statement left the Plough, at half-past Six-last eraning.