The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-24 00:00:00

CHESTER.

On Saturday eveniag, as previously announced, Mr.
G. B. Gale, an aeronaut who has made various ascents in
America, and some more recently from the Punch-re-
nowned Rosherville Gardens, Gravesend, made his first
ascent from the Pomona Gardens, Cornhrook. From 5
o'clock till 7 a continuous stream of people flocked to-
wards the gardens, and it is conjectured that not fewer
than 4,000 persons were assembled within the gardens at
the time of the ascent; while the lane leading to the gar-
dens, the whole line of the Chestelaroad, and various other
open spaces in the neighbourhood, were thronged by
thousands of spectators. Bands of music entertained
the spectators during the tedious process of inflation,
which on this occasion had not been commenced soon
enough (only about twelve hours being allowed, whereas
ordinarily this balloon requires eighteen or nineteen
hours), and it was also found that the specific gravity of
the gas was much too great for the purposes of aerosta-
tion. From three hundred and sixty to four hundred is
the gravity of the gas used by aeronauts; indeed, some
manufacture hydrogen gas for themselves, having a
specific gravity of not more than 200 ; but this is wholly
unfit for illuminating purposes. The balloon is a new
one, made in Spitalfields, consisting of 700 square
yards of oiled silk, and capable of containing, when
fully inflated, 35,000 cubic feet of gas. The process
of inflation commenced at six o'clock in the morning,
the gas being conveyed to the balloon by a
three-inch pipe from the street main ; but, under
the circumstances above noticed, Mr. Gale soon found
that he must abandon his original purpose of appending
a duplicate car, and taking with him two other gentle.
men who had engaged to accompany him. Half an
hour after the hour appointed for the ascent, there was
no appearance of the inflation being nearly completed,
and at length, to prevent the public disappointment,
Mr. Gale had the gaspipe disconnected, and the
balloon taken higher up the banks, where the crowd
around it was very great, and it was with difficulty
that the police could preserve a space suffi-
cient to complete the requisite arrangements. At
length, all being properly adjusted, Mr. Gale entered
the car,—a painted basket of cork and wicker-work,
about four feet deep,—and, giving the signal, the
balloon was liberated, amidst loud cheers, ten minutes
before eight o'clock. As the balloon did not rise as
buoyantly as was desirable, Mr. Gale threw out a
large quantity of ballast, which did not imme-
diately suffice, for the car passing over the lake
into the corner of the garden, there struck against
the framework within the outer pailings, and as
it oscillated from side to side, many cries were heard of
" He's out." After clearing the palings and crossing
the road, the balloon came in contact with a number of
poplar trees, dragging the car after it; but it soon cleared
these, and in its network were seen entangled two large
branches, which it had torn off in its up-
ward progress. Mr. Gale, who had prudently
squatted down at the bottom of the car, finding that
all danger was over, stood up and showed himself,
waving his flaw, and this conclusive evidence that he
was not " out," was received with tremendous huzzas
and cheering from the assembled thousands. The bal-
loon crossed the Chester-road, and keeping at a low
altitude, passed over the lower part of Hulme into
Manchester, by St. Peter's-square, and from thence
towards Victoria-park. After clearing the town, the
balloon rose very high, keeping a little to the eastward
of the Manchester and Birmingham Railway. The
greatest altitude reached, Mr. Gale thinks, was about a
mile and a quarter. Generally the balloon floated at
the height of about 7,000 or 8,000 feet. Mr. Gale got
a fine view of Stockport (past which he bore a little to
the east) and of the windings of the Mersey, above and
below the town, and proceeding onwards into Cheshire,
terminated his aerial voyage in a grass field beside the
village of Bredbury, about two miles beyond Stock-
port. The whole length travelled was about ten miles.
The descent of the machine was of the gentlest possible
kind. The grapnel being lowered, was laid hold of by
one man ; two others, farm' labourers, came to his assist-
ance, and afterwards other two, and the balloon was
drawn to the ground as easily as a boy would "pull in"
his kite. The people behaved to the aeronaut with great
kindness, and a party of labourers assisted in carry ing
the balloon to a public-house, where a cart was got as
far as Stockport; thence Mr. Gale came to Manchester
in a cab, and arrived about midnight. It is stated that
he will make a second ascent on Monday next, when,
if the balloon be (as Mr. Gale expects) amply inflated,
be will ascend with the duplicate car, and discharge
some fireworks, at a great altitude.

GLASGOW.
SHOCKING DESTITUTION.

During the last eight or ten days, a acme of Irish des-
titution has been daily and nightly presented in a vacant
space of ground at the north-west corner of Stockwell-
bridge, which is altogether appalling. There, on the bare
cold earth, or perchance with the least sprinkling of straw
beneath them, exposed to all varieties of weather, are to be
seen scores of shrivelled and diseased creature, chiefly ema-
ciated women and children, some of them infants at the
breast. On Saturday evening last, a gentleman informs
us that he counted no less than 67 individuals on this
spot. This morning, about one o'clock, we visited the
place; a shower of rain had fallen, and many of the poor
wretches, no doubt, had sought better shelter, as we ob-
served not a few in the recesses of stairs and shop doors.
But exposed to the rains and dews of heaven, and the
damps and colds of earth, there were about a dozen,
some of them huddled in groups for warmth, some
covered with a wretched mat, not a few (and these
mere youths) with nothing whatever over them. The
hollow cough:, that came from that den of misery,
located in the centre of one of the wealthiest cities in the
empire, told of the ravages that exposure and disease
were making on their constitutions, leaving altogether
out of view .the moral and social consequences. 'We
know that the authorities are perplexed with the immense
amount of misery they are called upon to relieve,
but it is a shocking thing that, in a Christian or a
civilised land, such scenes should exist. Can something not
be done in a temporary manner, say in the way of tents,
to protect them from the inclemency of the elements ;
or are there not vacant churches in the city which might
be converted into temples of charity, if nothing else can
be accomplished, until other means and better accommo-
dation be provided? Nothing can tend more to harden
and render callous the feelings of a population than such
scenes; and the sooner these victims of neglect are pro-
perly attended to, the better for all parties.