The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-01 00:00:00

AERIAL FLIGHT OF TITS DUKE OF

BRUNSWICK.
HASTINGS, MAucit 31.—The borough of Hastings was
this day entertained by a spectacle unparalleled in the tee-
rnory of that respectable individual " the oldest inhabitant."
For some days past " the veteran aeronaut," Mr. Charles
Green, was known to be in the locality
_preparing for an
aerial flight across the British Channel. For this purpose
the Victoria balloon was established in the gasworks, wait-
ing for an opportunity to rise. Rumour announced that a
certain " Mr. Smith" was to ascend with the renowned Mr.
Green, and make a descent—not upon the realms of Bruns-
wick, but upon the Gallic shore. The reason for this novel
mode of crossing the water was said to reside in the stomaoh
of the said " 37 r. Smith," who was a victim to the distress-
ing malady of sea-sickness, to avoid which he had deter-
mined upon trusting his life to the Under mercies of a
balloon.

For some days the wind was unpropiticue, and popular
feeling was agitated with every variation of the aerial cur-
rents. Occasionally" Mr. Smith" was to be seen riding out
with his secretary and a friend or two, and rem( ur did not
scruple to ascribe to the very romantic-looking gentleman,
with coal-black whiskers and moustache, a title somewhat
.The local News
more dignified than that by cc hich he chose to he " called"
upon at the Victoria Hotel, St. Leonard's.
very discreetly humoured the fancy of e Mr. Smith," lest,
by publishing in print the title cf the incognito, the cuscep-
trble subject should be scared away.
of
freienztei
inflation
tchoemmn oerntebe,danidn
the immediate vicinity
processsbeloe a
aiworks. A tide of spectators
eery soon set in,
s
and speculative innkeeper paid the town-
aat qi ii•ot ernr itnog ti the
edf
crier to announce to the inhabitants that the " Royal Victoria
balloon" would ascend at ten o'clock. Inasmuch as the car
the space of about three hours. Au immense
was not ailixed till nearly one o'clock, this had the effect of
keeping a thirsty multitude in the neighbourhood of the laud-
tsb;ectatore con
ois)ft he gasworks,
large. In addition to the outdoor beholdets :of
gregated upon the Castle-hill, which
eonl
go,u.urendit,rka
and in the valley there was a crowd
itnligesscweanse,aabiceotnoeildveitrnabesise
the
ertpiorioi coefeatihnegsifnrhoanbi itijta.,nitrs,ovfinHdoaswts-.
The wind prevailed from the north 'and north-north-west,
having, a westward tendency, and becoming somewhat light
and variable at midday. The day was fine, and all seemed
propitious. The gas was of excellent quality, but flowed in
somewhat sloop.. At length the meter market a flow of
aeout 32,L00 feet of gas, and the supply was thee stoed.
The balloon, however, was still somewhat flaccid. pp
At one o'clock Mr. Green proceeded to tit up his car. lie
had provided an apparatus for enabling him to skim over the
water at a fixed elevation. A gutta-percha line, above 200
ft.et long, iiad three logs of wood secured to it at intervals
near ite extremity. The grapnel was attached to two me-
tallic air vessels, sufficient to enable it to float upon the
v. ate*. Bladders of air were provided to be attacked to the
grapnel line to aid it in floating.
At length, after divers trials to ascertain the buoyancy of
the huge machine, the aeronautic captain pronounced all to
be ready. The crowd (which behaved with a degree of order
highly creditable) was ordered to make way for " Mr.
Saiitfe" who presently came upon the seent in the person of
his Serene Highness the Duke-of Brunswick, accompanied
by a German baron and a Spanish gentleman. Clad in a suit
of oilskin, and coming upon the crowd `° all of a rush," the
redoubtable " Smith" elicited a general exclamation of,
" Well, be is a fine fellow!" Thu " line fellow" got into
the car, the balloon was released, and up went Mr. Green
and his passenger in admirable style, standing away to the
south-east at a moderate pace, and remaining in sight for
above half an hour, the moment of flight being 23 minutes
past one o'olock.
Soon after leaving the earth the balloon partially entered
a cloud, but presently began to descend, and, when last seen,
was only at a slight elevation from the surface of the water.
'l'be intention of Mr. Green was to let his logs and grapnel
float upon the sea, so that he might be able to maintain an
uniform level without loss of ballast or gas.
Whether " Mr. Smith" and his captain landed at Dieppe,
Etaples, Boulogne, or Calais, or took a westerly current for
the German Ocean, remains to be seen.

THE WP.U.EINGTON EIURDER.—Tbe trial of Patrick
Lyons, and of Brielget Lyons, his wife, for the wilful murder
of Peggy Fahey, at Warrington, took place at Liverpool,
yesterday, before Mr. Justice Cresswell. It will be recol-
lectel that the prisoners kept a low lodging-house in War-
rington, and that the deceased, who was a travelling hawker,
lodged with them. On the 6th of February, in consequence
of information given by one of the lodgers, the house was
searched, and the body of the deceased, whose head was
frightfully mutilated by bl-ws inflicted by a cleaver, was
found iu a coal cellar. The female prisoner was at once
taken into custody, but the male prisoner, who had ab-
sconded, was traced to Dublin, where he had enlisted in the
East India Companies Service, and from thence to London,
where he was apprehendee!. The prisoners mutually ac-
cused each other of the crime. They were both found
guilty, and sentence of death was passed upon them without
hopes of mercy. They.are both natives of the county of
Galway.
SoUTIIAMPTON ELECTION.—The address of the
new Attorney-General, Sir A. E. Cockburn, has appeared,
and appears to give general satisfaction. No opposition to
the Learned Gentleman is anticipated.
THE CITY OF GLAEGOW.--Tbis well-known fast-
sailing screw-steamer, now a regular trader between Liver-
pool and Philadelphia, arrived at Liverpool yesterday morn-
ing at two a.m. She left Philadelphia at half-past twelve at
noon on the 15th, and has, therefore, made the voyage in 15
days 8 hours. Had it not been that she had become impeded
by ice, we should have had the pleasure to acknowledge her
advices souner ; as it is they are anticipated by the Pacific.