The Sun.
London, England, 1802-07-06 00:00:00

M.CARNE'RIN's BALLOON.

YESTERDAY, in consequence of his engagement
with the Public, M. GARNERIN made the neces_
sary preparations in Lord's Cricket:ground for his
aerial ascent. The hour fixed for the ascension was
four o'clock. For two Or three hours previous, im-
mense crowds of people in carriages, on horseback,
and on foot, were colleting -in the streets, roads
and fields in the vicinity of that place. The con-
course of people certainly exceeded every thing
that had been seen upon any former occasion. The
early part of the day was fine, but towards the
afternoon rain came on, and as the hour approached
it increased in a great , degree.
At an early hour Mr. GARNERIN had caused the
Balloon and Parachute to be removed to the ground,
in order that no interruption might take place from
the great numbers of people which were expelled to
attend, The casks containing the materials from
which the gas was to be extraded, were also con-
veyed thither, and before three o'clock the Balloon
was filled with its proper quantity for ascension.
How it happened that Mr. SOWDEN'S name was
introduced as Mr. GARNERIN'S companion, we
cannot say (unless to excite curiosity), as it appears
Mr. SOWDEN did not sarnlion its being brought
forward on this occasion, nor has he any intention
of visiting-the upper regions again. Mr.GARNERIN,
however, was at noloss for a fellow traveller when
the time drew near for his ascension, as.several
Gentlemen, notwithstanding the-bad weather, were
eager in contending for a place in' the car.
Mr. GARNERIN'S decision, however, wavered
between Mr. CHARLES BRODERIP and another
Gentleman present, whom he wished to oblige,
and being in doubt for some time, they themselves
sgreed to toss up who should be the fortunate man,
and the chance was won by the Gentleman, who
immediately secured his good fortune by getting
into the Car. The name by which this Gentle-
man ascended was BROWN, though his real name is
said to be BECK, or PECK.
Mr. GARNER IN was making all ready for his de-
parture; taking great care in examining the various
articles belonging to the Balloon. Several guns
were at intervals fired to announce its rising being at
hand. The PRINCE of WALES, at this junlure,
came into the ring where the Balloon was fixed,
having on one arm the Dutchess of DEVONSHIRE,
and on the other Lady DUNCANNON. His Royal
Highness inquired for Mr. GARNERIN, who came
forward, when the PRINCE expressed his sorrow at
the unfavourable state of the weather, and asked him
some questions.
GARNERIN then went to the car of the Balloon,
where his comrade was still sitting, anxiously wait-
ing-for the time of his departure, and brought to
the PRINCE a pen, ink, and paper, requesting the
PRINCE would sign his name, to a paper which stated
that His Highness saw him depart from the Cricket
Ground at the hour it then was, as he was on the :
point of setting off. To this His Highness clear_
fully assented, and told him, he could, no doubt, i
procure him other well known signatures : the
Dutchess of DEVONSHIRE and Lady DUNCANNON
then both signed the paper, as did also Sir R. F oRD,
who was all the time on the ground.
Mr. GARNERIN then cut all the cords except one,
and got into the Car, which was held down by a
number of men. It was now within a fan, minutea of
five o'clock; and the weather 'as boisterous as ever,
when Mr. GARNERIN having received two silk flags
for himself and his companion, lightened the Car, to
enabled it to ascend, and gave the final signal to let
go, and the Balloon instantly ascended, the two AUro-
nauts at the same time waving their flags in answer
to the loud plaudits below. Finding, however,
that although they were going through the air with
great velocity, they did not increase in height, they ,
emptied out two bags of sand, when they again
ascended, and were in a short time lost in a cloud.
The time of their departure from the Cricket
Ground to that of their being out of sight, did not
exceed three minutes, which is about seven minutes
sooner than Mr. GARNER IN apparently rose the same
distance on his former ascension, but this may be
accounted for from the thickness of the atmosphere
yesterday, for the moment before the Balloon dis-
qpeared, it did not seem much reduced in size.

The wind was more southerly than when Mr.
GARNERIN made his ascent from Ranelagh, and
gave the Balloon a dire&ion apparently more to the
Northward, seeming to pass over Highgate.
It was precisely five minutes before five o'clock
when the Aeronauts, ascended, and we have the
pleasure to say, that notwithstanding the violence
of the wind, they landed in safety,
,with the excep-
tion of a bruise Mr. GARNERIN received on his
hack, at ten minutes after five, in a field of Mr.
OWEN'S, at Chingford, in Essex, having traversed
a space of seventeen miles in fifteen minutes. The
Gentlemen came to town in a post-chaise about ten
o'clock last night..

M. GARNERIN, we are decidedly of opinion, is
entitled to the admiration and proteaion of the
British Public.—He has proved himself tc, be scien-
tific and enterprising, grounds of pretension which
can never be overlooked by the People of this Country.
The gardeners in the neighbourhood of Lord's
Ground most unjustifiably ereeted scaffolds that
overlooked the space in which M. GARNERI N was

carrying on his process. It was disgraceful to the
Nation that M. GARNER z N should thus be defrauded

of the profits of his adventure, and not very honour-
able to the vigilance of the Police, that scaffolds
should be permitted to be raised that might endan-
ger the lives of His Majesty's subje6is.
The breaking down of a scaffold or platform, up.
on which a great number of persons had taken their
stand, produced a most melancholy and offsetting
catastrophe. By this unfortunate accident seven

persons were most dreadfully crushed, a child was
killed on the spot, a woman had both her legs
broken, a man had a leg broken, and two others their

arms.

Another had liis head and face crushed in so

dreadful a manner as to leave little hopes of recovery.
Before and after the ascension of the Balloon,
the most flagrant and atrocious aas of plunder
and robbery, were committed by gangs of thieves
and pickpockets. Their numbers enabled them to

carry on their depredations in security, and, several
instances occurred, where finding it impossible to
steal with success, they did not scruple so 'seize and
carrroff the property openly and by force.