The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-27 00:00:00

THE MONSTER BALLOON.

This balloon, which started from Ashburnham Forl4
adjoining Cremorne Gardens, on Tuesday afternoons
and for the safety of which considerable APPreid
pensions were entertained, has been secure'
though not without some injury, near AylesburP
The balloon came on Tuesday afternoon from tbl
direction of Aston Clinton and Tring, and passed a litti'e
to the north of the town of Aylesbury, going westward;
Many persons assembled in the streets, and telesca°:
were `brought to bear upon the monster, the general opial°-
of the persons who viewed it being that there were titi°
persons inside. It bore for the Waddesdon and 'Michell:l
don range of hills, and by Tring House, Hogshaw,
North Malston, past the Grandborough-road Station, °'
the Aylesbury and Buckingham line of railway, to of orl:
occupied by Mr. Hornby, in the parish of Bot°lll.,
Claydow. The balloon, after passing the Winchende'
Hills, shelled signs of partial exhaustion, and for four
tbe
five miles the thick rope attached to it flapped along
fields and against the hedges. It then proceeded °:
again, coming into contact with some large elm trees °s
Bernwood Farm, on the estate of Sir Harry Veril
with which, after tearing away some large brans
stiff,
became entangled. By this time some fifty or sixty rustle:
who had followed the ballon, had assembled, and attenle
were made to secure it by lashing the rope round 14:..4
trunks of the trees, which was eventually done. Sir 10"7,4
Verney and Colonel Pratt were among the earliest arri/11
and under their directions precautions were taken topre're%
the balloon being injured ; Colonel Pratt placing fifteei
men belonging to the Bucks Militia, of which he is colon e":
and who happened to be present, to keep guard overi.
during the night. Upon seeing the account in the mornitit
papers of the escape of the balloon from Ashburnham
on Tuesday, Mr. Field, watchmaker, of Aylesbury, te'ef
graphed to M. Fou, and received a reply in the course ,1
the afternoon asking him to take care of the balloon, 611,,
that he would send down some men for it in the evevote:
M. Fou's men arrived at Aylesbury by the 5.20 P°lo
train, and proceeded to Botolph Claydow to take che'rg
of the balloon.

There have been 200 patents issued at tbC
Patent Office,Washington, for velocipedes during the Os
twelve months.
Some idea may be formed of the state of eatie:;
tion in a village in Hampshire, when it is stated that °lc
of thirteen jurymen summoned at an inquest last wee

only four could write their names.
PROPOSED WELCOME TO MR. MOTLEY AT 1.411°134
root.—At the monthly meeting of the Chamber a Co,l
merce it was agreed to present to Mr. Motley an sad r,esi
on his arrival as the American Minister. It is exPec"
that there will also be a grand banquet.
The cotton spinners in the district ranging f:°01
Hyde to Glossop and Hadfield, and embracing those port' 0
of Cheshire and Derbyshire which lie on the south-eof
borders of Lancashire, have decided to reduce the Nvage°,r
the operatives 5 per cent. in all branches of the cotton u3to
facturing business on and after the 19th of June next.
es
CURIOUS STATISTICS.—SOnIe curious statietl
have recently been issued in Paris. In that city (s42E°io
the report) the entire population amounts to 1,7001,,vv-000
750,000 men, 700,000 women, 250,000 children; 40ut,
of these men, women, and children live 00
Anijo°oo
own income (rentes) or are professional. luv'itte
are in schools, hospitals, and charitable Wt,
tions, 200,000 are wholesale and retail trae`aro"
1,000,000 are mechanics, 35,000 are soldiers. There 1.-j
416,811 individuals who represent the manufacture d°
what are called " articles of Paris." These "Eta
workers" consist of 285,861 men, 105,410 women, 25'
children.
THE NEW OFFICIAL ASSlGNEE.—Arrangeu
have been made for the appointment of Mr. Philip Fl4;r3
who for many years was chief clerk to Mr. V:Aol
Watkin Edwards, the late official assignee, to he an ew—r,
assignee until further order. Since the dismissal of '-.01
Edwards, Mr. H. H. Stansfeld, who, from the retire
of Mr. Sturgis, acted as provisional assigneew,
insolvent matters, has superintended the business of
Edwards's office ; but this has been found to Pr'tbe
great inconvenience, and Mr. Paget will now receilie jos
temporary appointment, foregoing all claim to a Penetei
as official assignee. It may be added that the Bankrl/13foce
Bill before Parliament proposes the abolition of the °

of official assignee.—Post.
A case which is likely to lead to some euriotlO doff
closures was before Lord Penzance in the Probate Colu: "t,
Wednesday. The will of a Mr. Dickenson, farmer, late 01.4
Albans, is disputed on the ground that the signatures to it 1"0
forgeries. For some short time after the testator's destjl...,t;3o
will could be found, but ultimately a will was discovered IP,"
chefioneer, bequeathing the property to the wife durisq,
lifetime, and directing at her death it should be equi'll/0111
vided amongst the children or their issue. The 1111' f
apparently duly attested by two witnesses, who wereP.,,f6
mers in the neighbourhood. The plaintiffs, however, P.Tes
that the signatures of the testator and the two witi/e,,;al
are forgeries. Dr. Deane, Q.C., and Dr. Swabey are 010
for the plaintiff ; and Dr. Spinks, Q.C., and Dr. Trisl4-
u„,,g
for the will. A witness was called who deposed to Os--
the will in the manner mentioned. He also stated tbsA °•1141,
of the attesting witnesses was believed to be in Califon
but the whereabouts of the other was not ascertained-
AN EX-EMPRESS.—The French journals tell ti
iainful story. A few days back a lady, elegantly dress; ;
and
wearing many diamonds, drove up to the house t•
gentleman at Enghien, a village near Paris, and, Pre:lllp
ing herself as the Queen of Spain, said that she clesir L'.de
rent his house, and wished to be allowed to visit it.
proceeded to shew her over it, but her manner Was strip
and after awhile she addressed him as "Sire !"
came to the conclusion that she was a lunatic, but was e."O
rassed as to what he should do. Presently, however;tej
well-dressed men arrived. The lady at first d _ theY
on seeing them, but followed them quietly, ash
bslt
was
took her away. They told the gentleman that
a very great lady, that her mind was affected, 1: teeo:
she had escaped frt,m Paris on her way to the rlllll en.
where she had been ordered by her physicians. °le,gon•
tleman subsequently learned that she was no less meter'"
age than the sister of the King of the Belgians, the en
in-law of the Emperor of Austria, the cousin of the Qtleroi
of England—she was the widow of Maximilian, raq.e
Q# Mexico. Bhe is, kappeptp, bPPOiIIY-Mets4-