The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-03 00:00:00

A BALLOON ASCENT BY 11'19.117

The following adventures were experienced a few
days since during a balloon ascent by night :
" The ascent was made in the ' Royal Normandie,'
constructed for Mr. Simpson, of Cremorne Gardens,
at a cost of £6OO, the conductor of the expedition
being Mr. Lythgoe, the experienced aeronaut of 94
previous journeys. The day chosen for the ascent
was that of-the recent aristocratic fete at Cremorne
of the 24th ult., and two seats had been secured by
Mr. Arthur Vivian and Mr. Noel Anderson. At
eleven o'clock at night the balloon was released,
and shot into the air.

" So strong was the wind blowing at the time
that, instead of, as is usual, ascending gradually,
they were hurried in a lateral direction, threatening
to carry away the minarets of the artificial Eastern
city erected in the gardens. Although the passage
over the metropolis in a north-easterly direction
was so rapid that iu eight minutes, they had left
the suburbs far behind, yet they had time to he
everystruck
with the extraordinary appearance of thq
vast town by night, when, by the lines of lights,
every street and square was clearly traceable and
well-known locality identified. They now
discharged ballast, and, quickly ascending, passed
through the lower strata of the clouds,athe earth
utterly shut out, and themselves surrounded alone
by masses of black vapour. The dense darkness and
grave-like stillness, broken only by an occasional
earth sound, such as the distant lowing of cattle or
the faintly-heard bark of a dog, indicating perhaps
some village being passed over, impressed voy-
agers with the most solemn sensations. Many
miles being thus traversed, it was deemed expedient
by Mr. Lythgoe to penetrate the clouds beneath,
in order to ascertain the nature of the surface
of the country, with the view of effecting a land-
ing. On emerging from the clouds, a fiat country
could be dimly discerned, and preparations were
instantly made to let go the grappling iron on the
first favourable opportunity. This soon occurred,
and it was not till then—when as they approached
the earth field after field, as it were, flew from
under them—that they realised the fearful velocity
at which they were travelling. The grappling-
iron was dropped, an instantaneous check was felt,
proving that a firm hold had been taken ; in another
instant a sharp snap was heard, and the bailout,
swaying to and fro, burst again into the air.
" Now was put to the test the experience and
presence of mindaaf Mr. Lythgoe, who, deprived of
the usual means of effecting a landing, had, it ap-
pears, but one course open to him, viz., bursting the
balloon against trees or some other opposing object,
thereby exhausting her powers. Seeing a bank of
'trees at some distance, he made tap his mind, if pos-
sible, to run into them, and, to effect this purpose,
descended on to the land. The wind was blowing
with frightful force, and the car dashed against tao
oarth with such a shock that Mr. Vivian was nearly
stunned, and Mr. Anderson, not having time to
secure himself sufficiently, was thrown partly out
of the car as it turned over, his head and shoulders
being thus pushed along the groand. In struggling
he pitched with a somersault from the car, and, on
recovering, found himself, at 12 o'clock at night, in
the centre of a field of beans, the balloon long ago
vanished. After some difficulty he made his way.to
rt village two or three miles distant, which, on in-
quiry, was discovered to be High Roding, in the
north of Essex. He was sheltered in the cottage of
a labourer, who said he had heard shortly before, no
he was returning home shouts issuing from the
clouds, which he not unnaturally conc.uded to be
unearthly ; immediately after which he became
sensible of a gigantic body rushing past his ear.
The cause of his fears was soon interpreted by
the traveller.

" The balloon, relieved of 2501b5. in weight
—much ballast having bean lost at the time
of the first concussion with the earth—shot
up like a rocket to the supposed incredible
height of three miles and a quarter. Mr. Lythgoe
allowed as much gas to escape as was deemed at all
consistent with safety in descending, but still it was
some time before the balloon began again to take a
level course through the air. The cold at this
height, where the temperature is stated to have been
below 40 degrees, was intense. The deep silence
was relieved only by the flapping of the silk, which
was like the reports of firearms. At last, as indi-
cated by pieces of paper thrown out, they com-
menced gradually to descend, when before long a
dull grumbling sound was heard which resembled
the moaning of the ocean. This sound died away,
but recommenced very shortly; and a break in the
clouds below opened to their view the sea imme-
diately beneath them ; but watching the line of
breakers on the shore, they, to their infinite relief,
discovered that the course of the balloon was bear-
ing gradually inland. It was determined now,
immediately on coming over the land, to let out the
gas as quickly as possible, and effect a landing at
411. hazards. The shock was terrific; and the wind
blowing very heavily at the time the balloon made
the most tremendous bounds, dragging the two in-
mates of the car hanging on by the ropes over more
than two miles of country, carrying them through
dykes and many other obstacles. When sufficient
gas had escaped from the balloon to prevent her
from rising again, at an agreed signal they both let
go at once, and, after a series of somersaults, found
themselves on their backs on some marshy land, the
balloon being brought up a few hundred yards' dis-
tance against a mill, from which it however very
quickly escaped, and was no more seen.
"After some difficulty in crossing tne country
the travellers arrived at a labourer's cottage-door,
and, on being admitted, discovered that they were
close to Lowestoft, on the coast of Suffolk, the hour
being two o'clock in the morning.
" High praise is due to Mr. Lythgoe, the aeronaut,
who displayed great skill throughout, and main-
tained the most perfect coolness and presence of
mind.
" The balloon has since been found."

COWES, 18L €;, OF WIGHT, Aug. 1.

ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE.

Arrived, July 26.—The Claymore, John Harvey, Esq.,
from Southampton. 27th—The Flirt, Sir Percy F. Shelley,
Bart., from Poole ; the Arrow, Thomas Chamberlayne,
Esq., from Southampton. 29th— The Ballerina, John
Davenport, Esq., from the eastward. 30th—The Zoe, the
Earl of Yarborough, from the eastward. 31st—The Alba-
tross, Thomas Brassey, Esq., from Honfleur.
The following yachts are at the station :—The Royal
yachts the Victoria and Albert, Fairy, and Elfin ; the Aline,
Capt. S. A. Thelluson ; the Alarm, Joseph Wyld, Esq.;
the Anaconda, Philip L. Powys, Esq., M.P. ; the Eugenie,
Richard Frankland, Esq. ; the Fair Rosamond, John
Wardlaw, Esq. ; the Albatrcss, Thomas Brassey, Esq' ;
the Ballerina, John Davenport, Esq. ; the Viking, Col. Sir
A. Stirling, K.O B ; the Beatrice, J. E. W. Rolls, Esq. ;
the Cayman, R. B. Baxendale, Esq. ; the Shark, S. R.
Black, Esq. ; the Titania, the Earl of Resse ; the Clay-
more, John Harvey, Esq. ; the Flirt, Sir Percy F. Shelley,
Bart. ; the Kohinoor, Captain James Legard, R.N. ;
the Dream, George Bentinck, Esq., M.P. ; the Ursuline,
Henry Villebois, Esq. ; the Brunette, A. H. Davenport,
Esq.; the Larrock, Colonel John F. Clifton ; the Wizard,
William Delafield, Esq. ; the St. Lawrence, G. R. Ste-
phenson, Esq. ; the Oak Apple, H. M. Hammersley, Esq.;
the Isabel, H. Lambton, Esq.; the Capuci, Lieut.-Colonel
Charles Baring ; the Gipsy, the Hon. C. H. Cust; the
Susan, the Earl of Hardwicke ; the Albertine, Lord
Londesborough ; the Lotus, the Earl Vane.
The Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta commences on
Monday next with a match between the American yacht
America, and the Alarm, for 100 sous.
On Friday the Prince Consort's Cup, value £lOO, will be
sailed for by cutter yachts of the squadron.
On Wednesday the annual dinner of the members takes
place at the Castle.
Thursday, her Majesty's Cup, value £lOO, will be sailed
for by schooners of above 100 tons.
The annual display of fireworks in the evening.
the It
oy al
On Friday a Cup, value £lOO, will be given 17 R ,
Yacht Society, to be sailed for by yachts th any oyai
yacht club.
matches, duck hunts, &c.
will take place ort. that
The Town Regatta is fixed for this day,
be numerous rowing and sailing when there will
The Royal Yacht Squadron Ball
evening.

HALL AND FINE ARTS GALLERY,
_ am...-•-----______
y popular a ,tablish-
the proprietors Messrs.
This deservedly
wEesATN3ITINEsRTBEuERLAD.
just been
-decorated
has ,
Morton and Stanley, in a very elegant style. Tt le general
dings flake white and
re:decorated by
tint of the interior is a light green, 'with the panels and
imitation of the rarest marbles, and with their g:ildod capi-
tals and the richly-ornamented balcony
gold ; the coluvans are in
frouti, present a
most pleasing effect. The winding stone staircase in the
spacious ante hall, with its gorgeous railings av,d marbling,
forms a very striking
feature. The work ha,s been well
and mouldings
executed by Mr. William Sanderson, of Lamb eth, from th
design and under the superintendence of Samuel Field,
E sq., arehictect.
ISLINGTON PROPRIETARY SCHOOL..--The annual
dif-tribution of prizes at this school took 'place on Friday
evening, the vicar of Islington and turd dean occupying
the chair. The Revs. E. Garbett, Boyle Lecturer ; W. B.
Mackenzie, J. Carver, and many °Veer clergymen and lay-
men being present. The Rev. H. A.. Giraud, M.A., master
of St. John's Westminster, gave u very favourable report
of the knowledge shown by the 'boys in classics, divinity,
history, and geography ; while 'nighly creditable reports of
the mathematical, French, and German studies were given
by the Rev. T. A. Cock, M.A., lecturer at King's College ;
the Rev. T. Marzial, examiner at Eton College ; and the
joy. Dr. Christliab, respective ly. After the recitation of
the Latin and English prize •poems, the head master, the
Rev. R. W. Bush, M.A., read a long list of the honours
gained during the year by pi ipils of the school at Oxford,
Cambridge, King's College, a ild in, the Goveninamt corape•
titiveexamivatioue.