The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-11 00:00:00

AN ASCEN7 IN THE GREAT. BALLOON.

The preparations for the partial ascents of the
great Captive Balloon at Ashburnham Park, near to
Cremorne Gardens, were completed yesterday, and
several trial trips were made. The balloon is the
largest ever constructed, and was yesterday the
admiration of a number of gentlemen interested is
aeronautical science. The machinery to regulate the
ascent is elaborate and complete, and such is the
control exercised over the gigantic machine that she
will be a great aid in the further development of
meteorological science. After the apparatus bad
been thoroughly tested yesterday by Mr. Glaisbers
of Greenwich, in company with Mr. W. Smith'
civil engineer, and other gentlemen, a prelirei•
nary ascent was made by the proprietor and masa'
ger, and they having been again safely landed, the
preparation for the first general trial trip begall•
At half-past four all was ready, and the company
numbering thirty, among whom were Mr. Glaisher,
his son (of Trinity College, Cambridge), Mr. W'
Smith, three ladies, a little boy, two aeronauts, one
of the proprietors, the representatives of the press'
and others, took their places in the car, and as soon
as the signal " all right" was given the ascent be'
gan, but with such a perfect steadiness of motion se
to be totally imperceptible. But at last, as it rose
above the height of the immense hoarding 10°1
encloses the ground, the panorama of the raetro-
polis and the valley of the Thames buret
upon the view. A stay was made for a eh°t
time, about half the rope's length, it
height of 1,000 feet. From this elevation the
beauty of the immediate country was very striking'
Subsequently the party ascended to a height of
nearly 2,000 ft., and the scene became bolder and
more magnificent still. All at once a tremendot:
shout of voices came from below, and burst t113°.,
the calm silence with which the ascent had been
observed by the teeming thousands below. ut.o
looking for the cause it was observed that, in the
waving of hats, one of the party unfortunately
dropped his, and away it went rolling over and over
towards the earth, and a general race of thousaud.s
.
from the adjoining district was being made to
scramble for it. Having remained up about half as
hour, the signal was given, and the descent gas
0
made as gently and almost as imperceptibly as the
ascent, the party having thoroughly enjoyed the
ride without the slightest feeling or fear °f
danger. It is already arranged that a series nI
scientific experiments shall be made with the
bal-
loon. The first of these will be made to-morrnv
afternoon by Mr. Glaisher, with a view of deter-
mining more precisely in what manner and under
is,
what circumstances the water in the air is dre
persed. This, it appears, can now be done 10°0
perfectly, as the apparatus for holding the ball.no,
is so complete that it can be kept almost 1111:41°re.
less, and raised and lowered perfectly at Plentr ;
The size of the balloon is ninety feet in diame"o-00
it is almost spherical in shape, it holds 350,
cubic feet of gas, and can lift eleven tOOO
aro-
The gas with which it is inflated is pure by
gen. It is entirely made on the ground, in °lew erd
closure, in thirty-six large retorts. It is ebtAn by
from vitriol and iron filings, then rarefie'eter
a water purifier, and passed into a large gayer ass
capable of holding sufficient to fill the balloon..,tiog
being thus pure hydrogen, it is capable of nio.
double the weight that ordinary coal gas w.oti sher
Mr. Coxwell's large balloon, in which Mr. Glal oo
°
made his ascent of seven miles height, be--id 93) iv
cubic feet. The weight of the present ballo°n' l •fe
eluding the car, the netting, and ropes, e-sclus le
of the large rope by which it is drawn d°Wiveen
three tons and a half. The pressure is bet The
five and six pounds to the square foot' it is
balloon is inflated from the top, so tha
seeo,
perfectly full, and not a wrinkle is to oe the
the mode of filling from the top preVenting,,o,
air from getting between the
W, gas and the
and thus is avoided that bagginess Vij3l ;
ales
.A.
caused by inflation from the bottom. se
feature peculiar is that the valve is self-aeti no
Ter
'
that if it rises to a certain height or comes
thon nu", the
certain pressure it would descend, even . con
aeronaut, through an extreme altitude,
lost hie. '
sciousness. The car is also admirably coneVO
being in shape like a circular galley With rope is
hole in the centre, through which the large 00g
passed, and made fast at one end to the :ea to
tat.o:o the
ropes of the netting. The other end is at
when
cylinder, round which it is wound, and NY; by a
signal for descent is given it is worked rotie
.e
.ci,_
W.n,ic it.
200-horse power engine. The hoarding 6 fee
circles the works is of immense height, and
in circumference. .

CHRIST'S HOSPITAL.—OnTiae2Ist ins t., 'lv
Matthew'ssFStter.elleoptw,ro ocef
will attwenhedreDivine Service at Christ Church, I- S.
the orationesciPdeaemlsiermon will be preached by the geT. , WS
Polehampton, M.A , Rector of Bllel, Lancashire, a.oa.
boy
annual
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Loareti:niaoonr Con, on the same subject, A. G. A. Bobartai. S.
! French oration, on the same subject', too
Biden, 2d Grecian. The following translations iOO
English Henry poets will then be recited :--Greek farabiooll.l.o*
"Battle
VI., B. H. Roe, 6th Grecian; Latin 04,1,11',01c
Hexameters,`att.leofLinden" A. L. Smith, th Grecian; Gres
Latin Carter,i a
poem,
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M. Field, 11th Grecian. SGrPecP.hl"
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Grecian
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LORD N
etcivltteesnteliena.gle(LioohridanNitapliilewr
Railway,
,Maangadtaillaelaicreri
vperdoc
The freedom of the city of Edinburgh
l'
conferred on his lordship on 11rednesday next. the
GBEENIVICH REvisioN.---Mr. Hugh
barrister appointed for that purpose, Covirie,., for
the
wick
revision of the voters' lists for the borough Of us the
.11 on Wednesday next. The borough comPrisevepto
parishes of Greenwich ; St. Paul and St. Nicholas; or
ford; Woolwich, Charlton, and Plumstead. In °tot
ielleceddilltobt11):!11:'0141°
(pence of the addition to the bouWnilyli,otldh 60
cgi:ekeoell".
increase will be in the parish of Plurastoad, and tl'e
stituency will probably number about 15,000 votes. pest,
WEST KENT REGISTRATION.—gr. Wr. Al• ,stt4
the barrister appointed for that purpose, will hold 7 01.
for the revision of the voters' lists for West gent C
lows :—Greenwich, Monday, 12th Septomber; Leviglevoa"
16th ; Lee, 18th ; Forest Hill, 21 ; Bron3ey, 23a ; 'OO/r,
oaks, 25th ; Dartford, 28th ; Woolwich, 30th l °lid.
bridge, 2cl of October.