The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-18 00:00:00

Thermometer. I Barometer.

"By the time we had attained this elevation I had reduced
the ballast, which at our starting was 15001bs, to something
under 701bs, which I resolved on preserving, because I felt.
that being ignorant of the character of the country which
from all appearances we should have to descend in, and it
being dark, it would be but an act of prudence to have at
command a 'playing' or avai!able moveable power, and the
result fully proved the propriety of the reservation.
"Shortly after we had commenced our downward course
we discovered that there was something falling which very
much bore the appearance and consistency of snow. To this
circumstance I directed the attention of Mi. Rush, whereupon
we looked aloft, when we found the sky to be more than
usually thickly studded with stars, and perfectly free from
any mass in the shape of cloud. This result. at the moment,
gave rise to no inconsiderable feeling of astonishment in our
minds, especially as the snow continued to descend in large
quantities. Upon an after consideration, however, lam in-
clined to think that the substance which fell was not snow,
but the dew and moisture collected on the balloon which had
become congealed or frozen, by the coldness of the tempera-
ture to which it had been subjected in our passage upwards.
These particles adhered to the netting and balloon Until an
increased collapse was caused by the intentional voidance of
gas ; and when that operation took effect they were removed
by the motion of the netting, and fell in flakes like a shower
et snow. This falling of flakes continued for a considerable
time, and from its appearance fully justified our ori.inal no-
tion that it really was a snow shower. When we had de-
scended to within about three miles of the earth, I, imagined
I perceived the sea bounded by the line of the Sussex coast;
on mentioning the discovery to Mr. Rush, that gentleman
expressed it to be his opinion that what appeared to be water
was nothing but fog.
"However, I pointed his attention to a place, a few miles
to our right, which, from its being extensively lighted up
with gas, I considered to be Brighton, and eventually, after
some considerable consultation, Mr. Rush admitted the pro-
bability of my supposition being correct. My opinion was
shortly afterwards borne out, for on our mote nearly ap-
proaching terra firma we discovered the Castle of Lewes to
be immediately beneath us. With Lewes and the surround-
ing country, of which I was in perfect ignorance, Mr. Rush
was well acquainted.
"Of course from our vicinity to the .ocean there was no
time to be lost in effecting our descent; I therefore made in-
quiries of Mr. Rush as to the nature of the locality in respect

10 water and hills, and from the information he afrorded. me

I found that it would be necessiry to effect a landing imme-
diately on the south side of the town, where a beautiful level
offered itself for our reception.
" Accordingly we hovered over Lewes until we came into
the northerly current, which I was aware we must fall in with
at a particular elevation. When, therefore, the balloon cams
within the operation of that wind, we glided on until we ar-
lived above a field behind the residence of the Rev. H. West,
in Southover, when we effected our descent. The appear-
ance of the balloon floating over the town of Lewes seemed
to excite considerable sensation among the inhabitants, and
we could discern many persons running to our a:.4istance,
and amongst those to whom we were most indebted was the
Rev. Mr. West Mr. Morris, and several other gentlemen, to
whom I take this opportunity of returning my acknowledge-
ments, not merely fur the assistance they afforded us, but for
the careful conduct they observed in regard to the preserva-
tion of the balloon.
" We left the Royal Gardens at half past six, and landed
again at Lewes (a distance of about 50 miles) at a quarter
before eight o'clock, having performed the trip in an hour and
a quarter.
"As ourdescent was necessarily very rapid, and made after
the darkness of night was set in, it was-impossible that we
could make any observations, with a view to comparison.
beyond this—that in the course of our progress we fell in
with, and were acted upon by, currents running S.E., S.W.,
N.W. and W.; but the strongest, and that under the info-
enoe Of which we principally travelled, was from the N.W.
This current we felt first at an elevation of about three miles,
although when we left the earth there was a perfect calm.
" So anxious were we to avoid taking up more weight than

was absolutely requisite, that all the refreshment we bad put
into the car consisted of a small quantity of brandy and of
sherry, (with the latter, as before, we drank the health of the
Queen at the highest elevation) and a few biscuits.
`• On my arrival in town, the notes Mr. Rush and I had
made were conveyed to Mr. Jones, of Charing-cross, by whom
a series of calculations were gone into, from which the fol-
lowing general results have been edduced :
Barometer at starting 30.496 Thermometer 6O
Barometer, corrected
fur capacity, at the
greatest elevation.. 10.830 Do. 5

or 5 miles and 746 feet.

19.666 Approximate height... 27.149
Allowance for tempe-
rature minus ....... 4

Total elevation.. 27.145

" I must remark, .that during our ascent and descent, above
the three miles and a half, I suffered more severely from the
intensity of the cold than on any former occasion, especially
in the hands and feet. From this infliction Mr. Rush ap-
peared to be free.
" Prior to closing my account, I feel it necessary to state,
in consequence of the numerous complaints which have been
made to me in regard to the lateness of the hour of starting,
that I have no power in respect to the moment of ascension,
nor have I any option as to the delay or postponement of an
ascent. My engagement is with the proprietors of Vauxhall,
who regulate all the proceedings.
" In this ascent we had a double advantage with respect to
witnessing a setting sun, for prior to our quitting the earth,
that operation of nature had taken place, and on our reaching
an altitude of about 12,500 feet, we were once more within
the action of the rays of that orb, whose setting we a second
time observed in the course of a quarter of an hour. In all
orobability Mr. Rush and myself are the only two human
beings who have ever been witnesses to the same occurrence.
After the balloon and its appendages had been carefully
packed up, and arrangements made for their conveyance to
town, we proceeded to Brighton; from which place I departed
for London on the following morning."
It is a somewhat singular coincidence, that Mr. Rush, who
had proposed to leave town on the following day, for his seat,
Elsenham-hall, near Saffron Waldron, in Essex, should have
been put down by the balloon, on the occasion of the first
ascent, within five miles of that place; and that on the second
trip, he having come up from Brighton, he should have been
landed seven or eight miles only from that town, where his
family are sojourning.