The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-18 00:00:00

VAUXHALL BALLOON.

Extract of a letter from Mr. Holland to his friend, Mr.
Prideaux, which was sent off immediately on the descent of the
balloon. This letter bears the postmark of Coblentz, Novem-
ber 8, the day after the ascent in London, and appears to have
come through France:—
"Weilburg, in Nassau, not many miles from
Frankfort, Wisbaden, and Coblentz.
" EXTRACTS FROM MT AERIAL LOG-BOOK.
" Ascended at half-past L
"Crossed the Medway, seven miles south of Rochester, at 12
minutes to 3.
"Two miles south of Canterbury at 4.
" Saw the sea at a quarter after -1.
" Left England, one mile east of Dover Castle, at 12 minutes
before 5.
"Over France 10 minutes to 6, one mile east of Calais.
"Quarter-past 11, over the district of Namur.
" Midnight by London time—extremely dark.
"5 o'clock—symptoms of daybreak.
"Ten minutes past 5, greatest altitude, barometer at twenty
inches.
"Descended at half-past 7at Weilburg above-mentioned."

(From Galignaqs Messenger.)
The following are a few additional particulars of the late in-
lerestin,g balloon voyage—unquestionably the most remarkable
which has ever been performed—in addition to the brief notice
of the safe descent of the aerial navigators already before our
reader.. t'-would appear that the descent was effected at a
little village in the ~..;,41Thourhood of Wei!burg, that being the
capital town of the county of
containing the
Ducal residence. The travellers were received moot% dis-
tinction by the Prince, and their hotel had been crowded with
visitors from the moment of their arrival being known. The
.descent of a machine so novel in aspect and colossal in size,
having, as may well be supposed, created a most extraordinary
sensation among all ranks of the inhabitants. The only com-
munication which has yet reached town from the aeronauts has
been received by Mr. Gye, written by Mr. Monck Mason ; it
briefly describes the voyage as " delightful." Further
and ample details are. looked forward to with the :greatest
interest, not only by the merely curious, but by the savant, who
justly regards this bold experiment, together with the ample
means afforded by the immense machinery employed, as the first
great step that has ever been taken seriously to determine the
long-disputed question of the utility of the science of mrostation.
Up to the hour of proceeding to press, unfortunately no further
communication has been received. We believe it is the inten-
tion of Mr. Gye that an ascension shall take place from Paris;
should he carry- it into effect, the gigantic machine will be im-
mediately transported from Germany, and the Champ de Mars
will, in all probability, be the spot fixed upon for this curious
spectacle. The great obstacle to the design promises to be the
difficulty in procuring a sufficiency of gas for inflating so im-
mense a body, the proprietors having been obliged to erect very
extensive gas-works at Vauxhall, in London, for the purpose.
Shonld the ascent take place, we may safely predict that all
Paris, learned and unlearned, will witness the interesting ev-
periinent; and no doubt it will' be freighted with some' of the
most distinguished men of science in France, many of whom
were warm patrons of the abortive attempt made last year by
M. Lennox, in the hope of being enabled to ascend with his
ill-constructed apparatus. We cannot conclude without quoting
a description given of the last atmospheric voyage across the
channel, and the arrival of the aeronauts in Paris:—" 53 years
ago the channel was crossed in a balloon, with this' difference
in the undertaking, that Dover was chosen as the starting point.
Mr. Blanchard constructed a balloon in London, had it conveyed
to Dover, and having joined in the undertaking a physician,
Dr. Jeffries, by the first fair wind he ascended, and in the course
of an hour and a half he alighted at Gaignes, in France. From
thence the intrepid travellers took a post-chaise and four to
Paris, and arrived at the Grand Opera in the midst of all the beau
monde assembled at a favourite performance. At their entrance
the whole audience rose; 'he ladies waved their white handker
chiefs, the gentlemen applauded with enthusiasm, whilst cries
of ' Vive les braves Anglais' resounded through the theatre."
The trip thus so highly honoured almost provokes a smile as
ludicrous when compared with the mrostation of the present day,
of Which this last ascent is by many degrees the most important

M. Monck Mason has been for several weeks previous to the
departure r
of the 0 the balloon in correspondence with the proprietors
gas. tine
ga"°,l,sla Paris, relative to their. charge for supplying
would have re
ParttuYi.nteacred such a price per cubic foot of gas as
others have agreed tot" sum of £B7O to fill the balloon, but
charge for filling;tha hsajtV it at a much cheaper rate. The
neas, The proprietors, ot, ut)V."4ll gas at Vauxhall is sixty gui-
-and have in contemplation tjelVeus think that sum,too much,
of supplying the balloon, goal. to :ielb
Tas-wo
rk for the purpose
„A t.. ascend several tnnes
every week during the next season.
e_ ;l.oliand defrays the
whole of the expense of the late v(4
to cost about £3oo.—Murniity paper. K e latch was calculated i