Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-14

pletely covered and filled. If New York be the
| London of America, as it respects her COM
! merce, she is the Paris of America for pageants
| and all other mannerof public spectacles-
| Whether we are TO pay due honors to living
hero of another age; to dance for the benefit of
the sons of Marathon and Leuctra, to celebrate
nations birthday, or a wedding between the
great lakes and the ocean; to blow up bubbles of
balloons, New Y ork takes the lead. But all edi-'
| tor who would attend to them all, must have as
many heads as Egeon to understand, as many
| eyes as Argus to see, and as many hands as Bri-
ARGUS TO descrbe--else he will be sure of falling
| short OF the mark Without pretending to Ell
ther Of these, however, and being somewhat
weary with the dull and monotonous details of
| the plots and counterplots Of Wa-slreet--de-
Tended with the jargon Of the money market
| shocked at the treaSons, straiagems and spois
| OF the interchangeable OF hearing of di
vidends, premiums and profits in which we had
no share-and bewildered in the lsbyrinths and
mazes OF the law;--we determined to break a.
way from the Oyer and Terminer, and mingle
with the gay multitude at Castle Garden. There
were probably five thousand people within the
garden, and at least quadruple the number with
out The preparations proceeded with the at
| most regularity, and were completed without
accident, although they were delayed for more
than half an hour beyond the time. Several
small balloons were dispatched at different
times during the afternoon, 10 ascertain the pre-
else direction of the wind 10 one Of these
! silken parachute was affixed, beneath which was
a miniature car, containing Cat. Having as
cended TO a reasonable height, the match at
tached to the cord fer that purpose severed the
parachute from the balloon, and while the latter
rose more rapidly, the former spread itself and
descended gradually and gracefully until puss
| found herself embraced in the bosom OF the
| ters. She was not drowned, however, as one OF
| the multitude of small boats which were darling
to and fro upon the bay, flew to her assistance,
and brought her safely ashore The large bal
loon was fully inflated at half past FOUR and the
| four small ones which were to attend Il like the
moons OF Jupiter, were filled as speedily after
wards as possible. The diameter of each of
these was about ten feet. The car, handsomely
decorated, was then brought out and fastened
to the cords. About five feet above the Car was
large hoop, TO which the cords from above
| and below were attached Across this hoop
two poles Of about twenty-five feet in length
| each, were placed TRANSFER sely, to the ends Of
which the four smaller balloons were fastened
| by cords. From the extremities of these poles
around the'whole circumference, rich festoons Of
blue silk were suspended, uniting al the corners,
and superhly decorated with garlands of flow
ers. Mr.. Robertson was very active in super
intending all the preparations, and every thing
was completed at few minutes past five o.
clock. 1t was advertised that lady was 10
make the aerial voyage in company with him,
but as yet no one had been fortunate enough to
see the fair one, and many began 10 suspect that
her ladyship would prove to be an unreal wo7
man-especially as an automaton lady. taste
fully dressed, was discovered upon the stage,
in company with his musical exceencv the
trumpe.er. These ungenerous doubts, how
| ever, were somewhat weakened by the disCove-
ry, by an eliminated" friend of ours, of pair of
bright eyes, and nodiing plume, through the
| interstices Of blind; and soon after
wards they were entirely dissipated by Mr. r.
who when all was ready, stepped 70 one of the
saloons of he garden, and led forth beautiful
young female, whose composure was as COM
| plete as his own. She appeared to be about
twenty, of beautiful form and features, dressed
with much taste and elegance in blue silk, with
tiara and plumes OF the same colour AS she
tripped across the garden with sylph-like tread,
and entered the Car, the welkin resounded with
the most rapturous applause. She was no
sooner seated than Mr.. Robertson sprang in,
and every thing being adjusted, the fastenings
| were Embossed, and the balloon with the attend
| ing hotilla and the intrepid passengers, ascend
ed slowly and majes,ically into the upper re-
gions. The lady entered the car with the most
perfect GOODNESS, smiled and waved her hand as
| she departed, and when the garden walls were
cleared, waved her handkerchief in return to
the loud cheers with which she was greeted
The wind which had been brisk from the north
east during the day; had died almost entirely
| away, and the balloons assembled almost perpen-
dicularly for some time but very slowly. Several
bags of ballast were successfully thrown out,
when the balloons assembled more rapidly, and
floated away gradually over Bellows Island in
the direction Of Newark 1t was distinctly vi
sible for near forty minutes, and until it had APP
parenty began 10 descend, but long before it had
reached the earth, the shades OF night had ren-
dered il invisible.
The spectacle was not as imposing as the
night ascension lately made by MIR. RI proba-
bly, because the hazard was not felt 10 be so
great But il vas nevertheless very grand and
beautiful and the interest being less fearful, was
increased by the appearance of the intrepid Ia
dy, and the novel addition of the fotila, and OF
| longer ddraton, because the balloons were so