Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-08-29
Nsw YORK, August Is.

mise. Inc arrangements ior tne eApeftWeh''
which were all made under the immediate super
intendence Of Mr.. ID. himself. were perfect IN
all their parts, and were completed within few
minutes Of the time designated. At five o'clock
the balloon was filled, and the car, beautifully or
namented with flowers, was attached to the CORDS.
The most perfect calmness pervaded the atnos.
phere-the national banner hung lazily from the
flag staff, and the streaners frorl the nasts OF the
vessels lying motionless in the waters which slept
in repose. There wereperhaps four or live thou
sand spectators within ti,e walls of the GARDEN
and atleast thirty thousand people on the battery
All things being ready, the intrepid 1Efonaut
slept into the at IL minutes past hive. The
balloon having been allowed to ascend SO as to
raise the car to height Of about twenty ieet, Mr..
Ourand bowed to the admiring throng, and cut
the cord which bound him to the earth, himself
The thermometer stood at 82-but the aaZiness
of the heavens abated the burning heat oil the SUM-
which has been well nigh blsterng US for the last
fortnight. The barometer stood at so 275. The
ascent of the balloon was nearly perpendicular,
and very gradual for some minutes. When at
the height of perhaps 200 feet. MIR. D. sent down
little car by parachute, containing living rah.
bit. As the waters were covered by boats OF all
descriptions, the pretty voyager was soon rescued
The balloon Continued to rise still higher, as Mr.
ID. lightcned it by throwing out his ballast. until
at IS minutes past s. it had attained an elevation
of 5455 feet-the thermometer standing at 20 de-
grees, and the barometer at 26, CTS. During this
ascension MIR. ID. frequently bowed to his friends
below. and waved often the star spanglcd banner
from his car. He also showered down an appro-
pirate ode, which had been printed for the occa-
sion, amidst the loud and repeated cheerinss Of
the delighted multitude. When at his greatest
height gentle current waited the balloon over
Governors Island, and he then gradually descend
ell nearly to the surface of the water in Butter
milk Channel. A feet of boats hurried TO the
place, and a cord having been dropped to one OF
them, and the balloon again li.htened by throwing
over another sand bag, causing 1t once more to as
cend some thirty feet, it was towed ashore, and
across the island, by the people, to the Castle
the Eronaut sailing beautifully in the air some
twenty or thirty feet from the ground. At the
Castle he was again taken in tow by the boats.
which, to the number Of perhaps hundred, at
tended his progress across the bay back to Castle
Garden. Here again the balloon rose toa snffi-
cient height to allow the car to clear the rampars;
and at 10 minutes past six O'Clock, the Voyageur
was drawn down into the garden at the same spot
whence he had taken his departure fity.eight mi
nutes before.
A similar instance of success cannot be found
in the whole history of aerial navigation. Many
ten thousands had left the Battery and Garden.
previously to his return: but there yet remained
many thousands to cheer his unexpected arrival
back in tie same ship. 1t was on the whvle We
~ beautiful exhibition of skill and intrepidity-
The tranquility of the elements of air and water,
the selfcommand and the ease with which Mr..
D. managed his frai! vessel, dvested the specta-
Gle entirely of the terrific, and every thing went
off as pleasantly as could be desired
Mr.. d. says he was too heavily charged with gas
to enable him to ascend higher, without eudanger-
ing the balloon. which. with the decrease of the
atmospheric pressure, would have been in mm-
nent danger of explosion The reason of his de-.
scending so soon, was, the appearance of dark
cloud in the northwest, which thr eatened gust,
and the angle of his descent, in the event of
blow, from the elevation he had attained, would
inevitably have carried him out to sea. beyond the
farther shore of Long Island.-Commercia
From the Dersaporf (Enghsh) Telegraph.
EXPERIMENTAL VEssELs.-Two experimental
vessels are at present building in the docks at
Sheerness, steamer, to be called the SaIaman-
der, and frigate, to be named the CaIIlope. -
The Salamander is intended for ship of war, and
is to be made sufficiently strong to carry NOR.
tar. She is IFS feet in the keel. and 600 feet |
aloft, and will mount SO guns. The timbers used
in her are of English oak and African oak. the |
latter being placed in the less important parts.
They are precisely of the size and substance US
ed in frigate of the largest class. The wheels,
instead of projecting from the sides, as in ordi-
nary steam vessels, will be let into the sdes-a
iigresson equal to about three feet being created
by running the hmbers up straight along the
pace to be occupied by the paddles, which are
% be less broad than those generally seen; thus,
when the wheels are covered by the protecting
blanks, the sides will present an entirely unbro-
zen surface; SO that the shape and symmetry of
he ship will be as perfect as might be in any Or
linary frigate.
In the construction Of the Caliope, English.
'ak, African oak, mahogany, cedar, teak, and
'ther tmbers, are to be used; the great object to
'e attained by building her being positively to
scertain what species of timber is the best and
most durable. She will accordingly be kept
float for ten or twelve years, and at the expira-
ion of this period it is proposed to strip her, and
ecide upon the relative merits of the timbers
sed in her construction. She is large enough to
AIRY thirty-two guns. if pierced after the usual
och,n, h,t cho will only forr,, t,,o,t, co,. |.