The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-06-16

the great interest felt in what was about,
IS well as from the slight heat emitted from
the furnace of the engine, did not feel the
cold at all.
- must now speak Of the engine, which
did It's duty beyond any thing can conceive
or describe. The strokes Of the engine av-
eTaged go with pressure on the safety
valve Of seven and half pounds to the
square inch, and a vacuum in the condenser
OF ten and three quarter pounds.
The speed, as far as | can Judge BY the
imperfect instruments had, being about
hfty-two and half leagues per hour-mV
altitude, (per barometer exactly TWENTY-FIVE
minutes after launching, being nearly mile.
Matters thus progressed, my altitude getting
greater, and my speed in proportion. How
ever muststate curious discovery that I
made at this particular moment, and which,
but for the explanation that Immediately
followed, would have given me considerable
uneasincss and alarm. The engine which.
at my former observation, had been as
have stated, 922 strokes per minute, now
found TO be only TAI.
"This as | said, was alarming, and would
have Immediately determined me TO descend
TO the earth again, but that happily was
able 10 account for it By discovering, through
the application Of Professor Russel's indi-
} Gator the incompleteness Of the vacuum in
the condenser, and which likewise ascer-
tanned 10 be entirely owing to the great
height had attained; indeed found that
: the vacuum was reduced to only six and
quarter pounds, and the barometer indicated
lat tho Saua fiuoa that = :, al
tude of nearly three miles from the earth.
From the extreme rarity of the air at this
high elevation, | now underwent the usual
. giddiness of feeling, similar to that described
i by those individuals who have ascended
: Mount Blanc, and particularly BY DR.. HUI
Z mel, of st. Petersburg. had in tact, con-
siderable headache and ringing in my ears,
n so much so that determined to descend 10
If height not greater than q mile and half
: from the earth.
"This easily effected by pressing the
l. tail of the machine, which up to this mo-
e ment had kept at an aDgle.with the horizon
9 of nine and three quarters degrees, to that
of 45. NV course had not varied since
: leaving the hill, it was per compass, South
west and west half west, passing over Ayr
!. shire, and in a direct line from Dumbuck 10
,e Ailsa Craig, whittier indeed was tending,
ID with the view of landing, the latter being
l. admirably suited for launching the machine
ID in similar way to that adopted at Dunn
buck, on my return home again.
g daylight had now broken, and the scene.
y was most gorgeous. passed many ships,
= and in particular one steamer, but whose
lpaltFy speed in comparison with mine was
4 nothing. Alas, however, this was not de.
& stined to last, for just as had shot ahead Of
II the steamer, which was steering w. S. W.,
'e something went wrong in the machinery,
$. and the tanners stopped. This did not
alarm me; for as described by Mr.. Henson,
these tanners are only necessary for propul-
e sion, and not at all requisite for maintaining
m the machine in the air. Unfortunately how
rs ever, perfectly forgot, in the hurry Of the
t moment, to remove the weights from che
4 safety valve, and the effects from this were
o. disastrous in the extreme. The great accu-
c. mutation of steam that took place was too
n. much for the pipes, and consequently three
OF Of them went bang in the same instant.
r, "Ihe machine at this exact moment feel
le ing its equilibrium altered, surged conside.
a rably, and the remaining pipes necessarily
IT. followed the example Of the others; 6zz-
n bizz-whizz away they went one after the
ce other like popguns. Unfortunately, one oil
be these pipes in flying off struck a bamboo
NJ stretcher, and shattered it so that the ma
Is, chine, losing bearance on one side, topplcd
*, over, and became perfectly manageable,
70 and in fact whirled over and over in a way
that may be imagined, but which ii is, alto
ed getheF impossible TO describe.
ne OF course was now descending with a
in fearful rapidity, and nothing was left for me
Or 20 contemplate but death and destruction.
rs, ! can only compare my sensations at this
to moment to those experienced in night
mare, which every one knows are not the
he most agreeable in the world. SensibilitY
OK now forsook me, and, indeed this was not to
nd be wondered at, in consequence Of the
g. whirling Of the machine. On coming to nv
Of senses again, found myself in bed, with
ID severe headache, nausea and vomiting, the
x usual accompaniments ofsuch fight thro'
ID the air, but, thanks 70 Providence, am
e, now in fair way Of recovery, and willing
TO perform the same feat again.
le Itseems that the commander Of the steam
at er had sent boat to the assistance Of the
Of intrepid experimentalisi, and saved him, but
N the machine was lost
A.
ID The principles Of the Locofoco party, iust
a at this time, consist solely in oppositioa.-
/ L. = r -