Litchfield enquirer., 1857-12-24
The First Erial Voyage in England.

During the whole of the year 1884 the
good people Of London were greatly agitated
upon the novel subject of balloons. Reports
OF Mougolfer's doings across the channel had
raised the curiosity of our wonder-loving grand
fathers to the highest pitch and amid all the
din of the great Westminster election and the
rest of the political turmoil Of that eventful
year, We find the popular mind constantly rr-
curing to the topic with an excitement which
is scarcely ineligible to generation familiar
with the mightier glories Of steam and the tel
egraph. The new born science of aerostatlon
had not then achieved its barren honors, and
become the costly pastime of our day. No
invention, perhaps, in the history of man had
opened to the imagination so many brilliant
promises. The papers were filled with curious
speculations upon the uses to which the newly
applied princ pie might be put. Bishop Will
k,ns favorte theory of voyage to the moon
was seriously revived by more than one enthu-
s.ast. Others, less sauguine, were content to
| congratulate themselves upon the great discov-
cries III astronomy which must necessarily re-
suit from nearer view Of the planets while
the more practical anticipated time when
aerial navigation would supersede the COM
merce Of the seas, and drive the flying wagons
from the great North Road. BaIlooaiug be
came quite fashionable mania. Little bal
looms OF painted silk, in all kinds Of gay and
quaint devices, foated about in boudo:rs and
questions concerning the varieties of "inlam-
mable airs" and the "ellsticity of vapors,"
formed subjects of drawing room discussion.
Experiments with fire balloons upon Montgo!-
fer's principle were so common, aud caused so
many fires that the City authorities were COM
PEELED to prohibit the practice Rumors Of
approaching ascents were always in circulation.
Intrepid air-voyagers" were constantly about
to ascend, first at kensington, then ut Green
witch, and afterwards from Whitehall Gar
dens but somehow or other either the gas or
the courage of the artist was sure to ooze out
at the last moment, and the event never came
off,
Among those who were greatly interested in
the experiments at Paris was Vincent Lunardi
Il young Italian attached to the Neapolitan
embassy He had dabbled a little in aeros-
tutcs with Zambacerr and had conceived an
ardent ambition to be " the first navigator Of
the English atmosphere" His scientific &C.
qurements do not appear to have been very
extensive, and his variations from the track Of
the French discoveries were few and question
able. 1t was said by his enemies that he was
"more of the Snowman than the servant" aud
it is probable that notoriety rather than sci
enre was the object Of his courtshp but at
any rate, we cannot refuse him the credit Of
b,ing the pioneer in an enterprise requiring
skill aud courage in no small degree. Sir 10
seph Banks the President of the Royal Soci-
ETY., and DR.. Fordyce, the eminent chemist,
were among those who interested themselves
-. he, ia hk.l ;,
great measure for its successful issue. Early
in July Lunardi informed the public that he
was constructing a balloon in which he intend
ed to ascend from the gardens of Chelsea Hos
pital. "The gallery, oars and WINGS" said
the advertisement, "are already made, and to
be seen at the Lyceum in Exeter Change,
Strand, where the balloon is now making, and
will be finished il about fortnight" At the
same time, in order to defray his expenses,
which had been heavy. he issued tickets Of ad-
mission to the ascent at guinea and halt
each Before the end of the month, however
he had the modification of seeing rival CALI
i diiate enter the field A Frenchman, named
Moret, had also completed a balloon, and fixed
the trial for the 18th of August, the day be-
fore Lunard's. His announcement drew to-
gcther vast coGcourse of people, who patient
ly watched the preparations from one till four
o'clock !; aud when every effort was seen to
fail, aud the balloon at last sunk into the FIRE
which ought to have expanded it, the mob,
conceiving the whole affair an imposture, broke
into the enclosure, tore up the apparatus, aud
destroyed great amount Of property in the
neghborhood. Lunardi chuckIed finely over
this catastrophe but his triumph was short,
for the governor of the Chelsea Hospital, fear
ing repetition Of the riot on the morrow. i'm
medatrly wrote to countermand his permission
for the use of the gardens and so his ascent
had to be indefinitely postponed. 1t was in
vain that he solicited private proprietors :
| fhe risk az a failnra-and in that case. the