Litchfield enquirer., 1857-12-24

doCenu Hom tlieiF SFouHu III MOOfHeIuS ouI
he was compelled to find sureties for any dam
age that might happen to the property ; ind
even with these precautions so great was the
prejudice against him that permission was only
carried in the council by the casting vote Of
Sir Watkin Lewis, the colonel. The day was
fixed for the 18th of September but at the
last moment another difficulty arose. The I'M
principled proprietor Of the Lycrum, who had
made good thing Of the exhibition, was un-
willing to lose his chief attraction and, tax
ing advantage of Lunard's ignorance of Eng
lish law, positively refused to allow the balloon
to be removed till he was secured share in
the present and all future advantages to be
derived from it, Such INDUSTRIOUS extorton
was Of course resisted. S;T Sampson Wright,
presiding magistrate at Bow Street, ordered
it to be forcibly wrested from his possession ;
and after desperate struggle between the po-
lice aud the employees of the Lyccum, it was
safely lodged in the artillery ground the day
before the ascent
Next morning, all London was on the move
towards MoorfielCs. By twelve O'Clock, the
large square, or rather parallelogram, whick
formed the fashionable promenade of old Lon
don, and is now occupied 10y F'nsbury Circus
and the adjacent streets, was one mass of hu-
man beings Every roof and window from
which a view could be obtained was thronged
with eager gazers. Along the front, and tow
ering high above the whole scene, We're the
gloomy buildings of the old Bedam the
wretched inmates of which were allowed to be
spectators of the scene, and exchange coarse
ribal1ry with the mob beneath The fact Of
this viciuage, and the resemblance between Lu-
nardi and lunacy, had been the themes of ill
Vulnerable puns and witticisms for days past !;
and the populace, approaching the joke, with
rough humor were continually roaring out to
him to Ego inside" The enclosure is occu-
pied by the Artillery Company, under arms
and the subscribers who have paid for admis-
sion =; but the prevailing fears have prevented
many from attending. In the centre Of the
ground, warded on every side 10y strong bar
riers, is the balloon, which differs in many re-
spects from the Great Pegasus" and Royal
Alberts" of our time. 1t is about 80 feet in
height, ard lO2 in circumference, and is COM
posed Of alternate strips o: blue and red silk,
strongly encased in network. The gallery, Or
car, is thick wooden box, suspended from the
balloon by forty-ive ropes, and decorated on
either side with two large lcath, ri wings-a
pet invention of Lunardi's he imagincs
will enable him to steer his course through the
new regions he is about to visit. Almost all
the men of mark in politics or literature then
in town were grouped around it, including
among Others the Prince Of Wales, Fox, Sher-
iden, Burke, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Sir
Joseph Banks Rogers the poet was also
there and his recently published Iable-talk
records an incident of the scenc Fox, grow
ing impatient at the delay, put his hand to
which he Immediately seized. my friend"
said he to the owner of the strange hand
you have chosen an occupation which will
some day be your ruin" "Oh, Mr. Fox"
was the reply, "pray forgive me, and let me
60 Z; have wife and six children starving at
home." Fox, always tender-hearted, slipped
guinea into his hand, and then released it.
At the conclusion of the show, Fox was pro-
cceding to look what time it was. Good
God y said he, my watch is gone" " Yes"
said his brother, General Fox, " l know it is
l saw your friend take it." Saw him take it.,
and made no attempt to stop hm !" was the
indignant response. Really" said General
Fox, you and he appeared to be ON such
good terms that l did not choose to interfere"
1t is now half past one, and DR.. Fordyce is
still engaged in filling the balloon with in
fammable air" through complicated arrange
ment of leathern nooses. The gas itself is
hydrogen, manufactured from an infusion OF
zinc in vitriolic acid, the properties of common
coal gas being then unknown Lunardi and
Mr.. biggin, the gentleman who is to accornpa
ny him, are busily engaged in completing their
preparations snd the visitors around them,
with true English love of betting, are giving
and taking the odds about the probability Of
their return alive The hour fixed fol TIE ss-
cent is passed and the mob outside, pent up
in narrow quarters since an early hour in the
morning are beginning to get clamorous. Dr.
Fordyce thinks the balloon is not suffc emily
inflated to take up its freight, for at present it
is only pear-shaped but with the horrid pop
ulace in prospect, it is not considered advis-
able to wait any longer Lunardi and his
friend jump into the car there is an anxious
pause, and after a moments vibration, tire
cumbrous machine recliws heavily to mother
earth. A murmur Of disSat sfacton runs
through the assembly, and each nan begi,'s to
feel himself duped. Already the sensitive ac-
ronaut hears his ascent pronounced an impos;-
ton, and himself branded as sw;ndler. All
is confusion and uproar, for the hoarSe roar OF
the living sea without threatens havoc, and the
courtiers are entreating the prince to leave the
ground. "The displtasure hanging over Us, ="
says Lunardi, "would have been fatal, if in
one moment Mr. Begin had not the herosm
to relinquish, aud the resolution to 90 alone.
A smaller car is hastily substituted, and, half
dead with bis many anxieties, he PUSHES into it.
There is warm farewell from his personal
friends for every one looks upon his return as
very problematical. The prince and all the
company with one accord take off their hats ;
the ropes are cut, and with the boom Of the
signal gun, the first English balloon rises buoy
emily into the air amid the frantic accama'