Litchfield enquirer., 1857-12-24

tons of nearly 100000 spectators, who only
a moment before, had been indtfgiig in the
louoest shouts Of menace "Insensible," said
the Morning Post Of the next day, "must
that heart be which did not feel as if anxious
and interested at that moment for the fate of
him who intrcpidly stepped into his seat, and
Fhaeten-like, seized the rens which were to
guide the charo of the SUM-
At the distance of about twenty yards, it
descended towards the ground but, continues
the reporter in the same style, reused by
a1ftbitlon and spirit Of philosophical researches,
Mr.. Lunardi rebukcd its fear, and gave swift
ness to its airy fight" In the account of his
trip, which Lunardi published soon after, he
enters at length into his sensations Il saw"
he says. "al London beneath me like an
enormous beehive. but the industry of it was
suspended. AL the moving mass seemed to
have no object but myself and the transition
from the suspicion and contempt Of the prece-
ding hour, to the aff;ctionate transport. admi-
ration and glory Of the present, was not with
out its effect Oh my mind"
He tells that the critics are wrong in hold
ing terror to be an ingredient in every sublime
sensation, for he never was freer from appre-
henson III his life, and speaks in ecstacies of
the motion, compared with which, "the broom
sticks Of the witches, Ariostos fying-horse,
and even MIlton's sunbeam conveying the an
gel to the earth, have all an idea of effort diff
hculty and restraint' At halfpast three he
descended in corl,-fed near South Mimms in
Hertfordshire, where he landed cat that he
had brought with him, and again re-ascended
He contrved to bring himself down by work
ing with his oars, and had therefore expended
none of his gas. After an hours further jour-
ney, during which he wrote and threw down
several letters to his friends, he finally lowered
himself over meadow in the parish of Ston-
don, near Ware Some laborers were at work
underneath him, and Lunard begged their as
sistance to secure the balloon, but they all ap-
peared horror-struck, and refused to move.
One excused himself because he was too short :;
another said he did not like the look of it :;
and third honestly declared he would have
nothing to do with one who came on the "dev-
IFS horse" Upon his nearer approach, they
fairly took to their heels and the disembark-
alton would have been attended with great
danger, had it not been for the spirit of a
young girl who grasped E. rope which Lunardi
threw her, and held it till General Smith and
other gentlemen who had followed him from
London on horseback, came up The new
Corners aided in securing the machine, and bore
off Lunardi in triumph to the Bull Inn at
Ware, and afterwards to Bayford Bury, the
seat of Mr.. Barker, the member for Hartford
Such was the prosperous ending of the first
aerial excursion in England. Lunardi, of
course became the lion of the town. The
journals were filled with cdes in praise of his
daring the king sent for him to court, and
the lordmayor feasted him in the city. In the
curious little brochure published on the occa-
sion, he recounts with great gravity many in
cidents connected with his journey. While he
lowered over London, George III was hold
ing cabinet council On being told the bal
loon was passing, his majesty said: ave
may resume our deliberations at pleasure, but
we may never see poor Lunardi again." The
conference Immediately broke up, and the king
and Mr.. Pitt took their telescopes. One young
lady mistook one of the oars which he acct
dtntally dropped from the balloon for the aer-
onaut himself and was so affected with the
circumstance that she took to her bed and died
soon after. A judge to whom he mentioned
this circumstance, at the Mansion-house din
ner, told him not to be concerned at the loss
ne mao OccaSlOhcd, TOT ne nad undoubtedly
saved the life of notorious house-breaker,
whose jury were SO amazed at the novel sight
over the Old Bailey, that they ncontincntly
returned verdict Of acquttal.
The success Of his first attempt induced Lu-
nardi to make several other trials in various
parts of the Kingdom. The year following he
went to Edinburgh where he made two as
c, ITS from the gardens of Heriot's Hospital
the last Of which considerably cooled his pas
sion for acronautics as, the winds being un-
propitious he fell into the sea near the Isle of
May, and after bath Of many hours. was
picked up by some frhermen, half dead with
cold and hunger.-Cham6er's Journal.