The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-02

lrrom the scenuhc American.l
Wonderful Balloon Ascent for scien
tifc FurpOses----Greatest High
Ever Attained by Man.
A few weeks since we gave an accoun
Of the second balloon ascent made a
Wolverhampton, England, by Mr.. Clash.
er Of the Greenwich Observatory and Ny
Coxwell, a distinguished @rOnaut, for III,
purpose Of making observations Cor sci.
entitic purposes, as a committee Of III,
Association for the Advancement of Sci.
ence. Since that period they have mad,
another @rial voyage, making six alto
gether, three from Che Crystal Palace and
the same number from Northampton
This last voyage was the most interest
ing Of all, and In some respects the mos
wonderful ever made, as the daring gro
nauts attained TO a higher elevation than
ever had been reached before by hum an
beings. This last ascent took place on the
9TH Of September.
Mr. Coxwell was the manager Of the
aerial machine, and the attention Of Mr..
GlaislIer Was devoted to the reading and
the registering Of his instruments. These
consisted Of hygrometers, barometers and
thermometers IA 3-feet barometer which
had been specially constructed for the
voyage, a stereoscOpic camera and a set
of extremely sensitive dry plates for the
purpose Of taking photograph of the
appearance OF the clouds and with
view to watch the effect of the upper air
on winged life, Mr.. Glaisher likewise pro.
vided himself with half-a-dozen pigeons
the experiments upon which proved Of a
most interesting character
The balloon was capable Of co ntaining
10000 cubic feet of coal gas, but only
10000 feet were used. IL was obtained
at the Wolverhampton Gas Works, and
the superintendent made it expressly for
the purpose of less specific gravity than
was ever before used. This was 0340,
the ordinary burning gas being O470.
The balloon was set at liberty at ] p. NJ,
and it rose slowly and maiestically,
taking a course almost southwest. Dur
ing the ten minutes or quarter of an hour
that ii remained in sight the balloon was
seen by hundreds Of people; but sud-
denly, at an altitude of about a mile, it
became lost in belt Of dark grey clouds
that enshrouded the earth from the
tiercer rays Of the sun. These clouds
Mr.. Glaisher states were 1000 feet thick,
and seemed to be saturated with water.
AS the balloon rose this dampness grad
ually diminished, and q greater difference
became apparent between the dry and
wet bulb, and, on reaching their highest
the a3rOnauts observed no dew
whatever. Immediately on passing
through the clouds, the scene which pre-
sented itself was grand beyond descrip-
ton. The beginning Of their journey |
had been performed in an atmosphere that |
was darkened and humid but now they |
suddenly shot up into an expanse Of |
ethereal blue. Below them was
the earth resembling a planet. II was
ike looking on country whose frozen
surface extended as far as the eve could /
each deep crevice and dark raVine con-
rasted boldly with the lighter and more
leecy clouds that lowered aloft and
taught the streaming sunshine. Some
we're white as snow others black,
lark grey and of shapes fantastic. One
would rear its lofty head on baseless
ITEM and throw its neighbOrs into
hade as black as night; another like
bald bluff crag, would sail with
majesty becoming its immensitv.
Trough minor clouds surrounding ii
nd a third, more light and delicate.
would change its place and hue as often
s the voyagers could observe il. Added
0 this was strong sunlight, which for
few moments became so intense that
lr. Glaisher had 10 shade his instru-
nents. When a favorable opportunity
resented itself the camera was brought
INTO requisition, out the balloon was as
ending with such yeloeiiy-owing TO
he expansion of the gas, and the lighter
haracter Of the tmosphere-that Mr..
FLASHER faded TO obtain a single pic
urL AT three miles high the machine
vas rising at fearful pace; the 10000
eet Of gas had expanded 10 10000 and
vas oozing out of the safety valve at the
,otton Of the balloon Mr.. Coxwell.
owever, fearing that they might be ap-
roaching the sea, and having nothing
nat supposition 10 judge by, determined
D make the best OF his time, and though
he velocity was such as 10 give a rotary
notion TO the balloon, be threw out more
allast and higher and higher rose the
oyagers, attaining an altitude where the
old became intense, and where Mr..
oxwell, who, from having under
one great exertiOn, found the power !
breathing extremely difficult and
oppressive. BY Mr.. Glaisher, hove (
yer, no such unpleasant sensation was
even the intense cold
G remained in q state Of perfect quiet
q one time the balloon was ascending /
18th such rapidity that il created a rush
f wind, which the yoyogers at first be-
eyed 10 arise from q current Of air into |
hitch they were just entering. Bot
ais was not the case, for the same cur
INT prevailed throughout the whole Of
be journey, and apparently al a uniform
peed.