Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-02
LOST IN A BALLOON.
How Member Of Parliament Pow
ell was Carried out to Sea
and Perhaps Drowned.
The Account OF Captain Temple
Orthe Royal Engineers.

TWO hundred pounds reward for the
recovery Of Walter Powell, Esq, M. p,
who was carried away alone in the gov
eminent balloon Saladin, from Bridge
port, at 8 pm, Saturday, 10th December;
BOO to the first finder Of the balloon or
any portion Of il; ESQ for any informa-
ton. Balloon supposed to have gone in q
southeastern direction. Application to be
made to Messrs. Robinson, Preston q
Snow at SO Lincoln's Inn Fields, Lon
don.
Captain Temple, of the Royal En-
gineers, wrote as follows TO the mete-
geological Office
regret to report that on Saturday,
December 10, | assembled at Bath, ac-
cOmpanied by MIR. Walter Powell and
Mr.. Agg Gardner, at 81 minutes past
| pm, for the purpose Of taking the
temperature OF the air and and the
amount Of snow in the air for the me-
neurological Office. | cleared the snow
clouds at 1000 feet altitude. The
temperature Of those clouds was go,
and the wet bulb thermometer read 26o
At 1900 feet we passed over Wells, the
time being 2h. and Som. At this
height | worked over Glastonbury; the
temperature now rose to 4l0, and the
sky was perfectlyselear. | passed then
between Somerton and Langport, and
| here found that | was in a north
one-half west current. | asked Mr..
Powell to send the balloon up to 5000
feet to ascertain the temperature of a
small bank Of cirrus. | found this
temperature TO be 3lo, and then |
asked him to place me at 1000 feet al
titude to regain the north one-half
west current, and then we came in
view Of CreWkerne. | now kept at a
low altitude until | reached Beamin-
ster. Mr.. Powell here observed that
we we're going at thirty miles an hour,
and here we heard the first o a of the
sea. The balloon suddenly rose to
1000 feet. AT this time l said to Mr..
Powell, go down to within 100 feet
Of the earth and ascertain our exact
position" VIZ cossted along close
to the ground until We reached Sym
Onsbury. | here called to a II and
asked him how far the distance was to
Bridport, and he said about a mile.
l asked Mr.. Powell to take in" our
pace, now increasing TO thirty-fye
miles an hour, To avoid the little
village of type, Mr.. Powell threw out
some ballast. This took US to 1900
feet elevation, and VIC had still two
miles to get 10. | opened the valve
and descended about one hundred and
fifty yards short of the cliff. The
balloon, on touching the ground, drag
gcd a few feet. and | rolled out of the
car with the valve in my hand. This
caused the balloon TO ascend about
eight feet, when Mr.. Gardner dropped
of, and unfortunately broke his leg.
| found that the rope was being pull
ed through my hands, and | called to
Mr.. Powell, who was standing in the
car, to come down the line. He teok
hold of the line, and in a few more
seconds the line vas torn through my
hands. The balloon rose rapidly. Mr..
Powell waved his hand to me, and |
took his compass bearings ana found
that he was going in a south half east
direction. Some men coming up,
| placed MIR. Gardner in their
charge, and sent word 10
the Coastguard and Bridport harbor
master to keep a good lookout and ia
lFo on with boats. | theu proceeded to
Bridport and telegraphed to the
commanding officer Of royal engineers
Weymouth, to have a steamer in read
mess for me to go in search [ PRO
ceeded to Weymouth and found thu
steamship Commodore with steam up
| here received a telegram from
Bridport harbor master saying that
the balloon had been seen to drop in
the sea south Of Bridport. | at once
proceeded to sea, searched the alleged
place Of his descent, making due al.
lowance for the wind and current.
This proving unsuccessful, | crossed
the channel till we sighted the Cas-.
quets Lights, and her returned in .
northwest direction, ultimately reach
ing Weymouth about 8 am. on Sun
day morning, and have organized
further search. | am of opinion that
what was seen to fall into the sea was
not the balloon, but part of the gear,
thrown out to Tighten it, as the balloon
would not have fallen so close TO the
| shore to be visible abOut + n m.
THE BALLOON.
The Daily Telegraph adds the fol.
lowing details; The car of the haIloor
being Of wicker work would, ifemntv
float, but would be barely visible On
the surface of the water, II was
probably. however. weighted tn soma
extent perhaps by the pTapnel anchor
which weighs sixty.six poupds and
almost certainly by the small store.
usually carried with a balloon snch q.
a clock, field glasses, wind gauge and
thermometer. which wonld WEIGH il
the aggregate about forty nounds Thl
color Of the envelope would assist n
concealing it from discovery, heinz
q cen and orange, and III Is COME tured
that, when freed of Gas. 4 would soon
sink. The balloon itsslf weighs ar
pounds, tho cordaQe about r. Civ
pounds the valve at tho ton n]ioetes,
pounds, and the hsop nineteen nonnd,
more. The weight Of Tho or wa,
eighty mounds. and il ~usnailv csrr;ed
With three passengers abont 5Of
noundo nf boIlas. IT, !. ~