The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-27

short dispatch from Paris, published
Ia tho Times a few days ago. announced
she finding az the balloon Saladan among
,hc mountains OF Sierra del Phedroza, IN
Spain. The Saiadin, OF which probably
only few fragments and shreds OF ciotn
now remain. was constructed at the Royai
Arsenal, Woolwich, England. about four
wears ago. and during the summer OF 1851
4, was lent by the British War Department
TO the Meteorological Society, who used u
IN take observations OF the atmosphere
The balloon was not made OF suH,
but OF stout calico, dressed insluc
and ont with oil, and Il was re-
garded as one Of the strongest ever yer
made. Its cubical contents were 5o,ovV
feet. When inflated with hydrogen gas II
lifted 20 pounds for every l,OOo CUBIC iee''
and with coal gas 40 pounds Tor i,oVV GU.
bic feet. Such balloon, IN the OPINION OF
the most prominent aeronauts IN efeat
Britain, ought 10 have been capanie oil
supporting the weight OF ITS car ana one
man for several days. even II only hali IN
lated. Early in the afternoon OF Deem
Der 10, 1881, the Saladln assembled from the
ancient city OF Bath, in England, carrying
Captain John Templer, OF the Meteorologi.
cal Office; Captain A. Gardner, ana
MIR. Walter Powell, member OF Par
lament for Malmesbury, an enthu-
siastic amateur In aerostatlcs. MI
Powell's fearlessness In ballooning
had become proverb among his friends,
and he had often expressed his determlna-
ton 10 crsss the Atlantic through the air.
THE balloon went up 1000 feet, and Cap
tain Tcmpler took the temperature ut that
altitude: the wind carried the balloon in q
a 0pfeI-
mined TO make n landing at BridrOrt, on
the cliffs overlooking the channel. III was
late i'm the afternoon when the aero
nauts. having cruised about at distances
VARYING from 1000 TO G,000 feet above the
earth's surface. began to descend near the
cliffs. Here there appears to have been
some difficulty. At any rate, the Saladin
went toward the earth with alarming IA
piditv, and as II neared the ground Cap
tain Tcmpler rolled out, holding the valve
string. Freed OF Templer's weight the
balloon shot up again about eight feet. and
CAPTAIN Gardner fell from the car, breaking
one OF his legs as he reached the ground.
Templer felt the yalve-rope slipping away
from him, and called to Powell TO throw
himself out and come down on the rope,
but he renamed In the car, which suddenly
broke away from Templer, and went up to
fearful height. 1t passed over Bridport
h sight OF all the town and over the waters
OF tue channel, when ii became lost in the
lowering snow-clouds. At distance eX-
cited watchers on the cliffs saw dark mass
falling, and when Templer, having found
some one to take care Of his crippled COM
panion, reached the town, he was told
that the balloon had dropped into the
sea. This statement he did not believe,
but nevertheless he chartereda steamer and
went in search Of the ballon and Powell.
That day, while the light lasted, and all
che next day, and next they grappled and
dragged the waters, but TO no purpose.
Meanwhile the theorists came 10 the front.
No real aeronaut would believe that the
Saladin had fallen; the balloon would
probably land on the French coast between
st. Malo and Brest, they said, and as there
were no telegraph-wires or railroads
or even omnibuses in that part OF
France, Il would be days before any
tidings OF Mr.. Powell could be re-
eeived. The first tidings q him have
now been received, more than thirteen
months after his disappearance. The wreck
OF the balloon discovered in the Spanish
Mountains settles the dispute a. TO the
strength OF that pride of the aeronaut; it I'M
doubleday did not pitch into the channel,
but half-inflated with gas, sailed through
the air for many days. But while the tat
tered rags and splintereL wood which
formed ii have been rotting among the
peaks OF Spain, the bones OF the intrepid
aeronaut have been whitening beneath the
waters Of the English channel.