Balloon Ascent.
The Times, 1824-07-02T00:00:00

It was announced some`days;ago that Mr. Rossiter, one of the late AMr. Harris's committee, and the uncle, we believe, of his widow, wvould ascend yesterday in the same balloon which had ?roved fatal to that unfortunate gentleman, for the benefit of his widow and faamily. Something was also said about a young noble. man, who was to bave come of age on that day, ascending with him. The place fixed upon for the ascent was the garden of the Bedford Arms public-house, Cauiden-town--the time faur o'clock. Long before thathour arrived, numbers of persons of all conditions were to hesen Moving along Tottenham-court-road, and as it approached nearer, the crowdsfiockingtowardsCamden.town in all directions.both om foot and in vehicles, increased rapirlly. WVe were con.iderablv disappointed, therefore, at the comparativelv few individuals who appeared within the gardens the others estimnating the gratification of their curioity at a hundred per cent. less; and therefore re- maining on the cheaper side of the walls. Still, however, the num- ber inside, not taken relatively, was verY considerable; and we were gratified to lean, tbat uttuards of 3,000 tickets had been sold. The proces& of inflation commenced at about half-past two o'clock, ;d proceeded ratber slowly. The balloon, whish we described fi on a former occasion, was attached to a platform about five feet *e,;gh; and also held fast by ropes fastened to poles erected CI sorne distance from the platform. Air. Rossiter himself took an active part in superintending the arrangements. He is a thin middle.aged man, and was dressed in a plain suit of blsc. We saw nothing, however, of his intended noble companion: perbaps his Lordship, upon reaching his fell age, at. tainec at the same moment his age of discretion. In the mean time two candidates presented themselves for the vacant seat in the caT; one was 5lr. Richmond, of Bow-street, the other a Mr. St. Auben, who tsuted that he had alreadv made an aerial excursion, having as- cended with his father in aballoon fromsome part of France (Nantes, 'se under,stood). Mrs. Rqssiter having expressed a great reluctance to her husband ascending witheut some person who bad been up before, the committee decided. in favour of Mlr. St. Auben's claim. Be is a gentlemanly looking young man, apparently about 20or22 years of age. At about five o'cloc.k, the inflation being com. .-leted., the car wyas atta6hed to the balloon. Several bags of sand, nd au couple of pigeons, were put into it. Air. Rossiter then came for ward to the edge of the platform, and addressed the persons near hint: he said that he had to return them his most grateful acknow- ledgments on bebalf of the wi4ow and friends of the late Mfr. Har. rsa, for their kind support upon this occasion. He felt great plea. sure in exhibiting tD them in return, a most beautiful piece of mechanism; and he trusted soon to be able to show them tbat its security was equal to itsbeauty. He then bade them farewell, .3midst warm and heartv cheers, and prayers for his safety. All his friends shook him by the hand as indeed did every person wbo was aile to reach him. The scene at this moment was one of verv in. tense interest. Air. Rossiter was himself In deep mourning for a near rMative, who had but a short period before met his fate by a sinmlar exrDeriment in that very machine; and he was sur- rounded by his wife and children, also in black. When, there. fo rehe took leave of his children, particularly the younger ones, .on tbe platform, and stepped into the car, the feelings of the spec- tators may be more easily fancied than described. As soon as he was seated, he took off his hat and put on a sealskin cap. We thought we cauld observe in his countenance a consciousness of the danger hr was about to encounter. Mr. St. Auben mounted the car nearly at the same time When just stepping in, his cheek appeared to blanch for a momn>st, but he instantly recovered his intrepidity - and uS soon as the baUoorn was detached from its fastenings, and began to ascend, he stood up boldly, and taking off his hat, waved it to the people. The balloon, however, was either not suElicdently Inflated, or there was too much ballast in the car; for no roonerhad it quittedtheplatform afew yards,thanitfellto the ground. Some ballast was immediately thrown out, and it arose a lit'le, but it amme against the corner of an out house, from which there was some didcLlty in getting it clear. Mr. St. Auben again tossed out a few bzgefrnmnd. =nd it besan to ascend steadlly until it came in contact with one ofthe poles, whicb held it for a moment or two, and excited considerable apprehensions lest the top of it, aainst which the wind ressed itv;ith great force, shouldpenetrate thebaUoon. It soon, how- w disengaged itself, and being then clear of all obstacles, it arose .a3esticIly to a considerable height, and proceeded north-easttward. There being a fresh breee at the time, and the sky being much clouded, although the clouds did not hang low, the voyagers, or rather the beautiful m achine that sustained them, only re. rained in sight for about five or six minutes, when, entering a dense fleece of vapour, it was completely veiled from our view. In aboutfiveminutesatterwards, themost painful alarm was excited by its re-appearance, as it was supposed, descending rapidly. The balloon ?eemed to have emitted the greater parr of the gas, and hung heavily en one side, which caused a clumsy rotatory motion, It was at too great a diRtance tn discern the car, but from the evident velocity with which it w,as app:oaching the earth, all hope of the unfortunate seronauts' safety was abandoned; and the general ejaculation was, " Oh ! Gol, they are dead men." The alarm, however, subsided, upon its being stated that the object in view was only a kind of pilot balloon rent up from some part of the city. At half-past six o'clock, one of the pigeons arrived at a house in Old-street, St. Luke's, with a label fastened to it, ststingthat a safe descent had be effected at a place called Havering park, within 3 mles of Rumford. The owner of the house immedlately proceeded w;ith the pigeon to the Bedford Arms, where the gratifying communi. cation was read from a balcony to the friends of the parties, who ze. ceived it vwith loud cheers. At about half-past ten o'clock, Mr. Rossi. tr and Mr. St. Auben arrived at the Bedford Arms in a post-chaise, with the balloon strapped on the top. BALLOON ASCENT.