The Sun. — 1838-07-19 (London, England)

BALLOON.— 1 llesClay a considerable number of persons were attracted to the grounds of the Royal Stantlatd Tavern, at kinxton, 'and some thousands to the fields and other places adjacent, to witness, anrusgst other amusements, the aerial flight of Mrs. Graham and another female, with her Royal Victoria Balloon. A similar exhibition had been announced for last M.ai day se'nuight, but in the evening, although th:Te had been an ins. mense expenditure of gos, the bailoon was not sufficiently inflated, and an ascent was impracticable—a disappointment which Mrs. Graham, who seemed to have unbounded faith in the powers of her machine, et tributed to the bad quality of the gas ; while the officers or the Gas Company asserted that they had supplied in waste an enormous quantity of ga+, but might as well have attempted to fill a sieve ! It had, in f.:ct, been most off•nsivtly evident to tile sum_ rounding company, that—at every roll of the balloon—the Las pour. d through it on as sides. Since this, however, it appears to have undergone a thorough repair, arid to have bees freshly varnished, and at an early hour yesterday morning it WAS conveyed to the ground, and there suspended, the inflation having been previously effec'ed at the Independent Gas Company's premises. It was in:ended that the ascent should take place shortly before the time fixed for that of the great Na— sal' balloon from Vauxhall, and accordingly Mrs. Graham entered the car, and Mrs. Brading, wife of the proprietor of the Royal Standard, was following, as the companion of her voyage; but at the raorneat when the persons who were holding down the car were preparing to" let-go," a fissure of about a yard in extent was observed in the lower part of the bob loon ; and Mrs. Graham, being made aware of it, uttered a slight act cam, and ha •tily retreated from the car. At the same moment, however, Mr. Adams, a friend of •her's, jumped in, declaring that he would make ' the voyage himself ; and causing the balloon to be released he did ac. cardingly attempt it ; but the machine as it rose struck against and demolished ore of the firework devices, and afterwards against the corner  el a building near the grounds, and then fell in a field in the neigh bourhood. Adams furtunate'y escaped uninjured, and the assembled thousands di pea sal. The crowd outside vented their disaßointed feel ings in an attack u;.on the house, and would have done serious mischief but far the promptitude.of the police. Shortly after the accident above stated the Vauxhall balloon was seen sailing in the finest possible style towards Essex. The company at the Royal Standard consoled them. selves with the view of this for the disappointment they had just experienced, and remained promenading in the pleasant gardens to witne various entertainments that had been provided, including singing a... 1 dancing, a vaudeville and a display of fireworks.  On Friday evening last a desperate attempt at suicide was made in Kensington Gardens. A few minutes after eieh. O'clock, as a party of ladies were walk log in a retired part of the Gardens, nearly opposite Kensington Turnpike, they discovered a wet'_ dressed young female of prepossessing appearance extended on her back at full length on the grass, having an open penknife in her hand, with which she had attempted self-destruction by cutting both her arms across close to the elbows. On seeing the unfortunate woman, Cie notice immediately recognised her to be a female named Catherine Mahony, until lately residing in Pembroke.square, Kensington, who a few days since was charged before Mr. Barlow the sitting Magistrate at Kensington, with having insulted a young man named William Bennett, whom she alleged hat seduced her, and by whom she is eraciente, when, refusing to promise not to molest him in future, she was committed to prison in default of bail, and liberated only on Thursday last. The hemorrhage having been stopped, she was canveyed on the stretcher to St. George's Hospital. In her bosom was found a paper on which was written—" I hereby freely forgive all and every person or persons, with the exception of the individual who incarcerated me in prison..—Cathe. rine Mahony. I, Catherine Mahouy, request that the clothes I may wear at any death may be buried with me. July 13, IS3ii," Mn.