Runcorn and Widnes Examiner. — 1874-08-01 (Runcorn, Cheshire, England)

NEUTRAL " WRITER ON "THE FLYING MAN."  TO THE EDITOR OP THE EXAMINER.  observe that your voluminous contemporary in his last issue refers in terms of contempt to those newspapers who could " stoop " to chronicle the cat 3 strophe to poor M. De Groof, "the flying man." The writer says that "the feeling that encourages men to do such utterly ,fool-hardy, useless, and highly dangerous things as to attempt to fly from a balloon is contemptible beyond redemption." The writer, waxing still more angry, goes on to say that "it is time that all right-minded 'people boldly set their faces against this inhuman and debasing class of exhibitions," and that public sentiment should "not rest till stronger prohibitions delivered us," &c., ,Sce. As, I imagine, you did not happen to 4. stoop " to record poor M. De Groof's tragical adventure, and as—you must permit to say—the readers ot the Examiner scarcely get the-r fair share of the record of each week's sanguinary incident and adventure, I must acquit your contemporary ot any desire to draw "odorous capadsons." Nevertheless, there happt ns to be another Eide to the De Groof case besides that which has excited so much " neutral " and inconsiderate indignation. The Spectator in its last issue puts the case in the following terms :  46 M. Groof was obviously sincere, for he trusted his oWn life to his invention, and is no more to blame than a physic:an who tries a new drug on himself, or a' diver who experiments with a new apparatus. Each may lose his life, but that is a risk which, supposing him to be honest, aid n t to intend suicide, he has a right to take. Ta take money for admitting people to see such risks is a very nifferent matter, and it is this, and not the expeiiment itself, which ought to be prohibited. M. Groof was a martyr to mechanics, not criminal, and it he had succeeded would have been itkuoov. ledged as a shrewd and daring discoverer. If we g on at this rate, we shall imprison the next Livingst,o'ne who goes to Africa with insufficient quinine. • • •  - While writing, permit me to q...ote the Daily News on the subject. In a leading article in this day's issue (FritlY, 24th inst.) the writer says :-.-"If it De Groof had come down safely, nothing would have been said about interference; on the contrary, scientific persons would have been interested, and would have putt onised him in a proper manner ;" and proceeds, such exhibitions are brutal and demoralising When they draw together a crowd bent chiefly on wateidug a man put his life in peril. It would be rash to say, h,,wever, that tee majority of those who might go to such an exhibition would go for any such Purpose. They might have a genuine interest—who has not F— in aeronautic experiments. We observe that a number of scientific gentlemen are now awaiting at Woolwich certain experiments in steering a balloon which are to be made by an inventor who is under the patronage of the War Office. We sincerely hope that no acciuent will occur to this inventor, because the Legislature might be asked to deal with this class of experiments also."  Sir, we owe much to our newspaper writers, and no doubt their papers are invariably paved with good intentions, but unless they are our guides and philosophers, as well as our friends, their readers are bound to give them a lesson as well as take one.-1 amp Yours,