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THURSDAY, July 22, 1802.
BALLOONERY.
Last night M. Garnerin was compensated for his manifold disappointments since he came to England. He was retained by the Proprietors of Vauxhall Gardens to let off a Night Balloon; and the weather was as friendly on this occasion as it had been unfavourable when his former experiments were attempted. There was scarcely a breath of wind, and, though it was extremely dark, the atmosphere was uncommonly clear.
Vauxhall Gardens were crowded at an early hour. We have very seldom indeed witnessed so much beauty and fashion at this advanced period of the season. What they had formerly seen appeared only to have whetted their curiosity - and all were on the tiptoe of expectation.
The concert concluded about eleven, and the company immediately flocked to the Eastern walk. On the stage, at its extremity, the balloon was visible. It looked exactly like an immense Windsor pear. In a few minutes it was allowed to rise to about the height of thirty yards. The various fire works attached to it could now be discovered distinctly. Every thing being ready, the fuse was lighted, and the balloon ascended with the most wonderful velocity. At first it took rather a northerly direction, and seemed even to have crossed the river, but it immediately after returned to the south, and hovered exactly above the Gardens.
It had now risen to such an immense height, that scarcely a glimmering of light could be perceived, and every body was afraid lest the fuse was extinguished, and the balloon without taking fire would fly off into the distant regions of space. But in the midst of this anxiety the fireworks in a moment began to go off, and a sight was exhibited which it is impossible for the liveliest imagination to conceive. Wheels, rockets, tourbillions, bombs, &c. succeeded each other, till the fire at last reached the balloon itself, when a grand explosion took place, and the whole horizon was in a blaze.
"A flood of glory burst from all the skies."
We never witnessed such rapture as the spectators expressed. A very grand display of fire-works followed, by Signior Ruggieri. The gardens were most brilliantly lighted up, and a grander evening Vauxhall has never seen.
The crowd of spectators without the walls was far greater. The highways and lanes in the neighbourhood were filled, from side to side, and Westminster Bridge for half an hour was almost completely impassable. During the explosion the balloon must have been visible at any place within twenty miles of London.
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No fewer than four publications have appeared upon Balloons. If any of our Readers wish to be informed upon this subject, we would recommend them one called Aerostatics. It contains a particular account of the Aerial Voyages that have been made, and gives the fullest directions for making those machines. It has a very good Plate by ROBERTS, representing M. GARNERIN descending in a Parachute, and its price is only one shilling.
^[[ July 27. 1802 - handwritten in ink]]
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THE BALLOON.
To the PRINTER of The St. J. CHRONICLE.
^[[July 28. 1802 - handwritten in ink]]
SIR,
PERMIT me to congratulate you as well as the Publick, on the revival of the Balloon. You will agree with me when I remark, that Editors of Newspapers, those indefatigable provisors for our intellectual entertainment, are sometimes barren of incident, and that during the dearth of other provision, they are reduced to the disagreeable necessity of recounting the most marvellous events they can find. Such being the details that are read with the greatest avidity. - An Infant swallowing a knife with two blades, and first voiding the handle by the mouth, and one of the blades by another passage, while the second blade was waiting to be dissolved in the little stomach, appears to be an Anecdote taken up merely for want of one more capable of exciting the publick astonishment. Now, Sir, a Balloon is unquestionably a wonder-exciting object of a much superior order, and the Navigators of it deserve our very great admiration and surprise, both on the score of personal courage, and ingenuity of mind. Yet allow me to hint to these adventurous voyagers, that they might do much more to excite our amazement and gratify our curiosity, if they could rarify themselves and their machine in such a manner, as to rise entirely beyond our solar system, and arrive at those extra regions, so celebrated by the great Author of Paradise Lost. This, Sir, is not by any means, a jaunt so impracticable as you may imagine it. If universal tradition may be credited, it has been frequently explored; nay, it has been said, that some even of my own timid sex, have boldly ventured into the region of vanity. Many discoveries exceedingly curious might here be made by the aerial voyagers; and I can assure you, that their travels would be read by none with more avidity, than many of my own female acquaintances, who would no doubt hear of many articles of their property being found there, which they looked upon as irretrievably lost; and I for one, should be much more entertained by your intelligence from thence, than by a story even surpassing the Infant and the Knife, in the marvellous. It would be a very desirable object, if some regular mode of communication could be established between that region and our terrestrial globe, as by this means many curious things lost on earth might be recovered. Not only the poets of the day, and I may also say those of half a century back, would find their account in it, but also the works and opinions of many learned Judges, grave Moralists, and deep Metaphysicians might be recovered, which are now scarcely to be found even in the upper shelves of a publick library, or the windows of a snuff-shop. There would be no want of constant employment to the correspondence, as new-year and birth-day odes, with a variety of similar productions of genius yearly, I had almost said, weekly, disappear from our planet. If my persuasions can have any effect in inducing the heroes of the air to undertake this journey; they shall be accompanied by my best wishes for their success and safe return.
While they renew the travels of A[[Astolfo?]] to the Moon, upon his Hippogriff, when he [[?]] that region, to bring back the lost wits of Orlando Furioso, I sincerely hope, that no future Aeronaut will have to undertake a similar voyage on account of M. Garnerin and his companions, but that their wits will also return to this earth, and not remain in the clouds, after their bodies have descended from the aerial regions.
This voyage, Sir, is most devoutly to be desired, for the benefit of the Bull family, and likewise for the benefit of the Readers of Newspapers, in which number is your very constant friend.----
OLIVIA.
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ORIGINAL POETRY.
THE AIR BALLOON.
A PIC-NIC ODE.
By BARDD CLOFF, July 6, 1802.
HENCEFORTH to France let Britain yield
The glorious point of castle-building;-
But not those uncouth fabrics, shielding
Rebellious Lords, or Barons bold;
As witness'd oft in days of old,
Where steel-clad Knights were wont to wield
With giant-arm the massy lance!
No - nor those castles stately floating
On the vast deep with sails unfurl'd,
- The admiration of the world!
Built (by many a skilful stroke)
Of native British heart of oak:
The palm in these I'm not for voting
So condescendingly to France;
But yet (to give the Dev'l his due, is fair),
The French can always best build castles in the air!
Soar high, my muse, and try to follow
Fam'd GARNERIN'S aerial flight;
Exert thy nimblest wings aright,
Or his balloon will beat thee hollow!
Behold, he mounts his swinging car,
Join'd by a gallant British Tar!
Triumphant they ascend together,
In spite* of envious wind or weather.
Lo! High among the tow'ring clouds,
Now like a Brace of Gods they ride!
Feasting - not on the empty air -
But sumptuously on pic-nic fare!
Whilst their proud waving flags deride
Earth's creeping things - the gazing crowds!
To them St. Paul's majestic dome
Soon seems diminish'd to a gnat,
Ten thousand feet aloft they roam,
Swift as an eagle in pursuit of prey,
Cutting through trackless air an easy way,
Yet ev'n can hear our gossips chat!
Or, with keen eye, behold a wren or thrush,
Perch'd on a spray of Epping's gooseb'ry bush!
The angry clouds, altho' unable
To cope with the undaunted flying pair,
That dar'd t' invade the regions of the air;
Discharg'd their ire on those below,
Who came in crowds to see the shew,
And drench'd alike the hapless muslin'd fair,
The squeamish beau, and motley rabble
Assembled for a precious stare!
Who 'gainst the ruthless vengeance of the rain,
Sought shelter from their silken shields in vain.
But now, my muse, descend and change thy tune,
Now must thou chaunt of things below -
Sing of disasters full of woe!
Like those beheld the famous fourth of June,†
When London's gallant volunteers
(Despising all ill natur'd sneers,
With banners waving in the air,
Wrought by their leaders' ladies fair)
So bravely stood their ground in arms
Against most dire and dread alarms -
'Till Gen'ral Rain's superior force
Caus'd the brave gay clad ranks to yield;
Made ev'ry woman, man, and horse,
Fly from the delug'd slipp'ry field;
Forc'd many heroes, highly tir'd,
To use the musket for a prop;
Whilst others faint and hungry fir'd
Pop - pop - pop!
Thus now amongst the gazing throng
A scene commenc'd of uproar dire,
The dripping fair ones tripp'd along,
Up to their tott'ring knees in mire!
Their robes clung like transparent paste,
Close as a leech to the slim waste,
Displaying forms - man's soul to charm!
What heart from love could then refrain?
They made the stoic's bosom warm,
Amid the chilling wind and rain,
A finer treat, to peeping beaux, by far,
Than see the Frenchman mount th' aerial car!
As towards home the groupes repair'd,
All eyes upon them rudely star'd,
Yea some, who were not of the crowd,
Maliciously would laugh aloud!
The milliners - those pretty little thieves,
Smil'd too, with countenances quite bewitching!
And many tailors, grinning in their sleeves,
Were seen, as on the shopboards they sat stitching.
New caps, new gowns, new coats, all seem'd to say,
Must now become the order of the day.
The doctors too, whose primness scare ye,
And ev'ry stiff-back'd 'pothecary,
Had visibly some lively traces
Of joy indented in their faces.
Some counted what they'd gain by cold,
And agues that would soon abound,
In pieces of most precious gold,
To the sweet tune of many a pound!
And thus th' aerial shew a charming thing was found!
* M. Garnerin in his advertisement said, that he would positively ascend on the day appointed, in spite of wind or weather.
† The grand review in Hyde Park the 4th of June, 1800.
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For The ST. JAMES'S CHRONICLE.
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A Frenchman accounted to his friend for the ascent of M. Garnerin's Balloon at the present time, by observing "that it was customary in this nation always to send up a balloon at the Dissolution of Parliament." This ingenious remark gave occasion to the following Lines:- ^[[July 1802 - handwritten in ink]]
OF late, when London in amaze,
Ran all into the fields to gaze;
While o'er St. Paul's, on clouds bestrode,
The Aeronautick Heroes rode;
"Mon Dieu! what monster in the Skies!"
Jacques to his kinsman shrugging cries.
"Pogh! answer'd Monsieur with a sneer,
That's nothing strange in England here:
The fiery gas to warm debate
That's stored within St. Stephen's gate,
And oft makes such a rout therein,
As frightens Europe with the din;
If let, when Parliament is out,
Abroad, might ravage all about;
And therefore for the publick good,
A wise precaution is pursued;
The fiery vapours yet unspent,
In air-balloon are always pent;
Then from the earth are borne on high,
To Milton's realm of vanity."
M.
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ORIGINAL POETRY.
_______
THE PARACHUTE.- AN ODE.
(BEING INTENDED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE AIR BALLOON, A PIC-NIC ODE, PUBLISHED IN THE MORNING POST, 31ST OF JULY LAST.)
By BARDD CLOFF.
AGAIN, my Muse, prepare to sing,
Again prepare thy wings for flight;
Soar - and bedim a mortal's sight -
Trace GARNERIN'S stupendous swing!
His praise to all the world declare,
And crown him Emp'ror of the Air!
On pleasing London gazers bent,
At last, he made his bold descent;
Plung'd downward from the lofty sky,
The curious world to gratify,
And set our beaux and ladies swooning!
Yea - bent on giving Jonny Bull,
At last, his honest belly full,
Of AIR BALLOONING! │
On ev'ry side were steadfast eyes
Devoutly turn'd towards the skies;
I mean not folks their sins repenting,
Or weeping widows, quite forlorn,
The loss of husbands dear lamenting,
Or children, from their bosoms torn; -
But num'rous gazing eyes uplifted
From crowds, like rapid torrents, drifted,
To have a sight of GARNERIN,
Descending in the grand machine,
That would so elevate his fame,
Or break his neck - 'twere all the same!
For thousands, in sweet dust beclouded,
Fill'd all the spacious streets around;
Nor did a single spot of ground
(Excepting only the Parade,
Where none could peep, unless they paid*)
Remain uncrowded!
The cobwebb'd trapdoors open flew,
And soon each roof was well bestrode,
'Till cracking underneath its load;
And some were happy to have got
Well seated on a chimney pot;-
All ranks were eager for a view.
Prim ladies - misses - jolly dames-
As if they flew from spreading flames!
Like soldiers storming a redoubt-
Clim'd the steep ladders to behold the shew,
Regardless of all peeping eyes below:
And thus the houses were turn'd inside out!
Anon the great Balloon up pops!
And, like a monstrous globe appears;
Or, like the heads of modern crops,
Robb'd of their ears!
Beneath it hung the Parachute,
Shap'd like a hugeous Bond-street [[boss?]];
And Monsieur GARNERIN below,
Quite at his ease, peep'd thro' the toe!
Thus he advanc'd, light as a feather,
Through tracts immense of limpid aether,
Usurping, on yon airy plains,
The royal eagle's wide domains,
And his fam'd winged pow'rs defying.
Not much unlike his Gallic master;
Whose grand exploits fly rather faster
Than Fame herself - tho' always flying.
At length, the fam'd aerial lord,
With keen knife, cut the hanging cord!
Down swiftly dropp'd the pendant car,
Like Lucifer, the morning star!
At once, ten thousand shrieks were heard
From the sweet throats of British belles;
Who, pleas'd, had on the housetops stat'd,
But, then, would fain be hid in cells.
Some dropp'd, as quick, the pearly tear,
For the brave man they held so dear;
Grieving to see the air's great king
Within his own dominions swing!
And thought his fame and glory ended,
When thus 'twixt heav'n and earth suspended.
But he, with wreaths of glory crown'd,
Soon reach'd, unhurt, our dirty ground,
Resembling some old demi-god!
Alas! what has poor earth to spare
For the brave heroes of the air?
She's scarcely worthy to be trod:
Yet, since they deign to light upon her,
Let us be grateful for the honour.
*See M. Garnerin's account of his descent.
^[[Oct.1802- handwritten in ink]]
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The Pantheon is every day crowded with people of fashion and amateurs, who come to examine Mr. GARNERIN'S aerostatic machines; every body seems pleased with the ingenuity of this aeronaut, who durst first trust to a parachute to descend from the highest regions of the air. General MONEY in particular, so well known by his aerial voyages, admired this vast apparatus, and offered to go himself in a car above the parachute, in order to save the balloon; but Mr. GARNERIN would not endanger the life of any individual before he has tried that experiment himself; therefore he declined the General's generous offer. It is nevertheless thought that at his next ascension he will accept of the offers several Gentlemen have made him, to share both the expence and pleasure of an aerial voyage.
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COLLEY CIBBER, of facetious memory, compared the amusement of Coursing to "being melancholy mad for two hours, and stark mad for two minutes." But had CIBBER witnessed, on Monday last, two or three hundred thousand persons standing for two hours under a heavy rain before the Gallic Adventurer ^[[x - handwritten in ink ]] started from Lord's Cricket Ground, and for a sport that lasted but one minute only, he might have thought the Company all raving mad. If a few of the many thousands of pounds so unprofitably spent on that day had been directed by high and low Adventurers in the rapidly approaching and advantageous Lottery, what sums of money might have been won! - and how many individuals, under a cloud all their life-time before, might have ascended and approached the sun-shine of Good Fortune, and especially, if such Lottery Tickets or Shares had been bought at POPE'S 'Fortunate Office,' Royal Exchange, close by the Bank.
^[[x Monsieur Ganarin the Aeronaut.- handwritten in ink]]
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The Eagle can fly in a minute, 6013 English feet.- M. GARNERIN'S balloon went at the rate of 6492. A Hawk belonging to Henry the 2d, King of France, flew away from Fountainbleau, and was caught 24 hours after at the island of Malta. In that time, therefore, this animal had travelled 1000 English miles, which make about 42 miles per hour, or 3696 feet per minute. At the rate at which M. GARNERIN'S balloon proceeded, it would go round the Globe in 13 1/2 days, allowing the circumference of it to be 2400 miles, which is double the velocity with which Diamond and Hambletonian run against each other, and with about half the swiftness of a carrier pigeon, one of which went, in the year 1779, from London to Tipton Church, in Staffordshire, which is 110 miles, in 53 minutes.
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