Viewing page 84 of 323
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
GARNERIN'S BALLOON. Yesterday forenoon, Colonel Greville received an express from Colchester, with the two following Letters; the first from Captain Sowden to the Colonel himself, the second from M. Garnerin to his confidential friend in London. ^[[1802]] "Dear Greville, Colchester, June 29. "After a delightful voyage of three quarters of an hour, we landed safe at Colchester. Our landing was extremely difficult, on account of the high wind. You may suppose at what a devil of a rate we came at. Your's, &c. "R.C. SOWDEN." EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM MONSIEUR GARNERIN, TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS IN LONDON, DATED COLCHESTER, 29TH JUNE, ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. "I take the earliest opportunity of informing you, that after a very pleasant journey, but the most dangerous descent I ever made, on account of the boisterous weather, and the vicinity of the sea, we alighted at a distance of four miles from this place, and sixty from Ranelagh. We were only three-quarters of an hour on the way. Tonight, I intend to be in London with the balloon, which is all to pieces, as well as the netting. We ourselves are all over bruises." At twelve o'clock last night, neither M. Garnerin or Captain Sowden had returned, and they were not expected till this morning. Probably they slept long and sound after so much fatigue and anxiety, and were afterwards much caressed by the inhabitants and officers in garrison at Colchester, who prevailed on them to remain there all day. The appearance of the balloon we understand excited the utmost astonishment among the country people, and in Colchester. The town was in an uproar all Monday night and yesterday forenoon, and the two travellers much delighted with their reception. - Garnerin, before he entered the car at Ranelagh, exacted from Captain Sowden his word of honour, that he would not require to be landed till he (Garnerin) pleased. Garnerin designed to go as far as he could, and he was only stopped by his approach to the sea. The terms on which Captain Sowden purchased his seat are curious. Colonel Greville contracted that M. Garnerin should go up, and said he would go up with him; Garnerin consented, but the Colonel was persuaded to decline. Colonel Pollen offered Garnerin fifty guineas for the seat, but Garnerin said he could not lett it without Colonel Greville's consent. In the mean time, Captain Sowden applied to Colonel Greville, paid him 200l. for the seat, engaged to go halves in the profit or loss of the Ranelagh Fete (the loss is more than 1000l.), and one of the conditions was, that he should make his will in favour of the Colonel, which he actually did; thus a seat for three quarters of an hour will cost Captain Sowden about eight hundred pounds! Talk of the high price of seats in Parliament! As the General Election is coming on the people of Colchester should choose Captain Sowden. It is not every day they can get a candidate from the clouds! [[new cutting]] M. GARNERIN and his companion Captain SOWDEN, ended their aerial flight on Monday evening at six o'clock, by descending near Colchester, where they sat down to a good supper; and, no doubt, with a good appetite! ^[[1802]] If the following Letter from Captain SOWDEN to Col. GREVILLE be authentic, it is evident, that the Aeronauts must have travelled at a devil of a rate: "Dear Greville, Colchester June 29. "After a delightful voyage of three quarters of an hour, we landed safe at Colchester. Our landing was extremely difficult on account of the high wind. You may suppose at what a devil of a rate we came at. Your's, &c. "R.C. SOWDEN." An Irish Gentleman, born in the West Indies, yesterday observed, that GARNERIN and his fellow traveller would infallibly land in the sea. It was very sagaciously asked by a Gentleman (not an Irishman) yesterday, whether M. GARNERIN could see the Earth when he was above the Clouds. A Morning Paper mentioning the Balloon, says, the Populace pursued it till they lost sight of it. We may infer that the populace took an aerial flight, but wanted gas. The same sagacious Record very gravely, and truly observes, that "had the Sun shone upon it, the effect would have been more striking!" According to the Morning Herald of yesterday, we have a County in the Air, but we have not heard whether Messrs. GARNERIN and SOWDEN are to represent it. [[new cutting]] June 30, 1802 M. GARNERIN and his BALLOON. The public curiosity, which had been so much gratified by the bold expedition of Captain Sowden and M. Garnerin on Monday, were yesterday kept in great anxiety respecting their success, as late in the day no accounts had been received of them. We are happy to state, however, that they alighted tolerably safe on a common four miles beyond Colchester before 6 o'clock. This journey they performed in three quarters of an hour from the time of their ascending at Ranelagh. - The distance is 60 miles, and it is, we believe, the first time so great a space was crossed in so short a period. Unfortunately by the violence of the wind the baloon has been destroyed; but this loss, we hope, will be compensated to the Aeronaut by the additional curiosity that must be excited, and the additional patronage that must be gained to the ascent on Saturday from Lord's Cricket Ground, by the example of this daring enterprise. Indeed, considering the state of the weather, and the wind blowing directly towards the ocean, it required the utmost courage and resolution to undertake it. Many people at Ranelagh wished M. Garnerin to postpone his ascent, but he undauntingly persevered. The firmness of his companion, who made a first attempt in such circumstances, must be greatly admired. The following are the first authentic advices that arrived from the voyagers. That from Captain Sowden was, with much attention to the public feeling, left at Hookham's, to satisfy the universal anxiety. Letter received by Colonel Greville from Captain Sowden: Dear Greville, Colchester, June 29 After a delightful voyage of three quarters of an hour, we landed safe at Colchester. Our landing was extremely difficult, on account of the high wind. You may suppose at what a devil of a rate we came at. Your's, &c. R.C. SOWDEN. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM M. GARNERIN TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS IN LONDON, DATED COLCHESTER, 29TH JUNE, ONE IN THE MORNING. I take the earliest opportunity of informing you, that after a very pleasant journey, but the most dangerous descent I ever made, on account of the boisterous weather, and the vicinity of the sea, we alighted at a distance of four miles from this place, and sixty from Ranelagh. We remained only three quarters of an hour on the road (in the air); to night I intend to be in London with my baloon, which is all to pieces, as well as the netting. We ourselves are all over bruises, &c. We hoped to have been able to have furnished our readers with farther particulars of this interesting voyage, but at one o'clock this morning M. Garnerin and Captain Sowden had not reached town. An Emigrant Priest was heard on Monday afternoon to inform one of his countrymen that an air baloon was always let off to announce the dissolution of Parliament! The whole expence of the two Fêtes of the Pic Nic Society, at Ranelagh, including 500l paid at GARNERIN, was 3000l. The money paid for tickets, and for admission at the doors, amounted only to 2000l. consequently the Subscribers have 1000l. to make good. A paper of yesterday whimsically combines the three great objects of attention on Monday at the West end of the Town. These were "the Royal procession - an exhibition in the pillory - and the ascension of GARNERIN'S baloon!" [[new cutting]] An unfortunate accident happened at Buckingham Gate on Monday afternoon. A gentleman driving in his one horse chaise, just as Garnerin's baloon appeared, was thrown out with great violence, as he turned the corner close by the Horse and Groom public house, and fell on the back part of his head, on the edge of the curb stone. This misfortune was occasioned by the horse taking fright at the concourse of people assembled to see the ascent of the baloon. He was taken to the Westminster Hospital. ^[[June 30. 1802.]] [[new cutting]] The late Duke of Orleans was one of those who ventured up in a BalLoon; but the valve for the descent not answering as it ought, he cut the Balloon with a sabre, and let it come to the ground, which it did gently without any accident. M. Garnerin's aerial voyage on Monday last, was the twenty-fifth which that Gentleman had made. ^[[July 2. 1802.]] It is said, that should the weather prove so unfavourable to-day as to prevent M. Garnerin's ascending with the parachute, Captain Sowden has offered to accompany him again in the car of the Balloon. Captain Sowden, who accompanied M. Garnerin in his late aerial excursion, possesses a very handsome fortune, recently left him by a distant relation.
