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[[title]]ASCENT OF MR. GRAHAM'S BALLOON.[[/title]]
^[[July 7 1875?]]
The inhabitants of this place (Cambridge) and its neighbourhood were gratified by the ascent of Mr. Graham, with his balloon, on Tuesday evening last. It being fourteen years since Mr. Sadler ascended from Cambridge, the novelty of the spectacle attracted an immense concourse of persons from the towns and villages within a distance of twenty miles. The individuals who paid for admission we should presume were nearly 3,000, whilst the numbers who occupied the Castle-hill and every elevated spot in the vicinity, as well as the streets and roads near the place of ascent, were unprecedented. The only convenient spot which Mr. Graham could engage was a large farm-yard on Mount Pleasant, where the inflation of the balloon commenced at twelve o'clock. Mr. Graham intended to have begun earlier, but the van by which the sulphuric acid was conveyed being overturned about eighteen miles from London, did not arrive till the middle of the day, and several of the vessels containing the vitriol having been broken, a considerable quantity of the acid was lost. The balloon appeared to be rapidly filling for the first two hours, when Mr. G. found it requisite to obtain more oil of vitriol in the town, but was unable to procure so great a quantity as had been lost. At about half-past six the car was attached to the balloon; and the preparations being completed n a short time afterwards, the intrepid aeronaut stepped into the car, but in consequence of a deficiency of gas, he was obliged to leave the grappling irons behind. He then took off his coat, which he also threw over, and bowing to the spectators, who greeted him with reiterated cheers, he directed the cords to be loosened, when the balloon rose steadily, and in the most beautiful style, the evening being remarkably serene. It went up so directly perpendicular, that five minutes after the ascent, he threw out a parcel of newspapers, some of which fell on the platform from whence the balloon was launched. In about six minutes after he dispatched some more papers, which were exactly seven minutes reaching the ground. He threw out a third parcel of newspapers, many of which were picked up at New Town. The balloon took a south-easterly direction, passing directly over Cambridge, and remained in sight fourteen minutes, when it entered a cloud; about ten minutes after, the balloon was again visible, and continued in sigh until it descended beyond Gogmagog Hills.
The aeuronaut informs [[us?]], that after passing through the clouds, the balloon rose rapidly, and required nos mall degree of skill to manage it, there being so much difference between hydrogen and carbonated hydrogen gases. Although the evening was cloudy, he experienced a great change above the clouds, getting into most delightful weather, the sun shining on the clouds with such splendour as to give them the appearance of rolls of muslin edged with silver, and here and there vapour quivering along at least a mile beneath him. The greatest altitude attained he consider to be at least two miles and three quarters, or three miles, when he commenced descending, and in three minutes he began entering the clouds. Being aware that he had a considerable less quantity of gas than when he ascended, and having no ballast to lighten himself, he formed the balloon into a parachute, for the purpose of ensuring a safe descent, by which means he reached terra firma with the greatest ease imaginable, after being in the air three quarters of an hour, and in two minutes several persons came to his assistance.
Mr. Graham descended in a field near Babraham, belonging to a Mr. Webb, about seven miles and a half from Cambridge; and having procured a post-chaise from Bournbridge, he returned to the Black Bear Inn about ten o'clock at night, where he was welcomed by a great number of individuals. He has now accomplished twenty-eight ascents, without the slightest accident to himself or injury to his balloon. - Cambridge Chronicle