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[[start left-hand column]] [[start clipping 1 of 5]] On Thursday afternoon last, at 20 minutes past four o'clock, an aerostatick globe, filled with inflammabl[e] air, of the diameter of three feet six inches, was let go from the garden of Sir Ashton Lever, in Leicester-square; and on the same afternoon the said globe was seen by two boys in a field in the parish of Brentwood, in Essex, and descended to the earth exactly at a quarter before five o'clock; so that upon a moderate computation it travelled the distance of 23 miles direct in 25 minutes. The boys followed the globe for near half a mile, it being within six feet of the ground for that distance, before it quite descended. ^[[Mar. 4. 1784 - handwritten in ink]] [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 2 of 5]] ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] Extract of a Letter from Milan, March 23. "An Aerostatic Balloon has been launched in this City, 66 Feet broad, and 72 Feet high, prepared by M. Paul Andreani, a young Gentleman of 20 Years of Age, who, with two of his Friends, was elevated in this Globe. It is computed that they mounted to the Height of 4000 Feet. Having traversed the Air for Half an Hour, they descended on the same Spot from whence they started. This is the first Experiment of the Kind made in Italy." [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 3 of 5]] FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. Milan, March 23. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] THE Discovery of Aerial Navigation, lately so eagerly sought after by all the European Nations, begins now to meet with some Obstacles; several Publications have already appeared, in which it is attempted to be proved, that it is both for the Advantage of the Sovereign and the People that the Use of them should be proscribed. In Austrian Lombardy, a Decree has been issued against these aerostatic Machines, in the following Terms: "Government having received Information, that several aerostatic Balloons, filled with Air rarified by Fire, have fallen near our Powder-mills and Magazines, where being consumed by the Flames which have issued from them, there was great Probability of their doing considerable Mischief; to obviate, therefore, in future, the Accidents which might otherwise be occasioned by those Machines, which only serve for Amusement, and which being carried through the Air without any Direction, must inevitably be productive of the most fatal Effects, should they happen to fall on any Buildings, Magazines of Hay, or any other Place wherein combustible Matters are contained, his Royal Highness has thought proper to forbid, under arbitrary Penalties, the launching of any Air Balloon, either in this City, or in the whole Extent of [[Austrian Lombardy. His Royal Highness,]] however, reserves to himself the Privilege of granting from Time to Time, Permissions for this Purpose to intelligent Persons, who shal[l] however, be obliged to use every Precaution which the public Safety requires. The Magistrates of this City, that of Mantua, &c. are required to give Information of any who may have the Audacity to act in Opposition to this Decree." Milan, March 17, 1784. [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 4 of 5]] ^[[april]] AIR BALLOON. ^[[1784 - both notes handwritten in ink]] AN Aereo-electrical Apparatus has been contrived, and is now sold, at a very low Price by Mr. Hurter, No. 53, Great Marlborough Street. It contains a small Air Balloon, and the Apparatus necessary to produce the Inflammable Air and to fill the Balloon therewith: And likewise an Electrophorus, useful for several other Experiments with Inflammable Air, and also in Electricity; the said Apparatus containing some other instruments besides those already mentioned. N. B. This Balloon may be filled in a few Minutes Time; and, if taken proper Care of, will serve a great many Times over. Persons purchasing the above mentioned Apparatus will be furnished with printed Directions, and if required the practical Use of it will be actually shewn to them. [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 5 of 5]] ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] AIR BALLOONS. AN Apparatus is contrived, and now made by Mr. HURTER, No. 53, Great Marlborough-Street, containing a small Air Balloon, and the Apparatus necessary to produce the Inflammable Air, and to fill the Balloon therewith: Aud likewise an Electrophorus, necessary not only to make other Experiments with Inflammable Air, but also in Electricity. N. B. Persons purchasing the above Apparatus, will be instructed in the Manner of using it. Printed Directions are also given with every Apparatus. [[end clipping]] [[end column]] [[start centre column]] [[start clipping 1 of 5]] ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] Extract of a Letter from Madrid, June 10. "A few days since a Frenchman went up a considerable distance in an air balloon; but his weight being insufficient to keep it in a perpendicular position, it turned topsy turvy, and the fire being misplaced, caught hold of a part of the machine, which immediately descended; and when it came within seven or eight yards of the ground, the Frenchman was so frightened that he threw himself from the gallery, and by the fall broke his leg; he was otherwise so much bruised that it is supposed he cannot recover. In consequence of this accident the King has declared his intention to put an entire stop to these experiments in the future." [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 2 of 5]] ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] Extract of a Letter from Choczim, June 21. "His Highness the Prince of Nassau Siegen, in his way through this city to Constantinople, was received by the Pacha with great marks of distinction. Having been invited to dinner by the Governor, his Highness presented them, after dinner, with a spectacle hitherto unknown in these Countries, by [[underlined]] fending up a balloon [[/underlined]] of thirty-two feet diameter, constructed according to [[underlined]] Montgolfier's [[/underlined]] method. This aerial globe, which was made up in haste by the Comte de la Porte, one of the navigators in the famous balloon of Lyons, and who is one of the Prince's companions on his tour, was very successful. It rose to the height of 700 Toises, and astonished the Pacha to a great degree of transport, as well as all the Turks present, notwithstanding their general insensibility to novelties. Besides the grandeur of the ascending globe, there happened a circumstance which added to the satisfaction. The balloon took fire, and gave an appearance of a globe burning in the air. It descended by chance, and was entirely consumed near the Pacha's windows, who took this for a mark of the Prince's politeness to him, and returned him thanks in the most grateful and affectionate manner. The good Mussulman could not contain his enthusiastic joy, little dreaming that the burning balloon might have set fire to the city. The company on this occasion was numerous and brilliant. Among the Polish ladies whom curiosity brought thither, Mademoiselle de Witte, who is celebrated at Paris and Versailles for her wit and beauty, was present." ^[[178? - handwritten in ink]] [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 3 of 5]] ^[[July 17[[84?]] - handwritten in ink vertically on the left of the clipping]] On the 17th instant, at Philadelphia, the large air balloon, lately brought there by Mr. [[underlined]] Carnes [[/underlined]], was let off from the New Workhouse-yard. About six o'clock it rose from the ground, and ascended very majestically, amidst the approving acclamations of thousands of admiring spectators (the wind carrying it slowly to the Southward), until it got to so great a height as to appear to some no larger than a barrel, to others much smaller, and seemed then stationary, though rather inclining upward, when unfortunately it caught fire, and in a few moments was reduced to atoms. At the moment of its catching fire, the feelings of a number of people at a distance were much hurt, on the supposition of a person having gone up in the balloon; and their apprehensions were increased by the falling of the furnace, which, to those not near, presented to their imaginations the horrid spectacle of a man falling from an immense height. Happily, however, the apparatus which held the person broke near the ground, and he only sustained a fall of about ten feet. Notwithstanding this accident the spirited Citizens of Philadelphia mean to evince their ardour in pursuit of philosophical knowledge, by erecting one much larger, and on a much better plan. [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 4 of 5]] Extract of a Letter from Abingdon, Berks, dated July 21. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] "On Monday last the Count Van Dolken made some grand aerial experiments near this town: he ascended in a machine annexed to a [[underlined]] balloon [[/underlined]] of his own construction, being thirty feet diameter; he was plainly perceived by the naked eye for near twenty minutes, and then totally disappeared. It was exactly half past twelve at noon when the Count ascended; at half past three in the afternoon, by means of letting out some of the inflammatory air with which the balloon was filled, he descended at a place called Old Down, in Somersetshire, being upwards of sixty miles distance from this place. "The concourse of people assembled on this occasion was amazing, and Abingdon might very justly be compared to Stratford at the time of the Jubilee." [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 5 of 5]] To the Nobility, Gentry, and Public in General. A Large and Curious Balloon, is now constructing at the Lyceum, near Exeter 'Change, in the Strand, on a Plan entirely novel, and which has originated in this Metropolis, from the ingenuity of a Gentlemen, who is to ascend with it. The construction is now begun at the above place, and when the globe (the materials of which are oiled silk, of two colours) is completed, it will be filled with inflammable air, and launched from Chelsea Hospital Garden, having got permission for that purpose. The object of the Gentleman's aerial tour, is to make some interesting experiments, by which it is presumed this nation will discover its real utility. N. B. The Gallery and Wings are almost finished. Subscriptions are received at the Office adjoining the Lyceum, where Tickets may be had. One Guinea Ticket will admit a person four different times to see the construction, and likewise into the garden, intitled to have a chair near the globe to see it launched off. A Half Guinea Ticket will admit a person to see the construction twice, and likewise into the garden, entitled to have a proper bench to sit down on, next to the above subscribers. Five Shillings Ticket will admit a person once to see the construction, and likewise into the garden, entitled to have a proper bench to sit down on. ^[[July 1784 - handwritten in ink]] [[end clipping]] [[end column]] [[start right-hand column]] [[start clipping 1 of 4]] ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, dated July 21. "On Saturday evening last I was highly entertained by an exhibition of an aerostatick balloon within the limits of this city. [[underlined]] Peter Carnes, Esq. [[/underlined]] a Gentleman of the Law, from the State of Maryland, began at five o'clock to inflate an ellipsis made of silk, whose perpendicular diameter was 36 feet, and its horizontal diameter nearly 34 feet; at the bottom, or rather the point, of this ellipsis were fastened a furnace, a brasier, and a tube, which weighed 150l. To this brasier was suspended by chains a triangle, on which a person was placed, who weighed 134lb. who was to ascend with this curious machine into the upper regions of air. At seven o'clock, a quantity of fire and hickory wood being put in the tube, this grand machine ascended with the bold passenger to the height of about twenty feet, when the balloon being urged by a gust of wind in passing the walls of the yard in which it was inflated, the point of the triangle fastened under the caves of the walls, the force of the ascending machine broke the chain, and the soaring voyager fell without much injury; the balloon then rushed into the air with astonishing velocity; in a few minutes it was from two to three miles high, where it entered a contrary stream of air, and either from some vibrations in the upper eddies, or from the shock at the wall, some papers say, fell between the brasier, which communicated the fire to the silk, to the great mortification of the spectators: The iron in a few minutes was separated from the silk, and descended from two to five minutes before it reached the earth - the shell of the balloon still remaining in floating flames, and did not reach the ground till entirely consumed. "This enterprising philosopher deserves the smiles of his countrymen, and more especially as this machine was made at his own private expence - nor is the burning of a balloon any more an argument against the using them, than the burning of houses is against their use. This balloon ascended with 450lb. weight, and in all probability would have mounted with much more. What garrison can remain unconsumed? What region unexplored? &c. &c. To what amazing perfection these globes may be brought futurity alone can unfold." [[end clipping]] ^[[X - sign handwritten in pencil on the right side of the page, outside of above clipping]] [[start clipping 2 of 4]] Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, July 27. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] "Last Saturday evening, about six o'clock, the greater part of this city was drawn out into the Common, to see the ingenious [[underlined]] Mr. Carne's [[/underlined]] machine ascend; my curiosity also, joined to a wish to encourage so bold (and without doubt so useful) an enterprize, led me into the yard, where it was inflated, merely by the rarefaction the air underwent, by a fire made in the furnace below with hichory wood, which ascended the tube, and filled the cavity of the balloon. "This balloon, which was nearly 35 feet diameter, made with silk, and lined with paper, together with an iron furnace, &c. at bottom, weighed 300 wt. this, with a man who weighed 130 wt. ascended to the height of about 20 feet, when a flaw of wind wasted the man, who was suspended at the bottom, against a wall, and the triangle on which he sat fastened under the eves of the wall, the violent ascent of the machine broke the chains, and threw down the passenger, and having lost so much of its weight or ballast, the celerity of its ascent was such, that in four or five minutes it gained a height of between one and a half to three miles; after a short time it took fire in the air, and the furnace, iron work, &c. fell to the ground, without doing any damage. "It afforded great diversion to several thousand spectators. Mr. Carnes's machine, as the property of an individual, has been expensive, the enterprize noble, great and laudable." [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 3 of 4]] Yesterday the Sieur [[underlined]] Stuwer [[/underlined - handwritten]] repeated at the Prater, in presence of a numerous assembly, the experiment of his grand aerostat, weighing 4600 Vienna pounds, including the four persons who were in it. This aerostat rose to a considerable height, and after passing over part of the Prater, fell on the opposite shore of an arm of the Danube, where the Tabor begins, without receiving the least damage. The experiment was followed by an exhibition of fireworks by M. Stuwer's son, the design and execution of which were greatly applauded. ^[[Vienna aug: 28l 1784 - handwritten in ink]] [[end clipping]] [[start clipping of 4]] ^[[1784 - handwritten note]] The reason of Monsieur [[underlined]] Vivenair's [[/underlined]] having gone so much higher in the air than Messrs. Charles, Montgolfier, and other aerial navigators, was owing (as we find by his pamphlet, and the plate annexed) to his taking up with him a quantity of Dr. Priestley's improved Vital Air, which he made use of when the atmos- [[end clipping]] [[end column]] ^[[409 - handwritten in pencil in the bottom right corner of the page]]
