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Extract of a letter from the Hague, Dec. 19.
^[[1783 - handwritten in ink]]
"Yesterday, at one o'clock in the afternoon, the Sieur Dillon let go, in the Court of the Stadtholder's palace, an aeriostatic Balloon, of his own invention entirely, as to the matter which composes it, and the agent which put it in motion. This Balloon, the smallest of all those at present known, is neither made of paper, taffety, or linen, but a composition of the bowels of animals. The inflammable air with which it was filled, is extracted from zink. So that the Sieur Dillon hath not employed, in this experiment, either the methods of M. de Montgolfier or those of Mesl. Charles and Robert. This balloon is about the size of a common drum, its solidity four cubic feet, its colour pearl, and its whole weight half an ounce.
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A Description of the Flying Machine, called The BRITISH MECHANICAL BIRD, now exhibiting in Hart-street, Covent-garden, and in which the inventor actually engages to Fly, is given in the Third Edition of
THE AIR BALLOON,
shewing the natural causes which influence an Air Balloon; and the particular construction, materials and methods of filling it with Inflammable Air; also the great variety of probable uses it may be applied to.
Printed for G. Kearsley, at No. 46, in Fleet-street; Debrett, in Piccadilly; Bew, in Paternoster-row, and Sewell, in Cornhill: Price One Shilling, with a Frontis-piece. ^[[M. Chron Jan. 7. 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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Extract of a letter from Shastesbury, Jan. 24. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]]
"Tuesday afternoon last, about four o'clock, an Air Balloon, ticketed from Bath, fell in a field in the parish of Farrington, near Sturminster-Newton, in this county, to the no small consternation of the neighbouring villages, which it passed over at the height of about 40 yards. It fell in a field among a parcel of cows, who gathered round it with hideous bellowing. The farmer and his men agreed to attack it; seeing it bounding on the ground, they concluded it to be some monster come to carry off the cattle; one of his men, more courageous than the rest, went to it, and secured it by tying it to the railing of a rick. The curiosity of the country for six or eight miles round was never more raised than by this Air-Balloon."
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^[[Feb 9. 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
COVENT-GARDEN
FOURTEENTH NIGHT
At the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden,
This evening, will be performed a new comedy, called
MORE WAYS THAN ONE.
After which will be performed, 3d time, a New Pantomime, called HARLEQUIN RAMBLER; Or, the Convent in an Uproar. In which will be introduced, for the first time on any Theatre, A REAL AIR BALLOON.
To-morrow, will be performed the Opera of Artaxerxes. On account of the great number of Ladies and Gentlemen, who were disappointed of places last night, Mrs. Bington will perform Lady Betty Modith, for the 4th time, on Friday next. On Thursday, Mrs. Crawford will perform Almera, in The Mourning Bride; Zara, Miss Yoange. In a few days will be produced a Tragedy, (altered from Lido's Fatal Curiosity) called The Shipwreck.
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A correspondent says, he is informed that the real Air Balloon which was so well received at the Drury Lane Theatre yesterday evening, in the Pantomime Entertainment of the Magic Cestus, has been for some time projected, and would have been produced in that Entertainment on Tuesday last, but from an accident which happened in the filling of it.
^[[Feb. 6. 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
Last night a real Air Balloon was let off in the pantomime of Harlequin. Jun. or the Magic Cestus. at Drury-lane Theatre, under the sole direction and management of Mr. Clemson, Balloon and Umbrella-maker, in the Strand.
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The balloon hat, at present the rage among the women of mode, is beginning to be officially scouted at some of our public places. At Bath, Mr. Dawson, the Master of Ceremonies, has proscribed them from his rooms; and tho' they still are admitted at Covent Garden and at the pit of the Opera, yet at Drury-lane a better decorum prevails, and the box-keepers fail not to enforce the orders given them, of refusing admittance of any hat into the side boxes. Among other persons who have been thus subject to this necessary regulation, was Lady Derby, who with great good humour acquiescing in the standing order, pulled of her Balloon Hat, and sent into the Green Room to borrow a cap during the continuance of the play.
^[[Feb. 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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AIR BALLOON HATS, either trimmed or plain, or the wires to make them, may be had, in the greatest variety of colours, at HARTSHORN and DYDE's, Wigmore-street, and in the Circus, Bath; where likewise may be seen a large quantity of particularly fine Goat's-beard Muffs, from two to three guineas; mock Point or worked Gauzes, in a variety of patterns, from 12d. to 18d. a yard; Malbrook, Balloon, and other elegant Fans, fold for one half the prices they are at the Fan Shops; Dress and Undress Hoops, from 18d. to 15s. Silk and Stuff Straw Coats, made in a particular light manner; a large quantity of new long two yards wide Aprons, at 3s. 6d. &c. &c. Goat's-beard Muffs cleaned, to look as well as when new.
N.B. Soufflee Gauzes, in entire new patterns, that look as well as fine Blonds.
^[[1784- handwritten in ink]]
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Balloon Hats now adorn the heads of such of the parading impures as can afford them; while the more inferior tribe have invented a hat which is, not improperly, called the bastard balloon! - being a humble imitation of the green-box balloon, and destitute of feathers. These balloon fashions are about their zenith and must soon burst and be forgotten!
^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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Extract of a letter from the neighbourhood of
^[[5.Mar. - handwritten in ink]] Cheadle, in Staffordshire. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]]
"We have had an extraordinary accident in this parish, which being something uncommon, I will trouble you with a short relation of it: On Tuesday the 17th inst. two sons of Joseph Warrilow, the tenant at Painsley-hall, happened to see that curious machine called a balloon floating in the air, descending very fast, which they immediately went in pursuit of, and found it in a large marle-pit, and as it had a considerable motion upon the ice, they thought it a very strange creature; and a curious dialogue ensued, which ended in calling some more assistance, who seized, and carried it to the farm-house, and put it into a large chamber, where it was viewed by the family with much surprize. After the wife and daughter had left it, the two young men and two labourers formed the resolution of trying to restore it to its pristine shape, for as it had lost a considerable quantity of air at a small aperture near the crown or top of it; they said it was like a half-blown bladder; and to accomplish their design, they applied a pair of bellows and soon filled it. They had previously tied up the aperture, but perceived that it still lost air near the place which they had before endeavoured to stop, and as they were preparing to secure it a second time, though a candle which one of them had in his hand was not nearer the balloon than two feet, the escaping inflammable air, with which it was originally filled, instantly took fire, with an explosion much louder than a cannon, which struck the four persons down on the floor. They soon recovered from the fall, but were so stunned, as not to be sensible of fire till they perceived their heads in a blaze, their beards and eyebrows were burnt quite off, and their faces terribly scorched. However, they are under the care of a surgeon, and likely to do well. Such was the force of the explosion, that it burst two double transom windows in pieces, and threw the lead and glass thirty yards against a yew hedge, made its way into an adjoining room by misplacing a wainscot partition, and forced out the windows, it likewise passed into an adjoining gallery, broke up a board in the floor, passed to the end of the gallery to a door, which it forced open, broke a window, and carried it to a considerable distance.
"The men probably escaped with life, by the room giving way, by which the inflammable air had room to expand. The explosion above described, was similar to the effects produced by the firing inflammable air in the mines, which is a danger which I have not seen any mention of in respect of those modern machines; which I think should be made public to prevent similar accidents.
"N.B. This balloon was let off by Mr. [[underlined]]Gell,of Hopton,[[/underlined]] near Matlock, in Derbywick about 25 miles from the place where it was found."
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An Air-Balloon, of a very unusual Magnitude, is getting ready, and is to be let off by his Majesty in Kensington Gardens, in the course of a few days.
^[[Mar. 19. 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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Extract of a letter from Deal, March 31. ^[[1785 - handwritten in ink]]
"Wind W. Came down and sailed the John, Hayles, for Liverpool.
"Remain [[underlined]]the Air Balloon,[[/underlined]] Campbell, from Cork for Yarmouth; Mary Jemima, Peters, from Plymouth, and Scout sloop."
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An air balloon is making at Nantes, in France, upon an entire new plan: it is made of the membrane of an animal, a new discovery and a secret, and is to be filled with gaz never yet used or made. Two experiments have been made with small ones, which have answered infinitely beyond expectation. Four men, besides the inventor, are to go up with provisions for a fortnight's voyage. It is remarkable that this person has found out a means for preventing the least escape of the air, or change of it.
^[[April 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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An Air Balloon of four feet in Diameter, filled with inflammable Air, was sent off from Sandwich, in Kent, on Friday, Feb. 27, at about forty Minutes after Twelve o'Clock, and was found the same Day at Three o'Clock in the Afternoon, at Warneton, a town in French Flanders, on the River Lys, six miles from Menim, and between Lisle and Ypres. The lineal distance between Lisle and Sandwich, is 85 1 half Statute miles, from which we must deduct nine miles, which Warneton is short of Lisle, (in the Direction nearly of the Balloon's Course) and there will remain 74 1-half statute miles, for the lineal Distance between Warneton and Sandwich. The bearing of Warneton to Sandwich is about five 1 half Points of the Meridian, or nearly S.E. by E. ^[[Apr. 33 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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A balloon is at present constructing at Brussels, for an aerial voyage to London, which will be so formed, as to escape every accident or failure that has yet happened. It is to be filled with inflammable air; and to carry up four persons; the size not so enormous as some others, but furnished with sails and rudder of taffety. Every sort of provision is to be made, and stores laid in against accidents; also means prepared to remedy slight rents. The Duke d'Aremberg is at the expence of it, under the direction of Abbe Man, an English resident at Dixmuyd. The Duke will mount in it, with the Abbe, and two other philosophers. ^[[April 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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Extract of a letter from Newcastle, April 10.
^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]]
"A Letter has been received in Town, signifying that the Air Balloon which was launched on the Forth Bowling-Green on Thursday Week, at Half past One in the Afternoon, by Mr. C. Clarke, was taken up at Three the same Afternoon near Wakefield, in the County of York, by which it appears, that in an hour and a half it travelled 133 miles; by far the greatest Voyage we have heard any Aerostatic Machine ever made."
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Extract of a letter from Ayton (Berwickshire), April 26.
^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]]
"On Thursday the 15th inst. there was found a balloon upon the farm of Paul Darling, Esq. about two miles from this place. It was perceived by two country-boys floating in the air, who, upon its coming to the ground, ventured to approach it; and, foolishly conceiving it be a whale's bladder, they got it upon their cart, to bring it home. A woman whom they met, perceiving it to be made of silk, and supposing it might be cleaned by boiling, persuaded them to give it to her, and enjoined them secrecy; but, within these two or three days, the matter has been discovered. Had it fallen into the hands of any sensible person, they might perhaps have made a discovery from whence it came, and the time it had taken to perform its voyage."
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By PERMISSION of the LORD CHAMBERLAIN.
For the BENEFIT of Mr. DELPINI.
At the Theatre-Royal, in the Hay-market, TO-MORROW, April 30, 1784,
Will be presented a comedy, in three acts, called
The SPANISH FRYAR.
Dominick, Mr. LLOYD.
Lorenzo, Mr. Hamlen; Gomez, Mr. Swords,
Alphonso, Mr. Knights; Pedro, Mr. Hunter;
And Elvira by a YOUNG LADY,
(Being her first Appearance on any Stage.)
End of Act 1. a New Pantomimied, Operatical, Farcical,
Interlude, called
The PEASANT METAMORPHOSED;
Or, Mr. DELPINI'S [[underlined]] VOYAGE from DUBLIN in an
AIR BALLOON.[[/underlined]]
In which Mr. Delpini will introduce a specimen of singing in French, Italian, and English, which will conclude with a New Hornpipe, by celebrated Mr. Blake, by permission of the Managers of the Opera House, (being his first appearance on that stage.)
End of Act II. a comic pantomime dance, called
The COUNTRY SQUABBLE.
By Mr. Delpini, Mrs. Dagville, Miss Parish and Mons. Duquesney jun.
End of Acts II. and III. Singing by a YOUNG GENTLEWOMAN, who never appeared on any stage.
After the play, a new pantomimical interlude, called
The RIVAL CLOWNS.
By, Messrs. Delpini, Blake, &c. To conclude with an Allemande, in a new Comic Stile. The band from the Opera House.
Tickets to be had at Messrs. Longman and Broderip's Music Shop, No. 26, Cheapside, No. 23, Hay-market; and of Mr. Rice, at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may betaken.
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On Saturday last at three o'clok was launched at Grosvenor-square, an Aerostatick Globe of a beautiful appearance, which, from the clearness of the atmosphere, afforded a general satisfaction to vast numbers of genteel spectators, who attended on the occasion. It took its course southward, with a brisk wind, and was observed by the naked eye for ten minutes. It was done at the sole expence of -----Willis, Esq. for the amusement of his family and friends under the inspection of Keegan of the Strand.
^[[1 May 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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RANELAGH.
THE disappointed Nobility, Gentry, and Public; at Ranelagh, on Saturday ^ are hereby informed, as well as to do justice to the Managers, to whom they acknowledge the favor of the use of the Gardens and Rotunda, that the Proprietor of the Pyramidical Air Balloon is exceedingly hurt, that the Exhibition should fail, owing, as he supposes, to the violence of the wind beating the Balloon against the Rotunda, where a sharp ledge of lead ran across, but is somewhat relieved on reflecting that the whole of the money was returned. ^[[1 May 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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Exhibition, for filling and raising a GRAND AIR BALLOON, being 60 feet high, and 115 in Circumference, This and every Evening, (if the Weather permits) at Six o'clock precisely, at No. 13, near BUCKINGHAM-GATES, PIMLICO.
THIS Machine, constructed upon a Plan entirely new, in which above 800 yards of strong cloth have been employed, and weights 1600 pounds, is the largest and most curious in its kind that hath hitherto been executed in this kingdom. It represents a CHINESE TEMPLE, superbly decorated with columns, a gallery, &c. and appears in the operation of filling it, as rising instantaneously out of its ruins, and floating, in the body of a thick cloud.
Admittance in the Apartments, 2s. 6d. each person; and 1s. 6d. in the Garden. ^[[May 4. 1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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Take care of your pockets. - The people of this country are now, since the fine weather commenced, so completely air-balloon mad, that nothing is to be seen or heard in the streets, about dusk, but See the air balloon! And indeed the exhibition is abundantly common, as five or six may often be seen dancing above our heads at one instant, like so many Will of the Wisps transported from a terrestial to an aerial station. The well known Slight of Hand Club, who live by an attention to the signs of the times, take every possible advantage of this temporary delirium; and while the eyes of the multitude are soaring among the clouds, their fingers are diving with great dexterity to the bottom of every pocket within their reach. In order to improve this new mode of swindling, balloons are purchased on purpose, in order to decoy the mob, and produce such a glorious confusion and uproar, as may give an oportunity for an expeditious and secure exertion of such talents as are competent to the scene. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]]
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