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[[start left-hand column]] [[start clipping 1 of 3]] Extract of a letter from Bath, Jan, 10. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] "This day, a little after twelve o'clock, [[underlined]]Dr. Parry[[/underlined]], a very ingenious Physician of this city, let fly, from the Area of the Crescent, an [[underlined]]air-balloon[[/underlined]]: While it continued in fight, it ascended gradually, at the same time that a gentle breeze wafted it horizontally towards the Severn, which river it will probably cross, and descend among the astonished Peasants, in some part of Wales. Dr. Parry not only well timed the flight of his balloon, but it was also well placed, for it rose before the windows of the Duchess of Devonshire's house; and as her Grace does not go from home at present, it was an attention, which in a most particular manner delighted the writer of this, as he had a few hours before received from her Grace's hands a heavy roleau of gold, to be disposed of in a manner he is not a liberty to relate, further than that it was to comfort the afflicted." [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 2 of 3]] Our Correspondent at Bath has favoured us with the following account (which he had from the ingenious constructor, Dr. Parry) of the [[underlined]]Air Balloon, [[/underlined]] lately let off at Bath, as mentioned in our last:- It consisted of two hollow cones, joined together by their bases: The circumference of the common base was upwards of 17 feet; the height of the upper cone three feet, and of the lower five and a half. The materials of which it was made were taffety and sarsnet, of which it took about 18 yards of 3 quarters of a yard wide; it was varnished with the common drying oil of the painters, which is nothing more than linseed oil boiled with litharge. From the dimensions specified above it appears, that the balloon was capable of containing something more than 72 cubic feet of air, without making any allowance for its approach to a spherical form on distention, which, in reality, seemed to increase its solid contents at least one fourth. The inflammable air with which it was filled, was supplied from iron shavings and concentrated vitriolick acid, of the former of which were employed 17 pounds, and of the latter 36 pounds, with a proportionable quantity of water. It was eight hours and a half in filling with air to such a degree as to float, which it did when it was less than two-thirds full. - It was let off in the field before the Crescent, in the presence of a numerous concourse of spectators. For near two minutes it arose smoothly and with increasing velocity in a direction very nearly perpendicular; after which, still ascending, it bent its course with the wind almost due West, and at the end of two minutes and three quarters from the beginning of its ascent, totally disappeared. ^[[Hereford Journal Jan. 22 1784 - handwritten in ink]] [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 3 of 3]] Extract of a letter from Plymouth, Feb. 15. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] "Thursday, Feb. 12. This forenoon, at Codfide prison yard,[[underlined]] Mr. Dinwiddie, of Edingburgh, launched an air balloon,[[/underlined]] of 15 feet in circumference; the weather being fine, it ascended gradually for some time, and in about four minutes and a half, it was left in the clouds. The wind being N.N.W. it is imagined, it fell in the channel: the concourse of spectators to see this grand experiment, was astonishing; there were 1000 who paid on shilling admittance into the prison yard; and the citadel ramparts, the masts of the ships in the pool, and the surrounding hills, were covered with thousands of people, from all parts of the country. "Friday, Feb. 13. From six o'clock this morning, till six o'clock in the evening, there was the most astonishing snow storm ever seen in this country, in many of the streets of this town, the snow was from 13 to 16 inches deep, and where drifted in the roads near this town, it was from six feet to ten deep. At Tory Bridge, about eleven miles on the Eastern Road,it was ten feet deep. The diligences, which set off from the Prince George, London Inn, &c. for Exeter, were obliged to put up there, as the roads were utterly impassable for carriages. [[end clipping]] [[end column]] [[start right-hand column]] [[start clipping 1 of 2]] Extract of a letter from Oxford, Feb. 28. ^[[1784 - handwritten in ink]] "You have heard a great deal lately of [[underlined]]Air-Balloons,[[/underlined]] but most of the makers have been very reserved as to their method of constructing and filling them, [[underlined]]Mr, Rudge[[/underlined]] is an exception to the charge. This gentleman, with a frankness which does honour to his disposition, has given us us the necessary information on both these heads. "The Air-Balloon constructed by him, and launched from Queen's college on Thursday the 19th, ascended exactly in a perpendicular direction, with a steady uniformly accelerated motion, and in seven minutes totally disappeared. The string was cut at a quarter past one o'clock, in the presence of a numerous concourse of spectators, at which time the sky was perfectly serene; and we learn that it fell the same afternoon, at a quarter before three o'clock, in a field belonging to Mr. Joseph Badcock, of Pyrton, near Wallington, in this county. "This balloon was composed of 23 yards of red and white Persian silk, pieced alternately, so as to appear like meridional lines upon a terrestrial globe. The varnish with which it was covered is prepared in the following manner;---To one gallon of linseed oil add two ounces of litharge, two ounces of white vitriol, and two ounces of gum sanderack; boil these for about an hour over a slow fire; when cool, strain it off, and mix it with an ounce and a half of the spirits of turpentine. The seams were covered with a solution of the elastick gum in the above composition. "The form of this Balloon was spherical, fifteen feet in circumference, and capable of containing upwards of sixty-five cubick feet of air. Nineteen pounds of iron filings, and forty pounds of the concentrated vitriolick acid, with a quantity of water in proportion to the latter as five to one, produced a sufficient quantity of gas to fill it to such a degree as to float, which it did, when about two-thirds full. "The apparatus made use of for filling it consisted of two casks, connected together by a copper cyphon; through an orifice in one of them were introduced the materials which produced the factitious air; and from the other, which was nearly filled with water, projected a long metal tube, to which the balloon was fixed." [[end clipping]] [[start clipping 2 of 2]] Wednesday a machine, nearly upon the plan of that constructed by [[underline]]Mr. Moore [[/underline]] a few years since, was exhibited upon the Serpentine River. The inventor called it an Ice Balloon, and it travelled with amazing celerity, having a sort of keel made of iron, and being impelled forward by a spring, giving motion to a wheel at the front of the carriage. The novelty of the invention induced several people from fashion to ride in the above machine, and several of them handsomely complimented the Proprietor for his ingenuity; but the price demanded was but the moderate sum of one penny from each passenger. A hog was roasted whole upon the ice the same day, and afforded an extempore meal to a great number of people. ^[[Feb. 1784 handwritten in ink]] [[end clipping]] [[end page]] [[405 handwritten in pencil at bottom of page]]
