Perilous Balloon Ascent in Sydney.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 16, 2 March 1870, Page 7

Perilous Balloon Ascent in Sydney.

[from tho .9. M. Herald, Jan. C] ; The balloon ascent is now an accomplished fact, and the disappointment occasioned by the unfortunate accident on Box- ' ing Day has now in a groat measure baou removed. The bag was taken into the Outer Domain early yesterday morning, ; and placed in the hollow on the northeastern, part of the cricket-ground. The inflation of it commenced soon after nine o'clock. A crowd of from two to three hundred persons congregated at an early hour, and as the day wore on the numbers increased until not less than from ten to twelve thousand persons were present. The Domain presented the appearance of a great fair. Several of the business establish merits in the city gave their workpeople a half-holiday, in order that they might see the somewhat novel sight of a balloon ascent, an event which takes place but seldom in this Colony, although of frequent occurrence in England and America, and on the continent of Europe. The balloon which went up yesterday is made of jacconet, which lias been oiled several times to make it air-tight. It is 56 feet in length, 102 feet in circumference, and 34 feet in diameter. It is estimated to be capable of containing 22,000 feet of gas. The net which covers the bag is made of stout twine carefully knotted, and contains a large number of meshes, which alternate from one inch at the top to two feet as they approach the hoop. The arrangements for filling the bag were completed under the superintendence of the aeronaut, Mr T. Gale.

About four o'clock the huge bag was | considered sufficiently inflated, although it was by no means full. The car was at- j tacked, and Mr Gale soon afterwards got inside it. The men who had been holding the guide-ropes let go, but the machine had not sufficient buoyancy to enable it to rise. The car was then detached, and the aeronaut fixed himself amongst the ropes, having first taken off his hat and placed a red cap on his head. He then called upon the men to let go the guide-ropes, but they either did not hear him, or else they were unwilling to allow him to risk an ascent, and they failed to let go, and a few minutes' delay occurred. Mr Gale re-arranged himself, and at his request the men let go their hold. The balloon rose a' few feet from the ground, amidst great cheering from the multitude. The machine got clear over the hoarding and travelled along for about twenty yards, when Mr Gale found himself again on terra Jirma. A puff of wind came and carried it a few yards farther still in the direction of the Sydney Mint; and when it had got clear out of the hollow the breeze caught it and carried it upwards and onwards with great rapidity. In pass-

ing over the Mint, there appeared every likelihood of the balloon coming in contact with the roof of the building. It cleared the building, however, but passed so near to St. James' Church steeple that manypeople thought the machine would stiike against it. In passing over the Mint, Mr Gale stood up, and then seated himself on the hoop, and in this position he pursued his aerial journey. Mr Gale took oil' his sap and waved it to the people, who responded by giving a tremendous cheer. The balloon, which did not ascend to any very great height, was driven by the northeast wind in almost a direct line towards Glebe Point. After crossing over the Ultimo Estate, it seemed to descend considerably, and many persons thought it would fall to the ground somewhere near the head of Black-Wattle Swamp. The wind, however, proved sufficiently strong to buoy it up, and carried it over the hill on the other side of the swamp, when it came in contact with a mulberry tree in some garden, and Mr Gale got himself stained with the fruit. It was soon liberated from the tree, when it almost instantly fell into Mr Mitchell's ground on the Glebe Point road, and nearly opposite to the Hon. George Allen's residence, Toxteth Park. Mr Gale was carried against the fence which divides Mr Mitchell's garden from the road; he held on to the fence with one hand, whilst with the other he opened the escape-valve. He retained himself in this position until assistance came. The gas having been discharged, the bag was folded up, aucl both it and its owner were soon afterwards in the city again. Numbers of vehicles of all descriptions followed the direction in which the balloon was carried, and within a few minutes after it fell the Glebe road was completely blocked up with them, whilst hundreds of persons came rushing from all directions. Considering all the circumstances of the case, it was one of the most daring balloon ascents ever made. Mr Gale had no grajv pling irons with him, owing to the extra weight they would have occasioned ; unci he had only one small bag of ballast.; It is a matter of astonishment that he escaped uninjured.

President Grant has returned;tp.Washington, after a protracted abse-iu:e,' which is much commented upon by the opposition press. One of these the other day had tho following advertisement: —i*«lf U. S. G., who has been so long absent on. his long, long wanderings, i will return to his distracted friends in Washington, all will be forgotten and forgiv.en,"