160 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Mat, 



1 jtli August. — Capt. Warner delivered in his estimate for the expeuies of 

 the trial proposed to be made to test liis " Long Range," amounting to 

 inOO. On the 12th Sept. this amount was advanced by the Treasury and 

 paid into Capt. Warner's bankers. 



28th Sept. to "Jth Nov., the Journal shows was occupied by Capt. Warner 

 in seeking a suitable situation for the experiments. 



" tlth Nov. — Lt.-col. Clialmer proceeded to Stafford, liaving previously 

 received notice from Capt. Warner that a suitable situation for the experi- 

 ment would be found on Carnock Chase. 



" 10th Nov. — Lord Ingcstre met Lt -col. Chalmer at Sllkmore, near Staf- 

 ford, took hiin in his gig to Haywood-park, and was kind enough to lend 

 him a horse for the purpose of surveying the Chase; they rode over this for 

 some hours; Capt. Warner had previously seen the ground, and ajjproved of 

 it, and had selected a place at Ilaywood-park suitable in all resi)eets for his 

 operations ; and as there was a clear uninterrupted space ot many miles, 

 Lt.-col. Chalmer consented to the situation for trying the experiment, and, 

 on his return to London, reported accordingly to the Marquis of Anglesey, 

 to wiiom the Chase belonged, who most readily gave his consent, directing 

 at the same time that every assistance should be given by his keepers ; and 

 Capt. Warner was informed to this effect, and requested to proceed with his 

 preparations for the experiment with as much haste as possible, on account 

 of the advanced season of the year. 



"20th Nov. — Letter from Lord Ingcstre, stating that everything was pro- 

 gressing as fast as possible, and expressing hopes that all would lie ready lor 

 Slonday (2.Trd), and requesting Capt. Chads and Lt.-col. Cluluu'r to sleep at 

 liirmingham on Sunday night (22nd), where they should find a letter detail- 

 ing the movements for the next day. 



" 22nd Nov. — Capt. Chads and Lt.-col. Chalmer loft London by the mail 

 train at 8h. 45m. for Birmingham, where they found a letter from Lord 

 Ingestre, stating that the experiment would not take place the following 

 day. 



•' 23 Nov. — Lt.-col. Cbalmer and Capt. Chads took a chaise from Stafford 

 to Haywood-park ; the day was very wet, foggy, and unfavourable, so that 

 little was to be seen ; they went on to Ingestre, having received the honour 

 of an invitation from Earl Talbot. 



" 24th Nov. — Lord Ingestre drove Capt. Chads and Lt.-col. Chalmer over 

 to Haywood-park-farm, where Capt. Warner was located, in a wood near 

 which he was preparing his machinery for the experiment. Lord Ingestre 

 went out to seek Capt. ^^'arner, who came to the farm-house by another 

 route. Lord Anglesey rode up to the farm about one o'clock, expecting to 

 find us all there, but Lord Ingestre was not present. 



" Captain Warner was asked when he could act ? he replied that he must 

 have a northerly wind to give him the necessary range ; that he would act 

 from the place on which bis machinery now was, as it was not necessary 

 that he should see the spot he was to act against. It was mentioned to 

 Capt. Warner, that we ought to see that all was fair, and that no one went 

 up in the balloon. He objected to our seeing his operations, and, as to any 

 persons going up in the balloon, he stated ' that would be impossible,' as, 

 when the last flight of missiles took place, the balloon would be burnt ; 

 that he should drop many more balls than specified as the balloon went 

 along the range, some of them having small flags that they might be the 

 more readily found and seen. One of the balls he showed us, made of cop- 

 per filled with lead, about the size of a 12 lb. shot. 



" The Fair Oak, a large old tree, about three miles distant from the sta- 

 tion at Haywood-park, in a S S.W. direction, was fixed upon as the mark 

 for the flight of shot, and there Capt. Chads was to be stationed, and Lt.- 

 col. Chalmer was to be near the machine. It was pointed out to Capt War- 

 ner that he should place the same confidence in us as in those wlio were 

 assisting him ; further, we did not wish to pry into his secret. 



" Lord Anglesey met Lord Ingestre after the meeting, and told him what 

 had passed. 



'• 25th Nov. — The following arrangement was agreed upon between Lord 

 Ingestre and Capt. Warner, on one part, and Capt. Chads and Lt.-col Chal- 

 mer on the other : — 



" 1. Capt. Warner to send over to Lord Anglesey as early as possible on 

 the morning of the day on which he means to operate. — 2. The time of 

 operation to be as near noon as convenient. — 3. A pilot to be sent up half- 

 an-hour precisely, and another five minutes before the operation commences. 

 — 4. Capt. Chads will place himself as near the Fair Oak as he judges con- 

 venient. — 5. Lt.-col. Chalmer will be at the starting point. — ti. Lord Angle- 

 sey will place himself where he thinks proper. 



" Capt. Chad and Lt.-col. Chalmer left Ingestre Hall for Beau Desert, 

 having received the honour of an invitation from the Marquis of Anglesey. 



" 27th Nov. — Capt. Chads and Lt.-col. Chalmer addressed a letter to 

 Capt. Warner, representing to him the inconvenience the detention occa- 

 sioned them, and pressing that he should remove to a site from whence he 

 would have greater chance of operating ; or that he would inflate the balloon 

 at its present station, and remove it so to a position proper for its ascent, so 

 as to command the necessary direction of range. Mr. Warner replied, that 

 if the wind stood as it thcTi was, he would be able to operate in the course 

 of the next day, and that he would send over to Beau Desert early in the 

 morning to let us know whether he would be able or not. 



" 28th Nov. — The morning appearing fine, with the wind at north, gave 

 US reasonable hopes that the long-expected experiment would now take 

 place. Lt.-col. Chalmer left Beau Desert at half-past ten o'clock, a.m., lor 

 Jloywood-park ; when within a mile of that position he fell in with a mcs- 



senper bearing a letter from Lord Ingestre to the Marquis of Anglesey, dated 

 llaywood-;>ark, Nov. 28th, 11 a. .v., requesting that Capt. Chads and Lt.-col. 

 Chalmer might be at the four cross roads on the Chase at two o'clock, 

 'evpiythin^ being ready.' 



"Lt.-col. Chalmer went on to llaywood-paik, where he met Capt. War- 

 ner, and shortly afterwards Lord Ingestre, wlio both stated that the experi- 

 ment would t.die plai e at three o'clock. 



" Capt. Warner s atcd to Lt.-col. Chalmer that he had de.-patched a pilot 

 balloon at 11 o'lloik a.m., .ind that its course was as desired, and that he 

 considered that the whole distance of five miles and the three deliveries of 

 shot would be accomplished within 10 minutes. 



"Lord Ingestre stated to Lt.-enl. Chalmer that he was deputed by Capt. 

 Warner to convey to him that it was objixled to by Capt. Warner's friends 

 (or committee) thut he (Lt.-col. Chalmer) should be stationed at or near the 

 balloon, as had been arranged. 



" ('apt. Warner took Lt.-col. Chalmer into another room, and there showed 

 him the frame, and the method of suspending the shells, and expressed his 

 regret that he could not exhibit more of bis i)lan, or show him the balloon. 

 As Lt.-col. Chalmer could not be permitted to take up the position assigned 

 to him, he preferred returning to the open Chase, and joining Lord Anglesey 

 there, to taking up a position at the gate of Haywood-park, as proposed to 

 him by Capt. Warner. 



" Lt.-col. Chalmer left Haywood-park at half-past-two o'clock : Lord 

 Ingestre left about a (piaiter oi an hour afterwasds, passed Lt.-col. Chalmer 

 on the road, and conveyed to Lord Anglesey and Capt. Chads the intelligence 

 that the exprrimcnt coulil not begin till half-past three o'clock, and that a 

 pilot balloon wouUl he despatched ten minutes before the large one as a 

 signal. 



" Lord Ingestre and Capt. Chads took np their station at the Fair Oak, 

 Lord Anglesey and Lt.-col. Chalmer at the cross roads to the eastward of 

 the Fair Oak, and about a quarter of a mile nearer Haywood-park. Half- 

 past three o'clock had arrived, and nil parties waited in anxious expectation, 

 directing their attention towards Haywood-park. At a quarter-past four 

 o'clock, Lord Anglesey left the ground. The sun had set, it was growing 

 dusk, and we gave up hojies of the experiment taking [place, when at 20 

 minutes after four o'clock, Lt.-col. Chalmer perceived the balloon at some 

 height coming from Haywood-park, and, as he thought, directly towards 

 him. He called out loudly, which soon brought Lord Anglesey back to his 

 old position. The balloon continued to approach, its elevation increasing 

 considerably, and it continued visible to Lord Anglesey and Col. Chalmer 

 for more than twenty minutes, taking a more easterly direction (many points 

 wide of the I'air Oak), till it disappeared, from its great elevation. Neither 

 Lord Anglesey or Lt.-col. Chalmer could distinguish anything to fall from 

 the balloon, and they had doubts whether it was the pilot or the large bal- 

 loon they had seen. 



" Lord Ingestre and Capt. Chads had given up all hopes of seeing the 

 balloon that evening, when their nllentiou was called to it by the shout- 

 ing of Lt.-col. Chalmer ; it was at a considerable height, drawing on to- 

 wards south-east, and rising quickly, till lost sight of by thorn. A\'hen 

 moving on to joiu Lord Anglesey, they heard a sudden rushing noise to 

 the eastward of them, but nothing was perceptible ; and Lord Ingestre 

 and Capt. Chads hud also their doubts as to vvhciher the balloon seen was 

 the one containing the shot or only the pilot one. 



" Capt. Chads and Lord Ingestre rode to Haywood-park, and there 

 ascertained that it was the balloon wilh the shot that had been seen ; and it 

 being now late, and too dark to make search for the projectiles (or shot), 

 the party left the Chase and returned home. 



"20lli Nov. — Capt. Chads and Lt.-col. Chalmer left Heau Desert 

 at nine o'clock Uiv Haywood-park, to meet Lord lugestre and Capt. 

 Warner, for the purpose of ascertaining where t!ie shot had fallen the pre- 

 ceding evening; on their way thither they examined the ground to the 

 eastward of the cross roads, without finding anything. Near the farm- 

 house they met Lord Anglesey's keeper, who had been piesent at, and 

 assisting Capt. A\ arner in his experiments; he told them that the ballooQ 

 had been found last evening half a mile short of the village of Uugeley, 

 which is about three miles distant from Haywood-park, and lA to 2 miles 

 to the eastward of Ihe Fair Oak (the object marked out). 



" Lord Ingestre and Capt. \\ arner joined at Haywood-park-farm, and 

 the whole party rode in the direction Capt. Warner pointed out as the 

 most probable line for finding the shut, and after three hours' search, with- 

 out success, it was abandoned. Duiiug a part of this lime, Lt.-col. 

 Chalmer separated from the party, and rode over the ground a second 

 time, to the eastward of the pooition he had occupied during the experi- 

 ment, but found uo shot. 



" At about four o'clock, Lord Ingestre proposed to drive Capt. Chads 

 and Lt.-col. Chalmer iu his chaise, through Uugeley, on iheir way 

 back to Beau Desert, and having ascertained that the balloon had been 

 conveyed to the Bell tavern, they stopped there to obtain iuformation. 



" On going into the town, they were met by a person whom Lord In- 

 gestre appeared to know, and who informed him that the balloon had fallen 

 about half a mile short of liugeley the preceding eveuiug (near the four 

 cottages) ; that some labourers h,id got hold of it, and had given it up to a 

 gentleman for a guinea : that he (ihe person who addressed Lord Ingrstre) 

 had claimed it as his own, on which disputes arose about it; and some 

 alarm liad spread over the village, as some powder, and nine of the shot, 

 were found attached to the balloon, and there was also a suspicion ihat 

 some one had gone up with Ibe balloon, and had beru killed. The police 



