AEROSTATION. 
low. From some experiments they con- 
cluded, that they were able by the use of 
two oars to deviate from the direction of the 
wind about 22°. But this experiment re- 
quires repetition, in order to ascertain with 
accuracy the effect here ascribed to oars. 
The second aerial voyage in England was 
performed by Mr. Blanchard and Mr. Shel- 
don, professor of anatomy to the Royal 
Academy, the first Englishman who ascended 
with an aerostatic machine. This experi- 
ment was performed at Chelsea on the 16th 
of October. The wings used on this occa- 
sion seemed to have produced no deviation 
in the machine’s track from the direction of 
the wind. Mr. Blanchard, having landed 
his friend about the distance of 14 miles from 
Chelsea, proceeded alone with different cur- 
rents, and ascended so high as to experience 
great difficulty of breathing : a pigeon also, 
which flew away from the boat, laboured 
for some time with its wings, in order to sus- 
tain itself in the rarefied air, and after wan- 
dering for a good while, returned and rested 
on one side of the boat. Mr. Blanchard 
perceiving the sea before him, descended 
near Rumsey, about 75 miles from London, 
having travelled at the rate of nearly 20 
miles an hour. 
On the 12th of October, Mr. Sadler, of 
Oxford, made a voyage of 14 miles from that 
place in 17 minutes, with an inflammable air 
balloon of his own contrivance and construc- 
tion. The fate of M. P. de Rozier, the first 
aerial navigator, and of his companion M. 
Romain, has been much lamented. They 
ascended at Boulogne on the 15th of June, 
with an intention of crossing the channel to 
England. Their machine consisted of a 
spherical balloon, 37 feet in diameter, filled 
with inflammable air, and under this balloon 
was suspended a small Montgolfier, or fire 
balloon, ten feet in diameter. This Mont- 
golfier was designed for rarefying the atmos- 
pheric air, and thus diminishing the specific 
gravity of the whole apparatus. For the 
first twenty minutes they seemed to pursue 
the proper course ; but the balloon seemed 
to be much inflated, and the aeronauts ap- 
peared anxious to descend. Soon, however, 
when they were at the height of about three 
quarters of a mile, the whole apparatus was 
in flames, and the unfortunate adventurers 
fell to the ground, and were killed on the 
spot. 
On the 19 th of July Mr. Crosbie ascended 
at Dublin, with a view of crossing the chan- 
nel to England. To a wicker basket of a 
circular form, which he had substituted for 
the boat, he had affixed a number of blad- 
ders, for the purpose of rendering his gallery 
buoyant, in case of a disaster at sea. The. 
height to which he ascended at one time 
was such, that by the intense cold his ink 
was frozen, and the mercury sunk into the 
ball of the thermometer. He himself was 
sick, and he felt a strong impression on the 
tympanum of his ears. At his utmost ele- 
vation he thought himself stationary ; but on 
discharging some gas he descended to a very 
rough current of air blowing to the north. 
He then entered a dense cloud, and expe- 
rienced strong blasts of winds, with thunder 
and lightning, which brought him with rapi- 
dity towards the surface of the water. The 
water soon entered his car ; the force of the 
wind plunged him into the ocean, and it was 
with difficulty that he put on his cork jacket. 
The bladders which he had prepared were 
now found of great use. The water, added 
to his own weight, served as ballast; and the 
balloon maintaining its poise, answered the 
purpose of a sail, by means of which, and a 
snatch-block to his car, he moved before the 
wind as regularly as a sailing-boat. He was 
at length overtaken by some vessels that 
were crowding sail after him, and conveyed 
to Dunleary with the balloon. On the 22d 
of July, Major Money, who ascended at 
Norwich, was driven out to sea, and after 
having been blown about for about two 
hours, he dropped into the water. After 
much exertion for preserving his life, and 
when he was almost despairing of relief, he 
was taken up by a revenue cutter in a state 
of extreme weakness : having been struggling 
to keep himself above water for about seven 
hours. 
The longest voyage that had been hitherto 
made was performed by Mr. Blanchard, to- 
wards the end of August. He ascended at 
Lisle, accompanied by the Chevalier de 
L’Epinard, and traversed a distance of 300 
miles before they descended. On this, as 
well as on other occasions, Mr. Blanchard 
made trial of a parachute, in the form of a 
large umbrella, which lie contrived for break- 
in his fall in case of any accident. With 
this machine he let down a dog, which came 
to the ground gently, and unhurt. On the 
8th of September Mr. Baldwin ascended 
from the city of Chester, and performed an 
aerial voyage of 25 miles in two hours and a 
quarter. His greatest elevation was about a 
mile and a half, and he supposes that the 
velocity of his motion was sometimes at the 
rate of 20 miles an hour. He has published 
a circumstantial account of his voyage, de- 
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