1810.) 
AtSwallowfield, Mr. 
John Bailey. 
At Emmer Green, Mrs. Fuller, 75. 
SOMERSETSHIRE. 
On Monday, September 24, about 40 mi- 
Charles Bailey —M re 
Nutes past one, Mr. Sadler, of Oxford, and - 
Mr. Clayfield, of Castle-street, Bristol, as- 
cended in an air-balloon from a ficld near 
Bristol, and after twice crossing the Bristol! 
channel, from England to Wales, and from 
- Wales to England, and going the distance of 
150 miles, came down on the Gristc] chan- 
nel, three miles off the Valley of Rocks, at 
20 minutes past four, in sight of a great nume 
ber of people. A boat put off immediately 
from Lymouth, and at 20 minutes past five 
the boat got tothe balloon, and brought Mr. 
Sadler and Mr. Clayfield safe on shore, with 
the balloon, at the valley of Rocks, Linton, 
in Devonshire, to the great joy of the spec- 
tators. ‘The apparatus for performing the 
process of filling, consisted of two Jarge ves- 
sels, containing upwards of 1500 gallons 
each, into which there were introduced 2% 
tons of iron filings and water; the sulphutic 
acid was afterwards conveyed by a leaden 
syphon into the vessel, and from thence the 
gas was conveyed, by means of two large 
tubes, terminating in nine other pipes in 
each vessel, which passed through caustic 
potash and water, into the balloon, by a large 
silk conductor, prepared for the purpose. 
’ ‘The following account has been published: 
. =—€ Mr. Sadler, (being bis sixteenth time of 
ascension), accompanied by Mr. William 
Clayfield, entered the car at about twenty 
minutes after .e o’clock, the wind blowing 
fresh from +. th-east, and commenced one of 
the most daring enterprizes ever undertaken 
by any aerial voyager. Mr. Sadler was well 
aware of the consequence of the wind con- 
tinuing to blow from the quarter in which it 
was at the time of ascension; for if they 
escaped being blown into the western ecean, 
they would have teen compelled to traverse 
great part of the channel, with every proba- 
bility of descending at a distance from the 
shore ; but his zeal to gratify the public cu. 
riosity, which had been greatly excited, sur- 
meunted every obstacle, and determined him 
to make the attempt. The ascent of the bal- 
Yoon was rapid, and yet so still, that all sense 
of motion was lost to the aeronauts. The 
balloon, about half a mile high, entered a 
thick black cloud, when Bristol and its neigh- 
bourhood were no longer visible: the clovd 
did not the least incommode them. From 
the rapid ascent, the cloud was soon passed 
through, when the grandeur and sublimity of 
the view exceeded the power of description. 
On looking back on the cloud from which the 
@eronauts had emerged; the’ most beautiful 
appearance exhibited itielf. The shadow of 
the balloon was observed in its Centre, sur- 
rounded with a mos: beautiful halo (circular 
fainbow.) The balloon still ascended rapidly, 
‘gnd soon entered a second cloud, Ar twe 
“MontTEry Mac, Ne, 206, 
Somersetshirce 
‘48s 
e’clock the thermometer was at 47... Passing 
over the river,‘ nearly perpendicular with 
Lady Smyth’s, at Redcliff, the parachute was 
launched, with a cat ina basket attached to 
it, which descended rapidly for a considerable 
time before it expanded; when its motion was 
slow and peculiarly graceful. -At a quarter 
past two o’clock, perpendicular with Woud- 
Spring, on the Somerset coast, near Clevdeori, 
left England, and passed’ over the chamnel. 
At mid-channel, opéned the valve, and*neat- 
ing Cardiff, about twentv-five minutes! past 
two o’clock, the thermometer 55, descended 
so low as to héar the shouts of the people, and 
the breakers) between Barry ‘and’ Seilly 
“Islands. Fearing the main’ land could not be 
reached, and a current of .air impelling the 
balloon. towards the sea, more. ballast was 
thrown out, in doing which Mr.Sadler lost 
his hat.) At half-past two the’ balloon was 
about mid-channel, and continued descending 
till forty minutes past two o’clock, when it 
was pérpendicular with the Flat) Holmes; 
‘the ‘lighthouse very visivle. © Still conting 
ing to’ descend most rapidly towards the séd, 
a quantity of sand was. shaken from” one*of 
the bags: but the balloon continuing rapidly 
to descend, several other bags were thrown 
over, which instantaneously caused’ anascent 
so rapid, as to bring the balloon in contact 
with the sand from the first-mentioned bagy 
which fell into the car in a profuse shower. - 
The balloon continued to ascend until-about 
forty minutes past three o’clock, when it’ ap- 
proached the Devon coast, the Bideford: and 
Barnstaple rivers being: very: ‘easily distin 
guished. The thermometer now at 27. 
At fifty minutes past three, off Linton, 
a small town on the coast of Devon, between 
Tifracombe and Porlock. After having crossed 
the Bristol channel twice, at ten minutes 
past four o’clock, being desirous of reaching 
the coast, threw out every thing that could 
be parted with, including a great coat, a Vae 
luable barometer, a thermometer, a speaking- 
trumpet, the grappling-iron, and even part 
of the interior covering of the car, in the 
hope of reaching the main land about Barn 
staple; but, owing to the exhaustion of the 
gas, the balloon would not rise sufficiently to 
clear the high cliffs of Watermouth, near 
Combe- Martin. ' The balloon still descend- 
ing, and seeing no prospect but of tontending 
with the sea, the aeronauts put on their life- 
preservers. A few minutes afterwards, the 
car, with violent agitation, came in contact 
with the waves, about four miles from the 
shore.” At this critical moment, their pe- 
rilous situation was descried, from the cliffs 
of Lymouth, by Mr. Sanford, of Ninehead, 
Mr. Rowe, and some other genilemen, whose 
zealous, and well-directed efforts did them 
great credit. They sent out a‘ well manned 
boat to their immedizte assistance, which, 
when first discovered by the aeronauts; ap 
peared about the size ofa bird’ floating on t 
water, The car, nearly filled with water, 
32 | 
