An objection raised against the guide rope is the damage it would do in passing over a town, but as the friction of a guide rope prevents a balloon from moving as fast as the wind, sails placed obliquely can be used for steering a balloon clear of any town or building. This plan would have saved Roche and might have enabled Arban to reach a headland.10 It is odd ←67 | 68→that Gale did not in his lecture treat of this mode of directing balloons. Is it possible that he was not aware of it when he lectured in Hull? You had, I dare say, some conversation with him on the subject in Leeds. What was his opinion of it? You have seen the account of Hampton’s voyage from Cork. You probably did not see the remarks of a Cork paper on his previous attempt to ascend. I enclose a cutting which may amuse you.
The safety-car for descending on water, was it made by Coxwell, or by Hampton? I drew Hamptons’ attention, when he was in Cork, to a matter that would add to the safety of the car, and fastened to it by a long rope, when the car touches the water it offers resistance to the balloon urged on by the wind. The consequence is that the car is thrown on its side, and the aeronauts being in some measure fettered by the apparatus for keeping out of the water, are in danger of having their heads plunged under water. The drag by offering resistance at the opposite side of the car tends to keep the car upright, and thus prevents the aeronaut from being smothered by the water, when the balloon urged by a high wind moves rapidly along the sea. You ought to draw the attention of your friend Coxwell to the snap loops described in a former letter, they may be the means of saving his life in bad weather.
In hunting over my papers, if I find any of the dates of the early ascents of the Albion, I shall let you know. With regard to the account of the aerial trip from Navan in Monck Mason’s book, it always appeared to me very odd that a voyage at that early date should have been made from a small place instead of from a large city. I do not know any person from the locality who could throw any light on the matter.11
I had some notion that Hampton would have lectured in Leeds when he went there. The sailing balloon and drag might have excited attention, and might have brought many to a lecture. Hampton, when about to lecture in Limerick, wrote to me for the sketch of the sailing balloon which appeared in The Illustrated London News I sent it and some observations ←68 | 69→on drags, as objections might be possibly started to sailing balloons. The objection that a drag might injure a ship or a boat in an estuary or harbour was met by my proposing as a drag a bundle of twigs bound round a rope. This would not stove in a boat. At sea a good buffer, in front of a spar drag or a plank drag, was to be used to prevent injury to ships, and a bell on a drag was to warn ships at sea at night. A balloon furnished with sails and drag could easily be made to avoid a ship. I direction his attention to the advantage the spar drag and plank drag had to the drag depicted in The Illustrated London News. By their means great resistance could be offered at times in the water, so as to stop a balloon when aeronauts would wish to speak with the crew of a ship at sea. The writer in The Illustrated London News of May 30, 1846, gave the plan of sailing a balloon furnished with a drag as the then recent invention of Mr Green, not a word was given about Wright who started the idea in 1803 – not a word about my reviving Wright’s plan, and improving on it.12 Wright, certainly, in a rough way, could direct a balloon over water by the plan he proposed, but he did not know how to sail a balloon over land. The carriage he proposed as a drag on land would be liable to be obstructed. The simple addition of a rattan, or of a piece of whalebone at the end of a rope, prevents a rope from lashing round a tree and thus enables a guide rope to glide among trees. The friction of the rope on ground enables the wind to take effect on sails placed obliquely. Thus a balloon can be directed over land, and houses can be avoided. The reversible drags used on sea in conjunction with sails attached to balloons would give aeronauts great control over balloons in crossing the sea. The writer in The Illustrated London News in 1846 must have been aware of Wright’s proposal and of my plans, as he quotes my essay on the subject. Have you the particulars of the ascent made by Mrs. Graham and her daughters?13 Have you the particulars of the ascent she made with Mrs. Gale?14
I suppose that you have seen a letter on balloons in polar regions from Hampton in the Dublin Freeman’s Journal in November last. He sent it to ←69 | 70→me from Dublin, and I sent him a letter in which I drew his attention to the utility of spirits of wine as ballast for messenger balloons in polar regions. The spirits of wine would not be frozen, and could be made to escape drop by drop from bladders to lighten the balloon to enable it to go far.
I understand that Coxwell lectured on Aerostation in Germany. It is a pity that he did not send you the programme of his lectures. I wish that he would send you the titles of any recent works published on the continent on the subject of Aerostation. It was reported some years ago that Charles Green was writing a work on Aerostation. I wish he would come out in black and white. I have had several communications from Mr C. Clark of Totham, Essex, I have no heard from him this long time. You have corresponded with him, I think. Does he reside in the same place yet? Has he ever made an ascent?
From Mr Hampton, 23 Jervis Street, Dublin, May 5, 1850.
I should have written to you before this, but I have been so busy with the balloon. I find I shall have much to contend with respecting the fire etc. but I must persevere. Do not mind sending the newspaper cutting still you have had time to do what you want with them. I have been trying our plan of spirits of wine and oil. I find it gives greater heat than the naphtha alone, but the oil spits so much and will in time spoil the balloon. The oil by itself would not do as it gives out so much smoke. I have sent you a piece of the balloon which I think you will find to do well, it is the fag end. My balloon will be as follows in weight, cotton and paper 95lbs. Rope 20lbs. Car, about 45lbs, the Hoop, and things for the fire I cannot yet say, but I do not think the whole will be more than 200 to 240lbs.
Respecting the magazine, you and I will have some talk about it after I have done with this balloon, which will be this summer. In the meantime get all the information you can. You shall hear from me soon. I am about to make some experiments.
From Mr Hampton, 23 Jervis Street, Dublin, May 25, 1850.
Señor Don Pedro de Montemayor, a pioneering Spanish aeronaut, caused a stir in aeronautic circles with the announcement of his discovery of a ‘certain method’ for ←70 | 71→directing the flight of a balloon, and his intention to fly from Madrid to London in his giant balloon, Eole.
You must excuse my not writing to you before this, I have been so much taken up with my balloon that I have not had time. I see by your letter of the 9th instant that you have got another situation. I hope it is to your satisfaction.
In reply to your second letter, I shall not have the balloon complete till the end of June, I fear. I am in great anxiety about it. You will see by the bill I have sent you what I mean to do. Say in your next letter what you think of the bill. It seems that Coxwell has not a balloon and he is doing his best to make things meet.15 As for Gale, he has acted as I expected he would, from what I had heard when I was in London, it is a pity that men will act so. I have some more scraps of newspapers which I will send you when I have time to look at them.
I see by Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper that a monster balloon is being made at Valverde, in Spain, by Senor Montemayor. It says that hundreds of persons have been for eight months employed. It is to be shown in a few days to the Queen of Spain, and then to come to London in one day. You can see the account in Sunday Lloyd’s of the 19th.
To Mr Hampton, Bradford, May 29, 1850.
I now return you the newspaper cuttings, for the loan of which I am greatly obliged. How are you getting on with the balloon? I am very anxious to hear, I assure you. It is some time since I heard from you, but I can guess how busy you will be. Did you see the advertisement in The Times the other day about a flying machine? The advertisement is headed Rescue of Sir John Franklin. To the rich and chivalrous, and the party proposes to construct in three months, and for £9,000, a machine capable of performing 100 miles in an hour.
In America, a Mr Porter, who made some noise last year about a flying machine, is at present courting some excitement. He proposes to carry 150 ←71 | 72→persons to California or to London in a day. He is selling shares very fast, the