Bravo Brown!. Terence FitzSimons

unfortunate Mr Robert Cocking, when after our having attained an elevation of 5,400 feet, Mr Cocking detached himself from us and the balloon, and descended with his parachute at Lee in Kent, about six miles from Vauxhall Gardens, but in consequence of the parachute having collapsed shortly after its leaving the balloon, this highly talented and much respected gentleman lost his life by the frightful concussion with which he struck the earth. After the balloon had lost the weight of the parachute and Mr Cocking, it ascended with such rapidity that Mr Green and myself attained an elevation of upwards of five miles. The Balloon afterwards descended with us in safety in the woods of Town Malling – Merryweather Woods, I think they are called – after an aerial voyage of one hour and a half. On Tuesday, 4th September, 1838, I ascended with Mr Charles Green and Mr Rush, with the Great Nassau balloon, from Vauxhall, with a view of attaining a great altitude, when we succeeded in reaching the height of 19,335 feet, in other words three and ←26 | 27→three-quarter miles, minus 465 feet. The barometer fell to 14 inches and 70 parts, thermometer, lowest, 22 degrees. At this time we must have been between Thaxted and Dunmow in Essex, a distance of between 30 and 40 miles from Vauxhall; we were then seen from London at our greatest elevation. We finally descended at Rowney Woods, in the Parish of Debolen, three miles South of Saffron Walden, Essex, and 47 miles from Vauxhall Gardens, after a voyage of one hour and twenty minutes. On the 20th September, 1838 I ascended from Vauxhall in a perfect calm, and the balloon remained suspended over the eastern part of London for upwards of three and a half hours, it finally descended at Wamsted Flats in Essex, six miles from Whitechapel. The ascent took pace at half past five p.m., in perfect daylight, and while remaining suspended over London, darkness came on. We had indeed a magnificent view of the whole of London and its suburban districts all lighted with gas. It is quite impossible for any language to adequately describe the grandeur of the scene that burst upon our view on our descent through the clouds, on our approach towards the earth. We suddenly had presented to us hundreds of thousands of gas lights in the continuous range as they diverged along the principal streets and roads heading from London, extending in some directions upwards of eight miles, particularly the Great Western Road. We finally descended at Wansted in Essex, about half past nine or ten.

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CHAPTER 5 1849

      From Mr M. Van Buren, Cremorne, London. March 13, 1849.

      Brown had approached the proprietor of London’s Cremorne Gardens apparently with a proposal regarding the Montgolfier balloon he had earlier commenced constructing. Perhaps he was enquiring as to the management’s willingness to sponsor his project, or at least offer an ascent for the completed balloon. ‘Professor’ James Ellis was at the time leasee of the gardens; it is unclear what Van Buren’s exact role was.

      For the present I cannot entertain your proposal respecting the Montgolfier Balloon. This in reply to your favour of 5th inst. Yours obediently, Prof J. Ellis. Mr M. Van Buren.

      From Mr John Hampton, Aeronaut, Rotunda, Dublin, June 15, 1849.

      This is Brown’s first contact with Hampton, a balloonist and pioneer parachutist, already well regarded in aeronautical circles. One of his balloons, the Erin Go Bragh, was considered ‘Ireland’s National Balloon’. He sent Brown some copies of Coxwell’s magazine, cautiously indicating that his prior friendship with Coxwell was at an end.

In reply to your of the 13th instant I beg to state that I have not published any work on Aerostation myself, but the numbers I have sent you were published by a friend of mine at that that time.¹ The work was continued up to the fourth number and it is not to be had, but as you seem to be an admirer of the science I have sent you these four numbers out of a few I had by me. I am sorry to hear that an ascent has been made in Leeds by Mr Gale. I was in Leeds in the summer of 1847, and partly made an arrangement at the Cloth Hall and the Gas Company to make an ascent, but circumstances prevented me till now. I was thinking of coming to ←29 | 30→Leeds but I fear an ascent would not now pay. I do not know who Russum is, unless it is Coxwell assumed the name. He, Coxwell, has not acted right by me. He knew nothing of Aerostation till he knew me. He has taken several of my inventions as I can prove. I have sent you a circular, and should you know any towns that an ascent would pay I shall feel obliged by your letting me know. You will see that I offer to share with proprietors of Gardens or anyone else, and should you be able to make any arrangements for me I shall feel much obliged. Wishing to hear from you to know if you received the parcel safe.

      To Mr Hampton, Aeronaut, Meanwood Road, Leeds, June 18, 1849.

      Sir, I am exceedingly obliged for you kindness in forwarding me the Balloon Magazine, I already had it in my possession having had it forwarded to me by Mr Coxwell, but nevertheless I am obliged to you for having sent me it, as I wish to present the other to the Mr Russum I mentioned before. Mr Russum is a native of Leeds, who has made several ascents in balloons of this own construction. He first ascended with Mr Green Jnr from Leeds in 1830 In the following year he constructed a balloon of silk and cotton, which was named the Coronation Balloon and ascended from Leeds at the Coronation of William the Fourth, September 8, 1831. He only made two ascents with this balloon which was afterwards destroyed by a mob at Huddersfield. There was a great meeting in that town, and it was said he had gone there to keep people away from the meeting. In 1809 he constructed a balloon of muslin of immense size; the largest gas balloon I have yet heard of with the exception of the Nassau. It was 42 feet in diameter and would hold between 45,000 and 50,000 cubic feet. It was truly a splendid machine. With this balloon he made six ascents, five from Leeds, and one from Cheltenham. The varnish he used unfortunately rotted the muslin and he almost failed in his ascent from Cheltenham. On his return to Leeds, so vexed was he at this circumstance that he immediately ripped it up.

      With reference to a balloon ascent from Leeds paying, I should think it would. I know that the last we have had here have paid pretty well. In 1837 Mr and Mrs Graham made three ascents and on the last of these ascents, although rain fell nearly the whole of the day, there was a balance left of £18.10.0 in Graham’s favour. According to the Leeds papers Mr Russum ←30 | 31→never had less than 1,500 persons in the Cloth Hall Yard on occasions of his ascent.

      At Bradford, a town 10 miles from Leeds, I should think a balloon ascent would pay as there has been only one ascent made from that place, and it was as far back as 1828. Bradford, I should say is as likely a town as any in England, all the stuff trade nearly having left Leeds for that town. Then there is Halifax, with its Piece Hall, from which place only three ascents have been made in 1785, 1837, and 1838, so that you see it is eleven years since an ascent took place there.

      I think I could name some other towns in Yorkshire that would answer very well. There is Malton, a pretty large town, from which I believe no ascent has been made at all. And I believe there have only been three ascents made from the City of York, one in 1786 by Lunardi, one in 1814 by Sadler Jnr, and one last year by Lieut. Gale who almost failed. I suppose it was with difficulty he got away and only himself in the car.

      There has been no ascent from Wakefield since 1837. Barnsley, I think, has only witnessed one in 1837, Keighley one in 1828, Skipton I believe none at all. Sheffield has been a noted place for balloons. Mr Charles Brown, a native of that place, having made several ascents with balloons of his own. This gentleman made near 40 ascents from Beverley, Sheffield, Halifax, Carlisle, Newcastle, Glasgow, Dewsbury, etc, but he had a great many failures. I think he has abandoned ballooning altogether, I have not heard of him since 1843 when he made an ascent with a new balloon from Sheffield.

      Mr C. Green has made two ascents this year with his Victoria balloon one from Colchester, in Essex, and one from High Wycombe, Bucks. At both of which places he had been engaged; at the former by the proprietors of the Botanic Garden, and at the latter by the Literary Institute. Mr Gypson is arranging for an ascent from Eisbech. I have enclosed you the particulars of his 95th ascent, which took place at Peterborough May 30th from which you will see that he is not doing very well. There is a Mr Wadman, a gas-fitter, of Bristol, who made above 30 ascents last year. He is in partnership with a Mr Richard Green, the papers say a relative of Mr C. Green. Mr Wadman is ill at present,