Lieut. Gale is engaged to ascend from Jephson Gardens Lamington on Wednesday the 20th of this month. Bye the bye, I do not like his way of announcing an ascent. He always states in his bills, in the country, that the Cremorne balloon will hold 60,000 feet, and will carry 12 persons, whereas it will only contain 38,000 feet. When he was in Leeds he was engaged by Anderson, the Magician, who got up a gala at the Botanical Gardens. I heard Mr Anderson say that his expenses on this occasion were £120, his receipts about £150. The gardens are in a very bad situation for a balloon ascent, as people can see all that is going on in the gardens from Woodhouse Moor. The Cloth Hall is the best place in Leeds. A grand gala is to take place in Leeds about the middle of July, at Leeds Fair. This gala is got up every year by the Oddfellows. Nothing particular is yet announced and I have thought of presenting your circular to them. I shall be glad if I can do anything for you. I am enthusiastically fond of ballooning; it has been my constant study for a period of 18 years.
I have an idea that a Montgolfier balloon would pay better than a gas balloon. A Montgolfier may be constructed of cheaper materials, may be filled anywhere at any time at very little expense, and may be kept up quite long enough for exhibition. I have a receipt for making the silk fire-proof. I have had the experiment tried and it answers very well. A short time after the commencement of the publication of the Aerostatic Magazine. I sent Mr Coxwell a plan of mine for a parachute and he said he liked my idea. I contributed to the Aerostatic Magazine as you will see on reference to the notices to correspondents. I am sorry it was discontinued. My parachute is on quite a different plan to any hitherto used. It is simply this; two parachutes in the form of yours, one a few feet above the other, the air rushing from the lower one would pass rapidly into the upper one and by its force would cause the whole to descent much slower than if only one were used. I should like to try the experiment myself.
From Mr Hampton, Aeronaut. Corn Exchange, Cork, July 11, 1849.
I received your with the stamps in. I did not wish to you to send them. I should have wrote to you before this, but I have been very busy. I have ←32 | 33→sent you the pamphlet with the account of my Albion balloon. When you first sent to me I did not think of the Albion, thinking it was the others you wanted.2
You speak of several aeronauts which I do not know, such as Mr Wadman, Mr R. Green, Mr Russum, and Mr Brown. This last gentleman I have heard of at Wolverhampton and other towns in England. As for Mr R. Green, I think this must be a brother of C. Green, the old aeronaut. He has many brothers who have made numbers of ascents which he lumps with his. He has also a son named George. Do you know if it was the Albion balloon he made the two ascents you speak of at Colchester and High Wycombe?
You seem to be well acquainted with Mr Russum. Will you tell this gentleman I shall be most happy to meet him, should I be making ascents where he is, also yourself, and others. I thank you for your kind offer in trying to get the ascents. I should be most happy to join you or Mr Russum in getting up an ascent or two, should you know a place or places that will pay. It seems by what you state that old Green is as lucky as ever in being engaged and being paid well, but Gypson is not so, this I do not wonder at. As for the puffing system, Gale, Gypson, and Green seem to be fond of it, I do not like this tricking. As for 95 ascents made by Gypson, it is like Green’s 300. I think I shall head them all by stating I have made 450 ascents, but I fear I shall then be like them, when asked to give an account of the places and dates I shall be found out, so that I had better go on the safe side. As for Coxwell, this fellow is dishonourable as for his having a new balloon, he has not. The balloon he has, if I am informed right, was Gale’s former balloon and the gentleman with him is one that was in partnership with Gale.3 I think Gale can speak to this.
I am thinking myself of getting someone to join me with this balloon, and I flatter myself I have got as fine a balloon as there is in England. I find it is too much for one man to attend to, that is, getting up the ascents, etc etc. I think of putting an advertisement in The Times newspaper for a ←33 | 34→gentleman to take half the balloon, he may make ascents or not, I will take all risk should he not like to go up.
I have a good thing in view and should like to bring it out this winter, it has to do with ballooning, etc. Much money can be made by it, but there must be two or more in it. Should you know anyone this would be a safe thing as I can show. It must be done in a proper manner so as no misunderstanding can take place, for without confidence nothing can be done, and with this everything must go on prosperous. My new plan is not only scientific and amusing, but must be profitable. It will cost about £200 to get it up and I am ready to back it with £100 myself.4 This, with my present balloon, cannot fail to make a fortune for two men if they act right to each other.
You will see that I ascend in Cork on the 16th and please God the weather is fine I shall I think have a bumper. I have been treated very kind by the Irish people, to know them you must live among them. I do not think any balloon would do here but the Erin Go Bragh. It is called ‘Ireland’s own balloon’. I shall be most happy to hear from you. You shall have a newspaper of my ascent.
To Mr Hampton, Aeronaut, Meanwood Road, Leeds, [Not dated.] July, 1849.
Brown declared his intention of becoming a practical aeronaut, and refers to his unfinished Montgolfier balloon.
I received your letter along with the pamphlet, for which I am extremely obliged. You are right, I think, in your idea as to the motive of Mr Green in purchasing the Albion. As soon as I hear that it had got into his possession it struck me that he had bought it with a view of putting a stop to Mr Hampton’s ballooning. I think the Albion must be worn out now for he never makes use of it, he always uses his Victoria balloon now. He made 14 ascents with it last year and this year he has made four. He ascended from Vauxhall last Friday night with a display of firework. The balloon was previously illuminised on the ground by Pearce’s electric light. Gale made an ←34 | 35→ascent from Birmingham last week. Gypson made his 96th ascent from Wisbeck last Thursday with another person and it was with difficulty he cleared the town. The enclosure was very much crowded, and he also made a collection outside, and the papers state that he would make a good sum by this ascent.
The Mr R. Green whom I mentioned in my last is not a brother of C. Green’s, but a distant relation. He is a young man. A paragraph is at present going the round of the papers stating that he made an ascent from Cardiff on Monday week and has not been seen since. His balloon was found next morning at Glastonbury, in the car where his coat, boots, neckerchief, and four bags which were wet. One person says he saw the balloon in the sea and it suddenly rose with great rapidity. It is thought that he had taken off his boots and part of his clothes and then abandoned the balloon with the intention of swimming to shore, but perished in the effort. Your water car would have saved his life.5 A fete is about being got up in Liverpool and the gas company has undertaken to fill a balloon gratis for this fete, but I do not know who are getting it up. Have you not some friend in that town who would look after it? I do not know anyone there.
I commenced making a Montgolfier balloon last February, large enough to raise about 500 pounds, and have got the upper half of it finished but my money is exhausted and I cannot go on with it at present. It was my intention to have made a private ascent or two this year, but I shall not be able to finish it till next year. You will perhaps be a little surprised when you hear of this, but the balloon would be fireproof and I have also a plan for regulating the fire, lessening, or putting it out at pleasure with ease. I am determined I will be an aeronaut, if possible, if I am obliged to make my balloon of paper.
I should be most happy to join you with the Erin Go Bragh, but I have not the means. I am very poor and have a very small income. I should like to meet with a party who would engage me to make descents with a parachute on my principle, which I think I have