Chester, one from Preston, and one from Blackburn. Wadman was announced to ascend from Rockdale on Monday but failed, owing to the short supply of gas.
Young Green and another gentleman had a narrow escape at Preston on the instant. The balloon, in ascending, came in contact with a weathercock which tore a hole in the balloon 18 inches long. They threw out all ←41 | 42→they had with them, by which they cleared the town. They were only four minutes in the air, but travelled four miles and a half. Gypson made two ascents from Huntington last week. On the first occasion the balloon on its descent was towed in its inflated state back to the place where it started from and he ascended with the same gas the following day. He seems to have done very well there. He was the first person to ascend from Huntington.
I hope in my next to be able to state that I have commenced the construction of a balloon on my plans. I have met with a gentleman who promises to defray the expense of the machine and I believe we shall set about it immediately. I shall be very careful how I proceed. This gentleman is to pay for the machine and to engage me to make the ascents, and I will take care to have a proper written agreement before making the balloon.
From Mr Hampton, 12 Cecil Street, Limerick, September 4, 1849.
I received your note and the newspaper with Green’s balloon in it. You will see by the newspaper I have sent you that I have made my ascent from Limerick. The day was bad, and I did not clear my expenses.10 It seems that the Green’s are plentiful, as Wadman had another Green.
I am happy to hear that you have got a friend to assist you in getting up your balloon. Mind and do as you say, that is, to be on the safe side. Let me hear from you soon.
From Mr Hamptom Limerick, September 25, 1849.
I have just received your letter. I am sorry to hear that you have been so sadly disappointed, but keep up your spirits. I have had this sort of things all my life but, thank God, I got over them and so with you, I hope. I am ←42 | 43→sorry that your friend died with cholera.11 I wish you could join me. I think we should do well. I have got a good balloon and apparatus, but it is too much for one. I find I have a great wish to make a long trip and had I a party to join me I would at once enlarge my balloon for the purpose. If you could in any way raise £100 we could at once enter into some arrangement and come out well next season.
I leave here for Clonmel tomorrow. I fear I shall not get the gas. I have got the offer of the Barracks, the Band, and the patronage of the Mayor, Colonels, and the officers. I never had a better offer, but after having had every reason to suppose I could have the gas, it now seems there is some doubt.
Have you begun your balloon? If not I would like to know on what principle it is to be. You need not fear communicating with me freely as I will not take any advantage. Hoping to hear from you soon.
To Mr Hampton. Meanwood Road, Leeds, September 29, 1849.
Your letter enclosing the bill I received on Tuesday afternoon. I had previously seen your advertisement in Saturday’s Limerick Chronicle. I have no doubt you will do well in this affair. I sincerely hope so. As you seem desirous that I should give you some explanation of my plan for a balloon I will at once proceed to do so. With respect to my being afraid of your taking advantage of any communication I might make that would be likely to be useful to you, on the contrary I should only be too happy if I could tender you a service. I propose to construct a balloon on the original plan of Montgolfier but with the following improvements. The machine would be made fireproof. The fireplace would be provided with a cover, or extinguisher, to be raised or lowered at pleasure, the fire could therefore be lessened, increased or put out in a moment. On the topic of the balloon I would have a large valve only to be used when a rapid descent was required, or for the purpose of exhausting the balloon speedily with it reached the ground. If I were to make one to my wish I should prefer one of about 20,000 cubic feet capacity not larger. When complete ←43 | 44→the machine with its whole apparatus would weigh about 250 pounds, and as the rarefied air would be about half the weight of common air, it would raise about 500 pounds more. The cost of such a machine would not exceed £40. The inflation would cost very little. For £2 I would fill the balloon and keep it up two hours. This kind of balloon would be far more attractive than a gas balloon and, in consequence of the small expense attending it, could not fail to be a moneymaking concern. I am quite confident it would succeed.
On perusing the above I have no doubt that you will pronounce it a dangerous plan, but so far from this being the case, it would be a safer machine than a gas balloon for inland excursions. I would not ascend near the sea with it. All the accidents that have happened with Montgolfier balloons have been through their taking fire, it is impossible for the above to do so. It would also be impossible for it to burst. Many accidents have happened through the bursting of gas balloons. It would be impossible for the machine to fail for want of gas or of being supplied with bad gas, its power would always be quite uniform. Ascents could be made from places which have no gasworks. Although the expense of this machine would be so trifling, still I have not the means of procuring the sum necessary. To tell you the truth I am but a clerk in the Post Office here at a low salary. I have not the slightest doubt that you and I could do well together, but you see the position I am in.
From Mr Hampton, 23 Jervis Street, Dublin, October 8, 1849.
Lieutenant General (later General) Sir Edward Blakeney was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in Ireland.
I received your letter on my return to Dublin on the 7th. I am sorry to say that my ascent that was to take place at Clonmel did not come off though it had been announced by advertisement and bills. I had got the grant of the Barracks to ascend from, the Band and the patronage of the Mayor, Colonels, etc. as you will see by the bill I have enclosed. I have letters and other proofs that the gas had been promised me and I can also prove that they could have inflated the balloon had they had the mind to have done so, but three of the Directors refused to do so. I have been advised to ←44 | 45→bring an action against them for the amount I have lost by their breaking their promises, but perhaps this would not be wise, as I want the gas next summer.
I have had, as you will see by the bill, a lecture in Limerick, but owing to General Blakeney coming into Limerick to view the troops the same day my lecture was to come off, and dining with the officers in the evening, I did not do much, but it went off well and gave great satisfaction. Indeed I may say that I have only gained at one ascent this summer, but I have paved the way for good things next summer. Please God I live so long.
I shall now lay up for the winter here as I have a good place for my balloon and have many friends, but I think I shall go to London about Christmas. I now will reply to your letter which I have read with much pleasure owing to the straightforward manner you write. You kindly offer to send me some particulars of voyages, etc. I shall feel thankful for the same, in return you shall have from me all the assistance I can give you to bring you out as an aeronaut. But now let me give you a few words of advice. You say you have a wife and that you hold a situation at the Post Office. Let me beg of you to consider two things. The first; is your wife agreeable to your becoming an aeronaut and to give up your situation for that of the precarious life of a public man? These are two questions you ought to seriously consider. Do not think I wish to dishearten you; no to the contrary you shall, as I have before stated, have my best assistance should you think of keeping to your intentions.
As for you plan of the fire balloon I do not condemn it, on the contrary I think your ideas are good and I will feel much pleasure in meeting you and having some conversation on the subject, and to assist you as far as I can, and if agreeable I will call on you when I leave Dublin for London and have some serious conversations with you on all the points Respecting my ascent from Hackney, it took place in 1839. In 1838 I ascended from Canterbury. On both occasions
