It was on the 5th of
September, 1862, that Mr. Glaisher and Mr. Coxwell made the famous
ascent in which they reached the greatest height ever attained by
an aeronaut, and were so nearly sacrificed to their unselfish
daring. Mr. Glaisher has given an admirable account of this
ascent, which took place from Wolverhampton. He says:--"Our
ascent had been delayed, owing to the unfavourable state of the
weather. It commenced at three minutes past one p.m., the
temperature of the air being 59 degrees, and the dew-point 48
degrees. At the height of one mile the temperature was 41
degrees and the dew-point 38 degrees. Shortly after wards clouds
were entered of about 1,100 feet in thickness. Upon emerging
from them at seventeen minutes past one, I tried to take a view
of their surface with the camera, but the balloon was ascending
too rapidly and spiraling too quickly to allow me to do so. The
height of two miles was reached at twenty-one minutes past one.
The temperature of the air had fallen to 32 degrees and the
dew-point to 26 degrees. The third mile was passed at
twenty-eight minutes past one, with an air temperature of 18
degrees, and a dew-point of 13 degrees. The fourth mile was
passed at thirty-nine minutes past one, with an air temperature
of 8 degrees, and a dew-point of minus 6 degrees and the fifth
mile about ten minutes later, with an air temperature minus 5
degrees, and a dew-point minus 36 degrees.
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