Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Thursday, May the 6th, to Saturday, May the 8th

Thursday, May the 6th, to Saturday, May the 8th, 1784

London, May 1.

Letters from Paris say, that a regular physician, M. Mesmer, has lately pretended to cure a variety of chronic and acute disorders by the application of magnets ; and that the public infatuation in his favour is so great, that he has already got above 100 pupils, at 100 louis each, to whom he is, in due-time, to communicate is extraordinary method of practice.

A discovery has lately been made of a method soften salt water at sea, without the tedious and expensive mode of distillation ; the experiment whereof is now before the admiralty board, for the inspetion of the commissioners.

Extract of a letter from Paris, April 21.
"There is a report circulated here with great confidence, that Pius VI. has lately made a journey to Avignon, and that from hence he will proceed to Paris, for the purose of holding a council respecting the marriage of priests, and for annulling auricular confession. The first part of this account is highly probable, but there does not appear to be very good foundation for the rest. We hear that a superb apartment has been prepared for his reception at Avignon, in the vice legate's palace"

There were 179 convicts on board the transport vessell, at the time the escped from thence was effected near Falmouth. There are now on board at Torbay 62 prisoners, 116 got on shore, and one died a few days before the tumult. The ship is to remain at Torbay, till some necessary repairs are made.

Yesterday afternoon a party of gentlemen waired upon the proprietors of the several print-shops in the Strand, and remonstrated with them upon the impropriety of the exposing in their windows the several shameful and indecet prints on the most amiable of female characters. The shopkeepers admitted the grossness of such an exhibition, and very handsomely promised to prevent it in the future. Such example we hope will be generally imitated.

Dublin , May 7

Every general his majesty appoints to the chief command of his army in Ireland brings over with him some home improvement, if not at least some new-fangled device either novel or singular ; general Pitt has changed the uniform of all the light cavalry of the kingdom from red to blue, the form of the cloaths is also different, cconsisting first of ablue waistcoat, with sleeve cross-looped on the front, Hussar-fashion, the coat, if it may be called so, or more properly outer-garment, has no sleeves, and is also blue, the breeches doe skin ; the coat and the sleeves of the waistcoat faced with the regimental colour.

The same day an ingenious model of a building, for the purpose of making one fire serve at one and the same time as a lime and drying kiln, and a perpetual oven for the baking of bread, &c. was produced and approved by the (Dublin) society. This great improvement is already carried into practice, and found to answer completely its design. The model is ordered to be laid up in the society's stores in Poolbeg-street. The design and model are of the invention and execution of a Mr. Kennedy, a gardener.

An additional number of revenue cutters are now fitted out, to prevent the illicit practices of the smuggling business, which has been for many months so injurious to the trading part of the nation.

London, May 1.

Air Balloons

A committee of the French acadamy having been deputed to examine Mr. Montgolfier's several experiments, and those of Mr. Charles. They issue among other observations , those that follow :
That the science of airs is much too new, for any thing decisive to be affirmed. What we may venture to say is, that the simplicity of Mr. Montgolfier's method, its facility, and the quickness with which it may be used, appear to give it several advantages for the common purposes of civil life ; while on the other hand, the inflammable air balloon, from the advantage of smaller bulk, its requiring no care nor attention to the keeping up the raising power, appears better calculated for the purposes of philosophical observation.
As to the uses of balloons, their number stops us. They may be used to raise weights, to go over mountains, to descend into vallies, to raise lights during t he night, to convey signals by sea and land ; and, by ascending to unusual heights, for the purpose of observation, may explain several phaenomenon of meteorology, may ascertain the velocities and directions of the several winds. Electroscopes may be obtained, which may be raised much higher than electrical kites can be, &c. &c.
And on the recommendation of the committee, the acadamy adjudged to Mr. Montgolfier the prize of 600 livres, annually given to the best discovery of t he arts.
The Lyons balloon, whose diameter was 100 feet, had, it seems, its fall foretold by count Milly, The fall was a decisive proof of the safety of these aerial voyages ; for though it met with all the misfortunes that could befal a poor balloon, the seven icari in it fell gently, from a height of 700 roises, the bulk of the balloon having supported them in the fall; or at least much diminished it.
As to the direction of the balloons, count Milly thinks one or other of these means the most promising, sails like those of a ship, wings as of a bird; or some imitation of the fins of a fish ; preferring the latter, which are to be of thin paper, parchment to taffety, an easy exercise of them he says, would do for a horizontal progression whenever the wind was not directly contrary. In all cases there would be half the compass to go forward in, but perhaps with a little agility and address, the aerial powers might contrive to nearer to the wind.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home