Constructing and Raising by Subscription a Large and Elegant Air Balloon.
Constructing and Raising
by Subscription
a Large and Elegant
Air Balloon.

June 30, 1784 The Pennsylvania Gazette

PHILADELPHIA, June 30.

    The Maryland Journal of Friday last has the following Article: "Baltimore, June 25. Yesterday the ingenious Peter Carnes, Esq; made his curious Aerostatic Experiment, within the limits of this town, in the presence of a numerous and respectable concourse of people, whom the same of his superb balloon had drawn together from the east, west, north and south, who, generally, appeared highly delighted with the awful grandeur of so novel a scene, as a large globe making repeated voyages into the airy regions, which Mr. Carnea's machine actually performed, in a manner that reflected honor on his character as a man of genius, and could not fail to inspire solemn and exalted ideas in every reflecting mind. Ambition, on this occasion, so fired the youthful heart of a lad (only 13 years old) of the name of Edward Warren, that he bravely embarked as a volunteer on the last trip into the air, and behaved with the steady fortitude of an old voyager. The "gazing multitude below" wasted to him their loud applause, the receipt of which, as he was, "soaring aloof," he politely acknowledged by a significant wave of his hat. When he returned to our terrene element, he met with a reward from some of the spectators, which had a solid, instead of an airy, foundation, and of a species which is ever acceptable to the residents of this lower world."

To the CITIZENS OF Philadelphia.

GENTLEMEN,
    YOU
have been lately addressed on the subject of constructing and raising by subscription a large and elegant Air Balloon. The ardor that has been manifested to assist in carrying the design into execution, is an argument of the good opinion which is generally entertained of its useful tendency.
    To satisfy those who may desire to know what sum of money is required to complete the undertaking, in order to determine whether they will become subscribers, and to what amount, the following particulars are stated: To construct the body of a balloon 60 feet in height, and 50 in diameter, it will require of yard wide silk, 1000 yards. For the crown work, inferior segment and base, 200. In all 1200 yards of silk. The most proper is India Persian.
    The net work, lining, covering, cords, and boat to be appended, including also the work and ornaments, may amount to a sum equal to one half of that value.
    The theatre, and apparatus necessary for raising it, with other contingent and unavoidable expences, which in an undertaking so new cannot be exactly estimated, will perhaps amount likewise to half of the price of the first mentioned article. But in this, some latitude must be allowed.
    Many persons, unacquainted with the expence and difficulty of procuring true inflammable air from iron filings and vitriolic acid, and with that of the apparatus required for its separation from the iron, ought to be apprized that the intended subscription balloon is of so large a size, as may render that air too expensive for a first essay.
    Wherefore the undertakers rather advise, together with the large subscription balloon, to have another of 10, 15 or 20 feet diameter, constructed, according as the subscriptions may hold out, to be filled with inflammable air; in this, it may be necessary to use gum elastic to cover the silk, if it can be procured, as this air is more penetrating than what is necessary for the former, and requires that the covering of the balloon be more close and dense, to prevent the escape of that air.
    For a balloon 60 feet in height, and of proportionable diameter, 80 pounds weight of straw, and a few pounds of wool, will be sufficient to carry it up into the regions of the atmosphere.
    The Gentlemen who propose to undertake the business, provided an hearty inclination in their fellow-citizens, to carry it into effect, shall be manifested by prompt and adequate subscriptions, think it incumbent to lay these particulars before the public; because as they desire that, on the one hand, nothing shall be wanting to carry the design into execution, that can do credit a set of generous subscribers, they wish, on the other hand, to avoid all needless expence.
    Two or three weeks, or perhaps less time, according to the spirit and number of the subscribers, will be deemed necessary to determine whether it is likely to meet with such a degree of support as is necessary to proceed with the undertaking.
    If subscriptions offer but slowly, or fall far short of the estimate of expences, notice will be given in due time of the deficiency, and the affair will be dropped, without calling any money out of the hands of the subscribers. If, on the other hand, as the seemingly universal desire of the inhabitants of this place, to see it carried on, plainly intimates, the number and sufficiency of subscriptions give encouragement, it will be announced in the newspapers, and the subscribers will be called upon to pay their respective donations to Mr. JOHN SWANWICK, Treasurer to the undertaking.
    If the amount of the subscriptions exceeds the expence of the undertaking, the surplus will be returned, or disposed of agreeably to the sentiments of a committee of the subscribers, of whom a meeting will be called to determine the question, and an account be rendered of the expences incurred.
    It may not be amiss to repeat in this place, that the undertakers (who are amongst the number of subscribers) are no ways ostentatious of taking a lead on this occasion; nor have they any advantage or interest to hope for, from carrying on the design. A love of science and the honour of their country are their motives. They have indeed the promise of assistance from several ingenious gentlemen of the University and Philosophical Society, when called for. But if other persons more suitable to support the weight of the undertaking shall offer, they will cheerfully give place to, or concur with them in the arduous pursuit. They suppose the undertakings will stand or fail by the judgment the public may form of their character or ability for the same, from the names of the gentlemen who have consented to receive subscriptions, and with whom lists are left for the purpose; which are as follows: ---

Vine street. Jonathan B. Smith, Jacob S. Howell.
Race street. Rev. Caspar Weiberg, Melchior Steiner, Peter Thompson.
Arch street. Bovnad and Gaillard, Charles Cist, Matthew Clarkson, Daniel Benezet, jun. Dr. William Smith, Col. John Bayard, Joseph Palmer.
Cherry alley. General Nicola, Joseph Cauffman.
Market street. Rev. Henry Helmuth, Dr. Dunlap, Henry Land, David C. Claypoole, Edward Pole, Hall and Sellers, Jonas Philips, Robert Aitken, Francis Bailey, Eleazer Oswald.
Chestnut street. John Chaloner, William Webb, Roger Flahavan.
Walnut street. Peter Le Maigre, Joseph Bullock.
Spruce street. John Young, Abraham Shoemaker, Dr. Robert Harris, Dr. John Morgan.
Pine street. Rev. Robert Blackwell, Dr. Gerardus Clarkson, John Philips.
Lombard street. Charles W. Peale, captain Angus.
Penn street. John Swanwick, Robert Bridges.
Water street. Woodrop and J. Sims, James Oellers, Isaac Wharton, Miller and Abercrombie.
Front street. Francis Johnston, John Vaughan, Ebenezer Hazard, George Mifflin, Joseph Harrison, James Irvin, Benjamin Nones, Haym Solomons.
Second street. Col. Mentges, John Wharton, Dr. Hutchinson, Vardon and Geise, Miers Fisher, Dr. Rush, Dr. Phile, Wager and Habacker, John Morris.
Third street. Rev. Robert Magaw, Benjamin Wynkoop, Samuel Caldwell, Andrew Doz, John Wilcocks, John Clifford, John Miller, Dr. John McDowell.
Fourth street. Professors of the University, viz. Rev. James Davidson, Rev. Robert Davidson, Rev. John Chr. Kuntze, Archibald Gamble.
Fifth street. John O'Connor.
Southwark. Hon. Samuel Wharton, Rev. George Duffield, Dr. Benjamin Duffield, Thomas Casdrop, Joseph Blower, Joshua Humphreys, Richard Tittermary, William Robinson, jun.
Northern Liberties. William Masters, William Coates, Benjamin Eyres.

Source:

Unknown, "Philadelphia, June 30," The Pennsylvania Gazette, Philadelphia, Pa., Wednesday, 30th June 1784.


Notes:

    Richard Wynkoop, in the 1904 edition of the Wynkoop Genealogy in the United States of America, has this to say about Benjamin Wynkoop on pages 74-75:


    175. Benjamin Wynkoop, (Abraham 52, Benjamin 8, Cornelius 1,) born November 23, 1734: died September 2, 1803: married May 18, 1767 Sarah Wooddrop Sims, daughter of Joseph and Anne Sims. His body, and the bodies of several of his children, were buried at the corner of Pine and Third streets, Philadelphia. His widow died December 31, 1814, aged 63.
    His descendents know of no second marriage, and yet he seems to have married, about 1781, and, probably a sister of Sarah. For James Lempriere Hammond wrote, from the Island of Jersey, in May, 1783, to his brother Nicholas, as follows: "Your last letter tells me of the marriage, about a year and a half ago, of Mr. B. Wynkoop to his second wife." The "B. Wynkoop" seems to be this Benjamin, and he named children, after that period, Wooddrop Sims, and Sarah, which suggests that the second wife was sister to the first.
    Benjamin was, in 1788, a member of the Rumseian Society, Philadelphia, and of its committee of correspondence. This society had for its subject James Rumsey's experiments with steamboats.
    Benjamin Wynkoop and his family, in 1778, were at the residence of his step-mother, the Widow Mary (Dyer) Wynkoop, Appoquinimink, Newcastle County, Delaware, while Philadelphia was occupied by the British. Nicholas Hammond, then aged about twenty, grandson of the Widow Wynkoop, wrote as follows: "Mr. Benjamin Wynkoop and family are with us, and by their generally pretty and familiar behavior increase the cordiality which before subsisted among us. They have been here some months, and await, with impatience, the messengers of peace, that they may return to Philadelphia."
    Children of Benjamin and Sarah Wynkoop:
426. Joseph: b. Dec. 3, 1768: d. Mch. 24, 1814.
427. Esther: b. May 18, 1771: d. Nov. 20, 1774.
428. Sarah: b. May 15, 1773: d. Sept. 24, 1777.
429. Anne: b. Dec. 30, 1775: d. June 18, 1849.
430. Benjamin: b. Nov. 15, 1778: d. Sept. 10, 1789.


    Children of Benjamin and ----- Wynkoop:
431. Abraham: b. June 1, 1782: m. Hannah Norman.
432. Wooddrop Sims: b. Oct. 20, 1786: d. in 1814: m. Jan. 19, 1807, Anne Bartleson, Christ Church, Phil. They had no child.
433. Sarah: b. June 30, 1789: d. July 12, 1790.

    Chris

Created August 3, 2003; Revised August 3, 2003
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