Wonderful ballon ascents - or, The conquest of the skies. A history of balloons and balloon voyages (1870) (14597225009)

Identifier: wonderfulballona00mariuoft (find matches)
Title: Wonderful ballon ascents : or, The conquest of the skies. A history of balloons and balloon voyages
Year: 1870 (1870s)
Authors: Marion, Fulgence
Subjects: Balloons Balloon ascensions
Publisher: New York : Cassell Petter & Galpin
Contributing Library: Kelly - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



Text Appearing Before Image:
. A numerous guard formeda double cordon around the structure. A raised platformwas used for the fire by means of which the balloon was tobe inflated; a covered funnel or chimney of strong cloth,painted, was suspended over the fire-place, and received thehot smoke as it arose. Through this funnel the heated airascended straight up into the balloon. At six in the morning, the road from Paris to Versailleswas covered with carriages. Crowds came from all parts,and at noon the avenues, the square of the castle, thewindows, and even the roofs of the houses, were crowdedwith spectators. The noblest, the most illustrious, andmost learned men in France were present, and the splen-dour of the scene was complete when their majestiesand the royal family entered within the enclosure, and wentforward to inspect the balloon, and to make themselvesfamiliar with the preparations for the ascent. In a short time the fire was lit, the funnel extendedover it, and the smoke rose inside, while the balloon,
Text Appearing After Image:
ASCENT OF THE 19TH SEPTEMBER, 1783, AT VERSAILLES. FOURTH EXPERIMENT. 55 unfolding, gradually swelled to its full size, and then, drawingafter it the cage, in which a sheep and some pigeons wereenclosed, rose majestically into the air. Without inter-ruption, it ascended to a vast height, where, inclining to-ward the north, it seemed to remain stationary for a fewseconds, showing all the beauty of its form, and then, asthough possessed of life, it descended gently upon the woodof Vaucresson, 10,200 feet from the point of its departure.Its highest elevation, as estimated by the astronomers LeGentil and M. Jeaurat, was about 1,700 feet. CHAPTER VIII. MEN AND BALLOONS. It is not natural that the human mind should stop upon theway to the solution of a problem, especially when it seemsto be on the point of arriving at a satisfactory conclusionto its labours. The osier cage of Versailles very soontransformed itself into a car, bearing human passengers, andthe age of the Thousand and One Nigh