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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
18
where
it
reaches
layers
of
air
of
a
density
exactly
equal
to
its
own,
and
when
it
gets
there
it
remains
poised
in
its
place.
In
order
that
it
may
descend,
it
is
necessary
to
let
out
a
portion
of
the
hydrogen
gas,
and
admit
an
equal
quantity
of
atmospheric
air;
and
the
balloon
does
not
come
to
the
ground
till
all,
or
nearly
all,
the
gas
has
been
expelled
and
common
air
taken
in.
Balloons
inflated
with
hydrogen
gas
are
almost
the
only
ones
in
use
at
the
present
day.
Scarcely
ever
is
a
Montgolfier
sent
up.
There
are
aeronauts,
however,
who
prefer
a
journey
in
a
Montgolfier
to
one
in
a
gas-balloon.
The
air
voyager
in
this
description
of
balloon
had
formerly
many
difficulties
to
contend
with.
The
quantity
of
combustible
material
which
he
was
bound
to
carry
with
him;
the
very
little
difference
that
there
is
between
the
density
of
heated
and
of
cold
air;
the
necessity
of
feeding
the
fire,
and
watching
it
without
a
moment’s
cessation,
as
it
hangs
in
the
rechaud
over
the
middle
of
the
car,
rendered
this
sort
of
air
travelling
subject
to
many
dangers
and
difficulties.
Recently,
M.
Eugene
Godard
has
obviated
a
portion
of
this
difficulty
by
fitting
a
chimney,
like
that
which
is
found
of
such
incalculable
service
in
the
case
of
the
Davy
lamp.
It
is
principally
on
account
of
this
improvement
that
the
Montgolfiere
has
risen
so
highly
in
popular
esteem.
Generally
it
is
not
pure
hydrogen
that
is
made
use
of
in
the
inflation
of
balloons.
Aeronauts
content
themselves
with
the
gas
which
we
burn
in
our
streets
and
houses,
and
thus
it
suffices,
in
inflating
the
balloon,
to
obtain
from
the
nearest
gas-works
the
quantity
of
gas
necessary,
and
to
lead
it,
by
means
of
a
pipe
or
tube,
from
the
gasometer
to
the
mouth
or
neck
of
the
machine.
The
balloon
is
made
of
long
strips
of
silk,
sewn
together,
and
rendered
air-tight
by
means
of
a
coating
of
caoutchouc.
A
valve
is
fitted
to
the
top,
and
by
means
of
it
the
aeronaut
can
descend
to
the
earth
at
will,
by
allowing
some
quantity
of
the
gas
to
escape.
The
car
in
which
he
sits
is
suspended
to
the
balloon
by
a
network,
which
covers
the
whole
structure.
Sacks
of
sand
are
carried
in
this
car
as
ballast,
so
that,
when
descending,
if
the
aeronaut
sees
that
he
is
likely
to
be
precipitated
into
the
sea
or
into
a
lake,
he
throws
over
the
sand,
and
his
air-carriage,
being
thus
lightened,
mounts
again
and
travels
away
to
a
more
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