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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
2
few
more
tantalising
stories
in
the
annals
of
invention
than
this.
So
much
had
been
accomplished
when
Roziers
made
his
first
aerial
voyage
above
the
astonished
capital
of
France
that
all
the
rest
seemed
easy.
The
new
highway
appeared
to
have
been
thrown
open
to
the
world,
and
the
dullest
imagination
saw
the
air
thronged
with
colossal
chariots,
bearing
travellers
in
perfect
safety,
and
with
more
than
the
speed
of
the
eagle,
from
city
to
city,
from
country
to
country,
reckless
of
all
the
obstacles--the
seas,
and
rivers,
and
mountains--which
Nature
might
have
placed
in
the
path
of
the
wayfarer.
But
from
that
moment
to
the
present
the
prospect
which
was
thus
opened
up
has
remained
a
vision
and
nothing
more.
There
are--as
those
who
visited
the
Crystal
Palace
two
years
ago
have
reason
to
know--not
a
few
men
who
still
believe
in
the
practicability
of
journeying
by
air.
But,
with
hardly
an
exception,
those
few
have
abandoned
all
idea
of
utilising
the
balloon
for
this
purpose.
The
graceful
“machine”
which
astonished
the
world
at
its
birth
remains
to
this
day
as
beautiful,
and
as
useless
for
the
purposes
of
travel,
as
in
the
first
hour
of
its
history.
The
day
may
come
when
some
one
more
fortunate
than
the
Montgolfiers
may
earn
the
Duke
of
Sutherland’s
offered
reward
by
a
successful
flight
from
the
Mall
to
the
top
of
Stafford
House;
but
when
this
comes
to
pass
the
balloon
will
have
no
share
in
the
honour
of
the
achievement.
Not
the
less,
however,
is
the
story
of
this
wonderful
invention
worthy
of
being
recorded.
It
deserves
a
place
in
the
history
of
human
enterprise--if
for
nothing
else--because
of
the
daring
courage
which
it
has
in
so
many
cases
brought
to
light.
From
the
days
of
Roziers
down
to
those
of
Coxwell,
our
aeronauts
have
fearlessly
tempted
dangers
not
less
terrible
than
those
which
face
the
soldier
as
he
enters
the
imminent
deadly
breach;
and,
as
one
of
the
chapters
in
this
volume
mournfully
proves,
not
a
few
of
their
number
have
paid
the
penalty
of
their
rash
courage
with
their
lives.
All
the
more
is
it
to
be
regretted
that
so
little
practical
good
has
resulted
from
their
labours
and
their
sacrifices;
and
that
so
many
of
those
who
have
perished
in
balloon
voyages
have
done
so
whilst
serving
to
better
end
than
the
amusement
of
a
holiday
crowd.
There
is,
however,
another
aspect
which
makes
at
least
the
earlier
history
of
the
balloon
well
worth
preserving.
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