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Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
21
parachute,
to
loosen
the
rope
which
binds
the
latter
to
the
former,
which
is
done
by
means
of
a
pulley.
In
an
instant
the
aeronaut
is
launched
into
space
with
a
rapidity
in
comparison
with
which
the
wild
flights
of
the
balloon
are
but
gentle
oscillations.
But
in
a
few
moments,
the
air
rushing
into
the
folds
of
the
parachute,
forces
them
open
like
an
umbrella,
and
immediately,
owing
to
the
wide
surface
which
this
contrivance
presents
to
the
atmosphere,
the
violence
of
the
descent
is
arrested,
and
the
aeronaut
falls
gently
to
the
ground,
without
receiving
too
rude
a
shock.
The
virtues
of
the
parachute
were
first
tried
upon
animals.
Thus,
Blanchard
allowed
his
dog
to
fall
in
one
from
a
height
of
6,500
feet.
A
gust
of
wind
caught
the
falling
parachute,
and
swept
it
away
up
above
the
clouds.
Afterwards,
the
aeronaut
in
his
balloon
fell
in
with
the
dog
in
the
parachute,
both
of
them
high
up
in
the
cloudy
reaches
of
the
sky,
and
the
poor
animal
manifested
by
his
barking
his
joy
at
seeing
his
master.
A
new
current
separated
the
aerial
voyagers,
but
the
parachute,
with
its
canine
passenger,
reached
the
ground
safely
a
short
time
after
Blanchard
had
landed
from
his
balloon.
Experience
has
proved
that,
in
the
case
of
a
descending
parachute,
if
the
rapidity
of
the
descent
is
doubled
the
resistance
of
the
air
is
quadrupled;
if
the
rapidity
is
triple
the
resistance
is
increased
ninefold;
or,
to
speak
in
language
of
science,
the
resistance
of
the
air
is
increased
by
the
square
of
the
swiftness
of
the
body
in
motion.
This
resistance
increases
in
proportion
as
the
parachute
spreads,
and
thus
the
uniformity
of
its
fall
is
established
a
minute
after
it
has
been
disengaged
from
the
balloon.
We
can,
therefore,
check
the
descent
of
a
body
by
giving
it
a
surface
capable
of
distension
by
the
action
of
the
air.
Garnerin,
in
the
year
1802,
conceived
the
bold
design
of
letting
himself
fall
from
a
height
of
1,200
feet,
and
he
accomplished
the
exploit
before
the
Parisians.
When
he
had
reached
the
height
he
had
fixed
beforehand,
he
cut
the
rope
which
connected
the
parachute
with
the
balloon.
At
first
the
fall
was
terribly
rapid;
but
as
soon
as
the
parachute
spread
out
the
rapidity
was
considerably
diminished.
The
machine
made,
however,
enormous
oscillations.
The
air,
gathering
end
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