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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
27
report
of
a
cannon
announced
to
the
multitudes,
and
to
scientific
men
who
were
posted
on
elevations
to
make
observations
of
the
great
event,
that
the
grand
moment
had
come.
The
cords
were
withdrawn,
and,
to
the
vast
delight
and
wonder
of
the
crowd
assembled,
the
balloon
shot
up
with
such
rapidity
that
in
two
minutes
it
had
ascended
488
fathoms.
At
this
height
it
was
lost
in
a
cloud
for
an
instant,
and,
reappearing,
rose
to
a
great
height,
and
was
again
lost
in
higher
clouds.
The
ascent
was
a
splendid
success.
The
rain
that
fell
damped
neither
the
balloon
nor
the
ardor
of
the
spectators.
This
balloon
was
12
feet
in
diameter,
38
feet
in
circumference,
and
had
a
capacity
of
943
cubic
feet.
The
weight
of
the
materials
of
which
it
was
constructed
was
25
lbs.,
and
the
force
of
ascension
was
that
of
35
lbs.
The
fall
of
the
balloon
was
caused
by
the
expansion
and
consequent
explosion
of
the
hydrogen
gas.
This
event
took
place
some
distance
out
in
the
country,
close
to
a
number
of
peasants,
whose
terror
at
the
sight
and
the
sound
of
this
strange
monster
from
the
skies
was
beyond
description.
The
people
assembled,
and
two
monks
having
told
them
that
the
burst
balloon
was
the
hide
of
a
monstrous
animal,
they
immediately
began
to
assail
it
vigorously
with
stones,
flails,
and
pitchforks.
The
cure
of
the
parish
was
obliged
to
walk
up
to
the
balloon
to
reassure
his
terrified
flock.
They
finally
attached
the
burst
envelope
to
a
horse’s
tail,
and
dragged
it
far
across
the
fields.
Many
drawings
and
engravings
of
the
period
represent
the
peasants
armed
with
pitchforks,
flails,
and
scythes,
assailing
it,
a
dog
snapping
at
it,
a
garde-champetre
firing
at
it,
a
fat
priest
preaching
at
it,
and
a
troop
of
young
people
throwing
stones
at
the
unfortunate
machine.
The
news
of
this
fiasco
came
to
Paris,
but
too
late.
When
search
was
made
for
the
covering,
scarcely
a
fragment
could
be
found.
A
somewhat
humorous
result
of
all
this
was
the
issue
of
a
communication
from
government
to
the
people,
entitled,
“Warning
to
the
People
on
kidnapping
Air-balloons.”
This
document,
duly
signed
and
approved
of,
describes
the
ascents
at
Annonay
and
at
Paris,
explains
the
nature
and
the
causes
of
the
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