Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
28
phenomena,
and
warns
the
people
not
to
be
alarmed
when
they
see
something
like
a
“black
moon”
in
the
sky,
nor
to
give
way
to
fear,
as
the
seeming
monster
is
nothing
more
than
a
bag
of
silk
filled
with
gas.
This
first
ascent
in
Paris
was
an
important
event.
Every
one,
from
the
smallest
to
the
greatest,
was
deeply
interested
in
it,
while
to
the
man
of
science
it
was
one
of
the
most
exciting
of
incidents.
For
the
purpose
of
observing
the
altitude
to
which
the
balloon
rose,
and
the
course
it
took,
Le
Gentil
was
on
the
observatory,
Prevost
was
on
one
of
the
towers
of
Notre
Dame,
Jeaurat
was
on
La
Place
Louis
XV.,
and
d’Agelet
was
on
the
Champ
de
Mars.
It
was
only
Lalande
that
frowned
as
he
witnessed
the
success
of
the
experiment.
He
had
predicted
the
year
before
that
air-navigation
was
impossible.
Chapter
VI.
Third
Experiment.
(Montgolfier’s
Balloon,
Paris,
Faubourg
St.
Antoine.)
As
we
have
seen,
the
triumph
of
aerostation
was
sudden
and
complete.
The
young
Montgolfier
had
arrived
in
Paris
prior
to
the
experiment
of
the
27th
of
August,
and
was
present
as
a
simple
spectator
on
that
occasion.
immediately
afterwards
he
set
to
work
upon
a
balloon,
which
was
to
be
made
use
of
when
the
Academy
should
investigate
the
phenomenon
at
Versailles
in
presence
of
the
king,
Louis
XVI.
It
was
at
this
time
(September,
1783)
that
those
small
balloons,
made
of
gold-beaters’
skin,
which
are
used
as
children’s
toys
to
the
present
day,
were
first
made.
The
whole
of
Paris
amused
itself
with
them,
repeating
in
little
the
phenomenon
of
the
great
ascent.
The
sky
of
the
capital
found
itself
all
at
once
traversed
by
a
multitude
of
small
rosy
clouds,
formed
by
the
hand
of
man.
Faujas
de
Saint
Fond
says
that
at
first
an
attempt
was
made
to
construct
balloons
of
fine,
light
paper;
but
this
material
being
permeable,
and
the
gas
being
inflammable,
balloons
thus
made
did
not
succeed.
It
was
necessary
to
seek
a
material
less
porous,
and,
if
possible,
still
lighter.
The
Journal
de
Paris,
of
the
11th
of
September,
1783,
informed
the
public
that
the
Baron
de
Beaumanoir,
“who
cultivated
the
sciences
and
the
fine
arts
with
as
much
success
as
zeal,”
would
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
