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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
109
themselves.
The
balloon
rose
splendidly,
to
the
sound
of
music
and
the
shoutings
of
the
people.
A
rain
of
gold
and
thousands
of
stars
fell
from
the
car
as
it
ascended.
A
moment
of
calm
succeeded,
and
then
to
the
eyes
of
the
spectators,
still
fixed
on
the
balloon,
an
unexpected
light
appeared.
This
light
did
not
come
from
under
the
balloon,
where
the
crown
of
fireworks
was
already
extinguished,
but
shone
in
the
car
itself.
It
was
evident
that
the
lady
aeronaut,
although
now
so
high
above
the
spectators,
was
busy
about
something.
The
light
increased,
then
disappeared
suddenly;
then
appeared
again,
and
showed
itself
finally
at
the
summit
of
the
balloon,
in
the
form
of
an
immense
jet
of
gas.
The
gas
with
which
the
balloon
was
inflated
had
taken
fire,
and
the
terrible
glare
which
the
light
threw
around
was
perceived
from
the
boulevards,
and
all
the
Quartier
Montmartre.
It
was
at
this
moment--a
frightful
one
for
those
who
perceived
what
had
taken
place--that
a
general
sentiment
of
satisfaction
and
admiration
among
the
spectators
found
vent
in
cries
of
“Brava!
Vive
Madame
Blanchard!”
&c.
The
people
thought
the
lady
was
giving
them
an
unexpected
treat.
Meantime,
by
the
light
of
the
flame,
the
balloon
was
seen
gradually
to
descend.
It
disappeared
when
it
reached
the
houses,
like
a
passing
meteor,
or
a
train
of
fire
which
a
blast
of
wind
suddenly
extinguishes.
A
number
of
workmen
and
other
persons,
who
had
perceived
that
some
accident
had
taken
place,
ran
in
the
direction
in
which
the
balloon
appeared
to
descend.
They
arrived
at
a
house
in
the
Rue
de
Provence.
On
the
roof
of
this
house
the
balloon
had
fallen,
and
the
unfortunate
Madame
Blanchard,
thrown
out
of
the
car
by
the
shock,
was
killed
by
her
fall
to
the
earth.
This
news
spread
rapidly
from
Tivoli,
where
it
occasioned
a
stupefying
surprise.
It
was
the
first
time
that
a
fall
of
the
kind
had
taken
place
from
the
sky
at
Paris.
Fireworks
were
from
this
time
discontinued,
the
fete
came
to
an
end,
and
a
subscription
was
rapidly
organised,
producing
some
thousands
of
francs,
which
shortly
afterwards
were
employed
in
erecting
a
monument
to
the
lady,
which
is
now
to
be
seen
in
the
cemetery
of
Pere-la-Chaise.
Madame
Blanchard
had
wished
to
surpass
the
ordinary
spectacle
of
an
aerial
ascent;
she
had
really
prepared
a
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