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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
110
SURPRISE
for
the
spectators.
She
had
prepared
and
she
took
with
her
a
small
parachute
of
about
two
yards
in
diameter.
After
the
extinction
of
the
crown
or
star
of
fireworks,
she
intended
to
throw
this
little
parachute
loose;
and
as
it
was
terminated
by
another
supply
of
fireworks,
it
was
supposed
that
the
effect
would
be
as
beautiful
as
surprising.
The
unhappy
lady
was
small
in
stature,
and
very
light,
and
unfortunately
made
use
of
a
very
small
balloon.
That
of
the
6th
of
July,
1819,
was
only
seven
metres
in
diameter;
and
to
make
it
ascend
with
the
weight
it
carried
it
had
to
be
filled
to
the
neck
with
inflammable
air.
In
quitting
the
earth
some
of
this
gas
escaped,
and
rising
above
the
balloon,
formed
a
train
like
one
of
powder,
which
would
certainly
flash
into
a
blaze
the
moment
it
came
in
contact
with
the
fire.
But
on
this
day
it
was
she
who
with
her
own
hand
fired
this
train.
At
the
moment
when,
detaching
the
little
parachute
from
her
car,
she
took
the
light
for
the
fireworks
in
her
other
hand,
she
crossed
this
train
with
the
light
and
set
it
on
fire.
Then
the
brave
woman,
throwing
away
the
parachute
and
the
match,
strove
to
close
the
mouth
of
the
balloon,
and
to
stifle
the
fire.
These
efforts
being
unavailing,
Madame
Blanchard
was
distinctly
seen
to
sit
down
in
her
car
and
await
her
fate.
The
burning
of
the
hydrogen
lasted
several
minutes,
during
which
time
the
balloon
gradually
descended.
Had
it
not
been
that
it
struck
on
the
roof
of
the
house
Madame
Blanchard
would
have
been
saved.
At
the
moment
of
the
shock
she
was
heard
to
cry
out,
“A
moi.”
These
were
her
last
words.
The
car,
going
along
the
roof
of
the
house,
was
caught
by
an
iron
bar
and
overturned,
and
the
lady
was
thrown
head
foremost
upon
the
pavement.
When
she
reached
the
ground
she
immediately
expired.
Her
head
and
shoulders
were
slightly
burnt,
otherwise
she
exhibited
no
marks
of
the
fire
which
had
destroyed
the
balloon.
PART
III.
Scientific
Experiments--Applications
of
Ballooning.
Chapter
I.
Experiments
of
Robertson,
Lhoest,
Saccarof,
&c.
Robertson
is
regarded
by
many
as
a
sort
of
mountebank;
yet
such
men
as
Arago
have
put
themselves
to
the
trouble
of
examining
the
aerostatic
feats
of
this
aeronaut,
and
of
examining
the
results
of
his
observations.
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