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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
113
one
degree
to
the
electrometer.
At
our
great
elevation,
the
pile
gave
only
five-sixths
of
a
degree
to
the
same
electrometer.
The
galvanic
flame
seemed
more
active
at
this
elevation
than
on
the
earth.
“I
took
two
birds
with
me
on
coming
into
the
balloon--one
of
these
was
now
dead,
the
other
appeared
stupefied.
After
having
placed
it
upon
the
brink
of
the
gondola,
I
tried
to
frighten
it
to
make
it
take
to
flight.
It
moved
its
wings,
but
did
not
leave
the
spot;
then
I
left
it
to
itself,
and
it
fell
perpendicularly
and
with
great
rapidity.
Birds
are
certainly
not
able
to
maintain
themselves
at
such
elevations.
“It
is
notable
that
the
atmosphere,
which
was
of
a
perfect
purity
near
the
earth,
was
grey
and
misty
above
our
heads,
and
the
beautiful
blue
sky
seen
from
the
surface
did
not
exist
for
us,
although
the
weather
was
calm
and
serene,
and
the
day
the
most
beautiful
that
could
be.
The
sun
did
not
seem
dazzling
to
us,
and
its
heat
was
diminished
owing
to
our
elevation.
“At
half-past
eleven,
the
balloon
was
no
longer
visible
from
Hamburg.
The
heavens
were
so
pure
beneath
us
that
everything
was
distinctly
seen
by
us,
though
very
much
diminished
by
distance.
At
11.40,
the
town
of
Hamburg
seemed
only
a
red
point
in
our
eyes;
the
Elbe
looked
like
a
straight
ribbon.
I
wished
to
make
use
of
an
opera-glass,
but
what
surprised
me
was
that
when
I
lifted
it
up
it
was
so
cold
that
I
had
to
wrap
my
handkerchief
around
it
to
enable
me
to
hold
it.
“Not
being
able
to
support
our
position
any
longer,
we
descended,
after
having
used
up
much
gas
and
ballast.
Our
descent
caused
that
degree
of
terror
among
the
inhabitants
which
the
size
of
our
balloon
was
calculated
to
inspire
in
a
country
where
such
machines
had
never
before
been
seen.
We
descended
above
a
poor
village
called
Radenburg,
a
place
amid
the
heaths
of
Hanover.
Our
appearance
caused
great
alarm,
and
even
the
beasts
of
the
field
fled
from
us.
“While
our
balloon
rapidly
approached
the
earth,
we
waved
our
hats
and
flags,
and
shouted
to
the
inhabitants,
but
our
voices
only
increased
their
terror.
The
villagers
rushed
away
with
cries
of
terror,
leaving
their
herds,
whose
bellowings
increased
the
general
alarm.
When
the
balloon
touched
the
ground,
every
man
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