Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
125
and
communicate
it
to
the
Committee.
This
I
did.
The
Commission
then
felt
the
necessity
of
making
an
experiment
with
a
balloon
that
could
raise
two
persons,
and
the
minister
placed
at
my
service
the
garden
and
the
little
mansion
of
Meudon.
Many
of
the
members
of
the
Commission
came
to
witness
the
first
ascent
of
a
balloon
held
in
hand,
like
a
kite,
by
means
of
two
cords.
The
Commissioners
ordered
me
to
place
myself
in
the
car,
and
instructed
me
as
to
a
number
of
signals
which
I
must
repeat,
and
observations
which
I
must
make.
I
raised
myself
to
the
full
length
of
the
cord,
a
height
of
1,500
feet,
and
at
this
height,
with
the
help
of
a
glass,
I
could
distinctly
see
the
seven
bends
of
the
river
Seine.
On
returning
to
the
earth,
I
received
the
compliments
of
the
Commission.
“Arrived
at
Maubeuge,
my
first
care
was
to
find
a
suitable
spot
to
erect
my
furnace,
and
to
make
every
preparation
for
the
arrival
of
my
balloon
from
Meudon.
Each
day
my
observations
contained
something
new
either
in
the
works
which
the
Austrians
had
thrown
up
during
the
night,
or
in
the
arrangement
of
their
forces.
On
the
fifth
day
a
piece
of
cannon
had
been
brought
to
bear
upon
the
balloon,
and
shots
were
fired
at
me
as
soon
as
I
appeared
above
the
ramparts.
None
of
the
shots
took
effect,
and
on
the
following
day
the
piece
was
no
longer
in
position.
Experience
enforced
upon
me
the
necessity
of
forming
some
provision
against
these
unexpected
attacks.
I
employed
the
night
in
fixing
cords
all
round
the
middle
of
my
balloon.
Each
of
the
aerostiers
had
charge
of
one
of
the
ropes,
and
by
means
of
them
I
could
easily
move
about,
and
thus
get
myself
out
of
range
of
any
gun
that
had
been
trained
to
bear
against
me.
I
was
afterwards
ordered
to
make
a
reconnaissance
at
Mayence,
and
I
posted
myself
between
our
lines
and
the
enemy
at
half
range
of
cannon.
When
the
wind,
which
was
tempestuous
at
first,
became
calmer,
I
was
able
to
count
the
number
of
cannon
on
the
ramparts,
as
well
as
the
troops
that
marched
through
the
streets
and
in
the
squares.
“Generally
the
soldiers
of
the
enemy,
all
who
saw
the
observer
watching
them
and
taking
notes,
came
to
the
idea
that
they
could
do
nothing
without
being
seen.
Our
soldiers
were
of
the
same
opinion,
and
consequently
they
regarded
us
with
great
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
