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172
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
28
The
shape
of
a
parachute,
shown
on
the
previous
page,
very
much
resembles
that
of
the
well-known
all
serviceable
umbrella.
The
strips
of
silk
of
which
it
is
formed
are
sewn
together,
and
are
bound
at
the
top
around
a
circular
piece
of
wood.
A
number
of
cords,
stretching
away
from
this
piece
of
wood,
support
the
car
in
which
the
aeronaut
is
carried.
At
the
summit
is
contrived
an
opening,
which
permits
the
air
compressed
by
the
rapidity
of
the
descent
to
escape
without
causing
damage
to
the
parachute
from
the
stress
to
which
it
is
subjected.
The
rapidity
of
the
descent
is
arrested
by
the
large
surface
which
the
parachute
presents
to
the
air.
When
the
aeronaut
wishes
to
descend
by
the
parachute,
all
that
is
required
is,
after
he
has
slipped
down
from
the
car
of
the
balloon
to
that
of
the
parachute,
to
loosen
the
rope
which
binds
the
latter
to
the
former,
which
is
done
by
means
of
a
pulley.
In
an
instant
the
aeronaut
is
launched
into
space
with
a
rapidity
in
comparison
with
which
the
wild
flights
of
the
balloon
are
but
gentle
oscillations.
But
in
a
few
moments,
the
air
rushing
into
the
folds
of
the
parachute,
forces
them
open
like
an
umbrella,
and
immediately,
owing
to
the
wide
surface
which
this
contrivance
presents
to
the
atmosphere,
the
violence
of
the
descent
is
arrested,
and
the
aeronaut
falls
gently
to
the
ground,
without
receiving
too
rude
a
shock.
The
virtues
of
the
parachute
were
first
tried
upon
animals.
Thus,
Blanchard
allowed
his
dog
to
fall
in
one
from
a
height
of
6,500
feet.
A
gust
of
wind
caught
the
falling
parachute,
and
swept
it
away
up
above
the
clouds.
Afterwards,
the
aeronaut
in
his
balloon
fell
in
with
the
dog
in
the
parachute,
both
of
them
high
up
in
the
cloudy
reaches
of
the
sky,
and
the
poor
animal
manifested
by
his
barking
his
joy
at
seeing
his
master.
A
new
current
separated
the
aerial
voyagers,
but
the
parachute,
with
its
canine
passenger,
reached
the
ground
safely
a
short
time
after
Blanchard
had
landed
from
his
balloon.
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