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172
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
29
Experience
has
proved
that,
in
the
case
of
a
descending
parachute,
if
the
rapidity
of
the
descent
is
doubled
the
resistance
of
the
air
is
quadrupled;
if
the
rapidity
is
triple
the
resistance
is
increased
ninefold;
or,
to
speak
in
language
of
science,
the
resistance
of
the
air
is
increased
by
the
square
of
the
swiftness
of
the
body
in
motion.
This
resistance
increases
in
proportion
as
the
parachute
spreads,
and
thus
the
uniformity
of
its
fall
is
established
a
minute
after
it
has
been
disengaged
from
the
balloon.
We
can,
therefore,
check
the
descent
of
a
body
by
giving
it
a
surface
capable
of
distension
by
the
action
of
the
air.
Garnerin,
in
the
year
1802,
conceived
the
bold
design
of
letting
himself
fall
from
a
height
of
1,200
feet,
and
he
accomplished
the
exploit
before
the
Parisians.
When
he
had
reached
the
height
he
had
fixed
beforehand,
he
cut
the
rope
which
connected
the
parachute
with
the
balloon.
At
first
the
fall
was
terribly
rapid;
but
as
soon
as
the
parachute
spread
out
the
rapidity
was
considerably
diminished.
The
machine
made,
however,
enormous
oscillations.
The
air,
gathering
end
compressed
under
it,
would
sometimes
escape
by
one
side
sometimes
by
the
other,
thus
shaking
and
whirling
the
parachute
about
with
a
violence
which,
however
great,
had
happily
no
unfortunate
effect.
The
origin
of
the
parachute
is
more
remote
than
is
generally
supposed,
as
there
was
a
figure
of
one
which
appeared
among
a
collection
of
machines
at
Venice,
in
1617.
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