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172
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
45
It
is
not
natural
that
the
human
mind
should
stop
upon
the
way
to
the
solution
of
a
problem,
especially
when
it
seems
to
be
on
the
point
of
arriving
at
a
satisfactory
conclusion
to
its
labours.
The
osier
cage
of
Versailles
very
soon
transformed
itself
into
a
car,
bearing
human
passengers,
and
the
age
of
the
“Thousand
and
One
Nights”
was
expected
to
come
back
again.
It
was
resolved
to
continue
experiments,
with
the
direct
object
of
finding
out
whether
it
was
impossible
or
desperately
dangerous
for
man
to
travel
in
balloons.
Montgolfier
returned
from
Versailles,
and
constructed
a
new
machine
in
the
gardens
of
the
Faubourg
St.
Antoine.
It
was
completed
on
the
10th
of
October
Its
form
was
oval,
its
height
70
feet,
its
diameter
46
feet
and
its
capacity
60,000
cubic
feet.
The
upper
part,
embroidered
with
fleurs-de-lis,
was
further
ornamented
with
the
twelve
signs
of
the
zodiac,
worked
in
gold.
The
middle
part
bore
the
monogram
of
the
king,
alternating
with
figures
of
the
sun,
while
the
lower
part
was
garnished
with
masks,
garlands,
and
spread
eagles.
A
circular
gallery
made
of
osiers
and
festooned
with
draperies
and
other
ornaments,
was
attached
by
a
set
of
cords
to
the
bottom
of
the
structure.
The
gallery
was
three
feet
wide,
and
was
protected
by
a
parapet
over
three
feet
in
height.
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