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172
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
55
“As
Roziers
was
without
a
coat
I
besought
him
to
go
to
the
nearest
house.
On
his
way
thither
he
encountered
the
Duke
of
Chartres,
who
had
followed
us,
as
we
saw,
very
closely,
for
I
had
had
the
honour
of
conversing
with
him
the
moment
before
we
set
out.”
The
following
report
of
this
first
aerial
voyage
was
drawn
up
by
scientific
observers,
among
other
signatures
to
it
being
that
of
Benjamin
Franklin.
“Today
21st
of
October,
1783,
at
the
Chateau
de
la
Muette,
an
experiment
was
made
with
the
aerostatic
machine
of
M.
Montgolfier.
The
sky
was
clouded
in
many
parts,
clear
in
others--the
wind
north-west.
At
mid-day
a
signal
was
given,
which
announced
that
the
balloon
was
being
filled.
Soon
after,
in
spite
of
the
wind,
it
was
inflated
in
all
its
parts,
and
the
ascent
was
made.
The
Marquis
d’Arlandes
and
M.
Pilatre
des
Roziers
were
in
the
gallery.
The
first
intention
was
to
raise
the
machine
and
pull
it
back
with
ropes,
to
test
it,
to
find
out
the
exact
weight
which
it
could
carry,
and
to
see
if
everything
was
properly
arranged
before
the
actual
ascent
was
attempted.
But
the
machine,
driven
by
the
wind,
far
from
rising
vertically,
was
directed
upon
one
of
the
walks
of
a
garden,
and
the
cords
which
held
it
shook
with
so
much
force
that
several
rents
were
made
in
the
balloon.
The
machine,
being
brought
back
to
its
place,
was
repaired
in
less
than
two
hours.
Being
again
inflated,
it
rose
once
more,
bearing
the
same
persons,
and
when
it
had
risen
to
the
height
of
250
feet,
the
intrepid
voyagers,
bowing
their
heads,
saluted
the
spectators.
One
could
not
resist
a
feeling
of
mingled
fear
and
admiration.
Soon
the
aeronauts
were
lost
to
view,
but
the
balloon
itself,
displaying
its
very
beautiful
shape,
mounted
to
the
height
of
3,000
feet,
and
still
remained
visible.
The
voyagers,
satisfied
with
their
experience,
and
not
wishing
to
make
a
longer
course,
agreed
to
descend,
but,
perceiving
that
the
wind
was
driving
them
upon
the
houses
of
the
Rue
de
Sevres,
preserved
their
self-possession,
renewed
the
hot
air,
rose
anew
and
continued
their
course
till
they
had
passed
Paris.
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