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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
63
military
uses.
A
considerable
number
were
made
with
the
view
of
organising
a
system
of
aerial
navigation
analogous
to
that
of
the
sea-steerage
in
a
certain
direction
by
means
of
oars
or
sails--in
a
word,
to
investigate
the
possibility
of
sailing
through
the
air
to
any
point
fixed
upon.
It
was
with
this
object
that
the
experiments
at
Dijon
took
place,
and
these
were
the
most
serious
attempts
down
to
our
times
that
have
been
made
to
steer
balloons.
At
the
middle
of
the
globe
of
the
balloon
were
placed
four
oars,
two
sails,
and
a
helm
and
these
were
under
the
management
of
the
voyagers,
who
sat
in
the
car
and
worked
them
by
means
of
ropes.
The
car
was
also
furnished
with
oars.
The
report
of
Guyton
de
Morveau
to
the
Academy
at
Dijon
informs
us
that
these
different
paraphernalia
were
not
altogether
useless.
The
following
extracts
are
from
this
report:--
“The
very
strong
wind
which
arose
immediately
before
our
departure,
had
driven
us
down
to
tee
ground
many
times,
making
us
fear
for
the
safety
of
our
oars,
&c.,
when
we
resolved
to
throw
over
as
much
ballast
as
would
enable
us
to
rise
against
the
wind.
The
ballast,
including
from
70
to
80
lbs.
of
provisions,
was
thrown
over,
and
then
we
rose
so
rapidly
that
all
the
objects
around
were
instantly
passed
and
were
very
soon
lost
to
view.
The
swelling
form
of
our
balloon
told
us
that
the
gas
inside
had
expanded
under
the
heat
of
the
sun
and
the
lessening
density
of
the
surrounding
air.
We
opened
the
two
valves,
but
even
this
outlet
was
insufficient,
and
we
had
to
cut
a
hole
about
seven
or
eight
inches
long
in
the
lower
part
of
the
balloon,
through
which
the
gas
might
escape.
At
five
minutes
past
five
we
passed
above
a
village
which
we
did
not
know,
and
here
we
let
fall
a
bag
filled
with
bran,
and
carrying
with
it
a
flag
and
a
written
message
to
the
effect
that
we
were
all
well,
and
that
the
barometer
was
recording
20
inches
9
lines,
and
the
thermometer
one
degree
and
a
half
below
zero.”
Very
keen
cold
attacked
the
ears,
but
this
was
the
only
inconvenience
experienced,
until
the
voyagers
were
lost
in
a
sea
of
clouds
that
shut
them
out
from
the
view
of
the
earth.
The
sun
at
length
began
to
descend,
and
they
then
perceived,
by
a
slackening
in
the
lower
part
of
the
balloon,
that
it
was
time
for
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