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Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
82
flames
with
which
the
aeronaut
was
covered
only
served
to
increase
the
ascending
power
of
the
balloon,
and
the
frightened
spectators,
among
whom
were
Zambeccari’s
young
wife
and
children,
saw
him
carried
up
into
the
clouds
out
of
sight.
He
succeeded,
however,
in
extinguishing
the
fire
which
surrounded
him.
In
1804,
he
organised
a
series
of
experiments
at
Milan,
for
which
he
received,
in
advance,
the
sum
of
8,000
crowns;
but
the
experiments
failed,
in
consequence
of
the
inclemency
of
the
weather,
the
treachery
of
his
assistants,
and
the
malice
of
his
rivals.
At
length,
on
the
7th
of
October,
after
a
fall
of
rain
which
lasted
forty-eight
hours,
and
which
had
delayed
the
announced
ascent,
he
resolved,
whatever
might
happen,
to
carry
it
out,
though
all
the
chances
were
against
him.
Eight
young
men
whom
he
had
instructed,
and
who
had
promised
him
their
assistance
in
filling
the
balloon,
failed
him
at
the
critical
moment.
Still,
however,
he
continued
his
labours,
with
the
help
of
two
companions,
Andreoli
and
Grassetti.
Wearied
with
his
long-continued
efforts,
dis-appointed
and
hungry,
he
took
his
place
in
the
car.
The
two
companions
whom
we
have
named
went
with
him.
They
rose
gently
at
first,
and
hovered
over
the
town
of
Bologna.
Zambeccari
says,
“The
lamp,
which
was
intended
to
increase
our
ascending
force,
became
useless.
We
could
not
observe
the
state
of
the
barometer
by
the
feeble
light
of
a
lantern.
The
insupportable
cold
that
prevailed
in
the
high
region
to
which
we
had
ascended,
the
weariness
and
hunger
arising
from
my
having
neglected
to
take
nourishment
for
twenty-four
hours,
the
vexation
that
embittered
my
spirit--all
these
combined
produced
in
me
a
total
prostration,
and
I
fell
upon
the
floor
of
the
gallery
in
a
profound
sleep
that
was
like
death.
‘The
same
misfortune
overtook
my
companion
Grassetti.
Andreoli
was
the
only
one
who
remained
awake
and
able
for
duty--no
doubt
because
he
had
taken
plenty
of
food
and
a
large
quantity
of
rum.
Still
he
suffered
from
the
cold,
which
was
excessive,
and
his
endeavours
to
wake
me
were
for
a
long
time
vain.
Finally,
however,
he
succeeded
in
getting
me
to
my
feet,
but
my
ideas
were
confused,
and
I
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