Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
86
this
case
a
slight
improvement
was
made
in
the
parachute.
The
car
was
surrounded
by
a
cloth
of
silk,
which,
when
the
aeronaut
cut
himself
away
from
the
balloon,
spread
itself
out
in
such
a
way
as
to
form
a
second
parachute.
Robertson
made
all
the
preparations,
and
Michaud
had
no
more
to
do
than
place
himself
in
the
car.
Loud
applause
arose
on
all
sides.
Michaud
had
ascended
900
feet
above
the
earth
when
the
signal
for
his
cutting
himself
clear
of
the
balloon
was
given,
by
the
firing
of
a
cannon.
He
at
once
cut
the
two
strings,
and
the
balloon
soared
away
into
the
upper
regions,
whilst
he
was
left
for
one
terrible
moment
to
fate.
The
fall
was
at
first
rapid,
but
the
two
parachutes
soon
opened
themselves
simultaneously,
and
presented
a
majestic
appearance.
In
a
few
seconds
the
aeronaut
had
traversed
the
space
that
intervened
between
him
and
the
assembly,
and
found
himself
safely
landed
on
the
ground,
at
a
short
distance
from
the
place
whence
he
had
set
out,
while
the
whole
air
was
rent
with
shouts
of
applause.
This
experiment
was
deemed
a
most
extraordinary
one.
Compliments
were
showered
upon
Robertson
from
all
sides,
and
the
court
presented
him
with
rich
presents.
Balloons
have
always
formed
a
prominent
feature
at
the
fetes
of
Paris,
for
the
celebration
of
the
chief
events
of
the
Revolution,
the
Consulate,
and
the
Empire--the
first
of
these
epochs
being
that
in
which
these
aerial
vessels
were
held
in
highest
esteem.
Jacques
Garnerin
had
played
a
brilliant
role
as
aeronaut
under
the
Directory,
the
Consulate,
and
the
Empire;
and
it
was
he
who
after
the
coronation
of
the
Emperor
Napoleon
I.,
was
charged
with
the
raising
of
a
monster
balloon,
which
was
arranged
to
ascend,
with
the
accompaniment
of
fireworks,
on
the
evening
of
the
16th
of
December,
1804.
An
uncommon
incident
connected
with
this
event
serves
to
show
us
the
spirit
of
fatalism
with
which
the
character
of
Napoleon
I.
was
infected.
“The
Man
of
Destiny”
believed
in
the
destiny
of
man;
he
had
faith
in
his
star
alone;
and
from
the
height
of
his
greatness
the
new
ruler,
consecrated
emperor
and
king
by
the
Pope,
beheld
a
presage
of
misfortune
in
a
chance
circumstance,
insignificant
to
all
but
himself,
in
the
experiment
of
which
we
are
about
to
recount
the
history.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
