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Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
87
The
fete
given
by
the
city
of
Paris
to
their
majesties
embraced
the
whole
town,
from
the
Champs
Elysees
to
the
Barriere
du
Trone,
on
the
square
of
the
Hotel
de
Ville.
Upon
the
river
throughout
its
length
between
the
Isle
of
St.
Louis
and
the
bridge
of
Notre
Dame,
an
immense
display
of
fireworks
was
to
take
place.
The
scene
to
be
represented
was
the
passage
of
Mont
St.
Bernard.
Garnerin
was
stationed
with
his
balloon
in
front
of
the
gate
of
the
church
of
Notre
Dame.
At
eleven
o’clock
in
the
evening,
at
the
moment
when
the
first
discharge
of
fireworks
made
the
air
luminous
with
a
hundred
thousand
stars,
Garnerin
threw
off
his
immense
balloon.
The
chief
feature
of
it
was
the
device
of
a
crown,
designed
in
coloured
lanterns
arranged
round
the
globe.
It
rose
splendidly,
and
with
the
most
perfect
success.
On
the
following
morning
the
inhabitants
of
Rome
were
astounded
to
behold
advancing
toward
them
from
the
horizon
a
luminous
globe,
which
threatened
to
descend
upon
their
city.
The
excitement
was
intense.
The
balloon
passed
the
cupola
of
St.
Peter’s
and
the
Vatican;
then
descending,
it
touched
the
ground,
but
rose
again,
and
finally
it
sank
into
the
wafers
of
Lake
Bracciano.
It
was
drawn
from
the
water,
and
the
following
inscription,
emblazoned
in
letters
of
gold
upon
its
vast
circumference,
was
printed,
published,
and
read
throughout
the
whole
of
Italy--“Paris,
25eme
Primaire,
an
XIII.,
couronnement
de
l’empereur
Napoleon,
1er
par
S.S.
Pie
VII.”
In
touching
the
earth,
the
balloon
happened
to
strike
against
the
tomb
of
the
Emperor
Nero,
and,
owing
to
the
concussion,
a
portion
of
the
crown
was
left
upon
this
ancient
monument.
The
Italian
journals,
which
were
not
so
strictly
under
the
supervision
of
the
government
as
were
the
journals
of
France,
gave
the
full
particulars
of
these
minor
events;
and
certain
of
them,
connecting
the
names
of
Nero
and
Napoleon,
indulged
in
malicious
remarks
at
the
expense
of
the
French
emperor.
These
facts
came
to
the
ear
of
the
great
general,
who
manifested
much
indignation,
dismissed
the
innocent
Garnerin
from
his
post,
and
appointed
Madame
Blanchard
to
the
supervision
of
all
the
balloon
ascents
which
took
place
at
the
public
fetes.
The
balloon
was
preserved
in
the
vaults
of
the
Vatican
in
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