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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
99
enormous
black
clouds,
whose
ragged
edges
and
backs
are
relieved
by
a
pale
silver
coating.
They
undulate
ceaselessly
to
and
fro,
and
either
usurp
quietly
the
place
of
others,
or
disappear
only
to
be
superseded
by
more
formidable
ones.
But
the
last
ray
of
reflected
light
has
died
out,
and
we
plunge
into
this
chaos
of
dreadful
forms.
Monsters
seem
to
wish
to
approach
us,
and
to
envelop
us
in
their
dark
embraces.
One
of
them,
on
my
right
hand,
looks
like
a
deformed
human
arm
in
a
menacing
attitude,
writhing
its
jagged
top
like
a
blind
serpent
feeling
its
way.
The
vague
monster
has
disappeared;
but
the
momentary
splendour
being
followed
by
the
original
gloom,
we
plunge
once
more
into
a
darkness
that
can
be
felt.
“The
water
which
had
collected
on
the
balloon
during
its
ascent
now
began
to
take
effect,
and
caused
it
to
descend
with
such
rapidity
into
the
dark
abyss
that
the
ballast,
which
was
immediately
thrown
overboard,
was
overtaken
in
its
descent
and
fell
on
our
heads
again.
“I
hear
exclamations
and
voices
near
me.
My
companions
are
evidently
agitated,
and
with
good
reason,
too;
for
the
lights
which
we
could
see
a
long
way
below
us
approach
with
terrible
rapidity.
We
reached
the
earth
rather
quicker
than
we
left
it.
“Suddenly
we
feel
a
dreadful
shock,
followed
by
ominous
crackings.
The
car
has
grounded.
The
‘Geant’
has
made
its
descent.
But
in
what
part
of
the
habitable
globe,
and
under
what
zone?
At
Meaux!”
To
employ
an
expression
of
M.
Nadar’s
it
seems
that
these
gentlemen
never
before
experienced
such
a
“knock-down
blow.”
After
all
these
preparations,
all
this
trouble,
all
the
energy
employed
in
the
undertaking--sufficient,
indeed,
wherewith
to
attempt
to
cross
the
Atlantic--to
“descend
at
Meaux!”
The
‘Geant,’
however,
had
its
revenge.
Its
second
ascent
gave
it
this
revenge.
We
shall
be
as
brief
as
possible
in
relating
this
voyage;
but
the
details
are
all
so
very
interesting
that
we
regret
extremely
our
being
unable
to
give
more
than
extracts
from
the
narrative.
Our
travellers
committed
themselves
again
to
the
mercy
of
the
air.
The
Emperor,
following
the
example
of
a
former
King
of
France,
took
considerable
interest
in
the
construction
of
this
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