It
must be granted that, in spite of the confidence in the ingenuity
and experience of the Montgolfiers, this feat seemed so
incredible to those who came to witness it, that the persons who
knew most about it--who were, at the same time, the most
favourably predisposed in its favour--doubted of its success.
"At last the brothers Montgolfier commenced their work. They
first of all began to make the smoke necessary for their
experiment. The machine--which at first seemed only a covering of
cloth, lined with paper, a sort of sack thirty-five feet
high--became inflated, and grew large even under the eyes of the
spectator, took consistence, assumed a beautiful form, stretched
itself on all sides, and struggled to escape. Meanwhile, strong
arms were holding it down until the signal was given, when it
loosened itself, and with a rush rose to the height of 1,000
fathoms in less than ten minutes." It then described a
horizontal line of 7,200 feet, and as it had lost a considerable
amount of gas, it began to descend quietly. It reached the
ground in safety; and this first attempt, crowned with such
decisive success, secured for ever to the brothers Montgolfier
the glory of one of the most astonishing discoveries.
Pages:
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62