A young man well versed in physics, Professor Charles, assisted
by two practical men, the brothers Robert, threw himself ardently
into the investigation of the modes of inflating balloons with
this gas, which was then called INFLAMMABLE AIR. Guessing that
it was much lighter than that which Montgolfier had been obliged
to make use of in his third-rate provincial town, Charles leagued
himself with his two assistants to constrict a balloon of
taffeta, twelve feet in diameter, covered with india-rubber, and
to inflate it with hydrogen.
The thing thus arranged, a subscription was opened. The
projected experiment having been talked of all over Paris, every
one was struck with the idea, and subscriptions poured in. Even
the most illustrious names are to be found in the list, which may
be called the first national subscription in France. Nothing had
been written of the forthcoming event in any public paper, yet
all Paris seemed to flock to contribute to the curious
experiment.
The inflation with hydrogen was effected in a very curious
manner. As much as 1,125 lbs. of iron and 560 lbs. of sulphuric
acid were found necessary to inflate a balloon which had scarcely
a lifting power of 22 lbs.
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