They were in the
gayest humour, and they calculated that the fuel they had would
keep them floating till late in the evening. Unfortunately,
however, after throwing more wood on the fire, in order to get up
to a greater altitude, it was discovered that a rent had been
made in the covering, caused by the fire by which the balloon had
been damaged two or three days previously. The rent was four
feet in length; and as the heated air escaped very rapidly by it,
the balloon fell, after having sailed above the earth for barely
fifteen minutes.
The descent only occupied two or three minutes, and yet the shock
was supportable. It was observed that as soon as the machine had
touched the earth all the cloth became unfolded in a few seconds,
which seemed to confirm the opinion of Montgolfier, who believed
that electricity had much to do in the ascent of balloons. The
voyagers were got out of the balloon without accident, and were
greeted with the most enthusiastic applause.
On the day of the ascent, the opera of "Iphigenia in Aulis" was
given, and the theatre was thronged by a vast assemblage,
attracted thither in the hope of seeing the illustrious
experimentalists. The curtain had risen when M.
Pages:
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112