The famous ascent of the Abbes Miolan and Janninet, at the
Luxembourg, may be cited as among the failures which suffered
most from the satire of the time. Their immense balloon,
constructed at great expense at the observatory, was expected to
rise beyond the clouds, and a multitude, each of whom had paid
dearly for his ticket, had assembled at the Luxembourg. The
morning had been occupied in removing the balloon from the
observatory to the place of ascent, and at midday the inflation
of it began. The rays of a burning July sun--and one knows what
that is in the Luxembourg in Paris--streamed down on the heads of
the thousands of spectators. From six in the morning till four
in the evening they had waited to see the unheard-of wonder; the
ascent, however, was to be so imposing, that nothing could be
lost by waiting for it.
But at five in the afternoon the heavy machine was still
motionless--inert upon the ground. We need not attempt to
describe the scene which took place as the impatience of the
multitude increased. Sneers of derision made themselves heard on
all sides. A universal murmur, rapidly developing into a
clamour, arose amongst the multitude; then, wild with
disappointment, the frenzied populace threw themselves upon the
barricade, broke it, attacked the gallery of the balloon, the
instruments, the apparatus, trampling them under foot, and
smashing them in bits.
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