But on this day it was she who
with her own hand fired this train. At the moment when,
detaching the little parachute from her car, she took the light
for the fireworks in her other hand, she crossed this train with
the light and set it on fire. Then the brave woman, throwing
away the parachute and the match, strove to close the mouth of
the balloon, and to stifle the fire. These efforts being
unavailing, Madame Blanchard was distinctly seen to sit down in
her car and await her fate.
The burning of the hydrogen lasted several minutes, during which
time the balloon gradually descended. Had it not been that it
struck on the roof of the house Madame Blanchard would have been
saved. At the moment of the shock she was heard to cry out, "A
moi." These were her last words. The car, going along the roof
of the house, was caught by an iron bar and overturned, and the
lady was thrown head foremost upon the pavement.
When she reached the ground she immediately expired. Her head
and shoulders were slightly burnt, otherwise she exhibited no
marks of the fire which had destroyed the balloon.
PART III. Scientific Experiments--Applications of Ballooning.
Chapter I. Experiments of Robertson, Lhoest, Saccarof, &c.
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