American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-06-07
The First Balloon Ascension.

WE have said that balloons were invent
ed in France. 1t is to the brothers Mont
golfer that the discovery is attributed
These two brothers, James and Joseph
were paper manufacturers at AnnOny
and they had already distintinguishet
themselves by the invention of a machine
| known rs the "hydraulic ram" belle
hydraulique when they contrived thei
| first balloon, in the year 1888. This bal
| loon was of enormous size, being thirty
five feet in diameter, 40 feet in circumfer
ence, and able to hold % 900 cubic feet o
air. 1t was made of canvas, lined will
paper, and weighed 500 pounds The ex
element occasioned by its first trial il
public was extraordinary, for people mad,
up their minds that the secret of aeria
navigation had been discovered, and tina
henceforth the highroads of the heaven:
would be open to everybody. The frs
| balloon, however, assembled alone without
carrying any one with it. A large aperture
had been coutrived in the lower part, and
under it was lit straw fire, which intro
duced into the canvas globe %, 300 cubic
feet of hot air, much lighter consequently
than the surrounding atmosphere; for il
is one the properties of heat to dilate all
the bodies which it penetrates, and tC
space than when they are cold
1t is thus that a volume of air,
heated at temperature of boiling
water Ii. E., 100 degrees centigrade, or 212
degrees Fahrenheit), is greater by 371OO
than at the temperature of 0 degrees
| centigrade (32 degrees FahrenheiD, and
that, at the temperature of $50 degrees
centigrade $3.50 degrees FahrenheiD, it be-
comes almost double The hot air thus
dilated inside the balloon tended to rise,
and met with no resistance but that of the
canvas covering; by degrees, however, it
became so light that its weight, added to
that of the balloon, was less than an equal
volume of surrounding air, whereupon, to
the establishment and delight of the spec
tators the "Montgolfiere" rose majestical-
ly from the earth, and scared aloft to the
height of 200 or 300 feet.
This experiment was repeated every
where with equal success, and on the 18th
of October, 1888, Nj. Pilatre DIES Rosters
and the Marquis of Arlande ventured
cOurageously into "A car fastened beneath
the balloon, and rose several times to a
height of 300 feet. The balloon was held
in by cables. This success embroidered
them, and on the 21st November great
day in aeronautical annals-the two in
trepid noblemen determined upon a free
ascension. The starting place appointed
was at Bots de Boulogue, and all Paris
turned out of doors to witness the sensa-
tlonal spectacle AS the Marquis OF Ar
lande was stepping into the car, Louis
XVI, who was present, spoke with some
concern of the dangers which might at
tend the experiment. Sire" answered
the Marquis, who was an officer, and who
had been long waiting for oft-promised
but oft-deferred promotion, Sire, your
Majesty's Minister of War has made me
SO many promises in the air, and has suf-
fered me to build so many castles in the
same place, that | am going up to take a
look at both" The balloon rose magnifi-
Gently, scared to "A height of nearly 1,50O
yards, and, after crossing right over Paris,
fell at the end of seventeen minutes, at
six miles from its starting point. 1t is
needless to add that the Marquis obtained
his promotion, the King saying, us he
gave it him in person: you have gone
higher sir, of yourself than l can ever
raise you."-COrnhiW Magazine.