Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-12
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.
were paper manufacturers at Annony
and they had already distintinguished
themselves by the invention of machine
known as the "hydraulic RAM (belier
| hydTaattque) when they contrived their
first balloon, in the year 1888. This bal
loon was Of enormous size, being thirty
five feet in diameter, 10 feet in circumfer
ence, and able to hold $4,000 cubic feet of
air. 1t was made of canvas, lined with
paper, and weighed 800 pounds. The ex-
| citement occasioned by its first trial in
public was extraordinary, for people made
up their minds that the secret of aerial
navigation had been discovered, and that
hencetorth the highroads of the heavens
| would be open to everybody. The first
balloon, however, assembled alone without
carrying any one with it, A large aperture
had been contrived in the lower part, and
under it was lit straw fire, which intro
duced into the canvas globe 90 300 cubic
feet OF hot air, much lighter consequently
than the surrounding atmosphere; for it
is one the properties of heat to dilate all
| the bodies which it penetrates, and to
| make them fill much larger
space than when they are cold
1t is thus that volume of air,
| heated at temperature Of boiling
water H. G., 100 degrees centigrade, or 212
! degrees Fahrenheit(, is greater by 31-100
| than at the temperature of o degrees
centigrade (32 degrees FahrenheiO, and
| that, at the temperature of $50 degrees
centigradc $50 degrees FahrenheiO, it be-
! comes almost double. The hot air thus
| dilatcd 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 "Montgolfcre" rose maiestical-
| ly from the earth, and scared aloft to the
| height Of 200 or 800 feet
This experiment was repeated every
| where with equal success, and on the 18th
| of October, 1893, NJ. Pilatre DIES Rosters
and the Marquis of Arlande ventured
| courageously into a car fastened beneath
| the balloon, and rose several times 70 a
| height of 300 feet. The balloon wa neld
| in by cables. This success emb .ened
them, and on the 2lst November-a great
| day in aerOnautical annals-the two in
trepld nOblemcn determined upon free
ascension, The starting place appointed
was at Bots de Boulogue, and all Paris
turned out of doors to witness the sensa-
tional spectacle. AS the Marquis of Ar
| landc 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-deterred promotion, Sire, your
Majesty's Minister Of War has made me
so many promises in the air, and has stit-
tered me to build so many castles in the
same place, that l am going up to take
look at both" The balloon rose magnifi-
Gently, scared to a height of nearly 1900
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, as he
gave it him in person: You have gone
higher, sir, Of yourself than | can ever
raise you,"-CornhM Nagozine