Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-10-13

ing log fire near Lyons, France. The
room in which they sat was situated in
their paper factory, for their trade was
the making of paper. Between the
brothers, as they were comfortably
toasting their knees at the fire, was
square table, and on the table map
was spread out. The two young men
soon became absorbed in an earnest
cOnvj rsation. News had arrived that
the giant fortress of Gibraltar, which
had long been held by the English,
was being vigorously besieged by the
French fleet, and all Frenchmen were
eagerly hoping for the victory of their
countrymrn. The Montgoltiers this
was the name of the brothcrs-were
egg arly. discussing the prospects of
French success. Every now and then
they would get up and bend over the
map, and try to trace out the positions
of the hostile forces at Gibraltar At
last Stephen, the elder, pointing to
cortain fortitication on the map, OK
claimed: "Ah, if our good fellows
could only if. some way get over that,
victory would surely be thairs!'
1T happened that just then his wife
camr into the room with some clothes
she had been washing. Spreading a
line i'll front of the fire before which
the brothers were sitting, she proceed
ed to hang up the clothes in order to
dry them. Presently petticoat fell
off the line and tloated over the blazing
logs. Inste I'd Of falling into the fire,
however, i became sudde My inflated,
and swelling out it slowly foated up
the chimney out of sight. The two
brothers stared at the disappearing
petticOat with wonder and amazement.
In Il moment startling idea flashed
through Stephens brain; what if
machine could be devised which would
carry people through the air, by means
of an inflated bag just as this inflated
petticoat had scared aloft? If such
device could be made then the French
soldiers might be carried safely over the
obs.ruc.ing rampant ut Gibraltar, and
the fortress woIld be won!
This is one version of the story of
how the idea of the balloon first enter
ed Stephen Montgolfier's head An
other version is that it was not the
good danes patticoat, but the paper
being thrown upon the fire, became in
fated and scared up the chimney.
Whichever s.ory is the true one, it is
certain that it was an accident which
turned the thoughts of the Montgolfier
brothers in the direction of making an
air machinr which would enable people
to travel in the air as well as on land
and sea. But no accident could have
given such Il hint to men of common in
tellac'. The Montgoltier brothers were
far above the ordinary French manu-
facturer of their time in education and
Intelligence. They were ardently fond
OF stuIy, and while they did not neg
lee thei" calling of paper-making,
they devoted their spare hours to the
T. aiding of books, and to talking with
each other about what they had real.
Happily the two brothers had con-
genial tastes, and We're dcvotedly at
tached to each other. When young
they had not wasted their time in
pleasursseeking, and from their en-
trance upon active life their aims were
serious and high.
No sooner had the idea of air ma
chimes taken possession of their
n i,,.,' ~ = Cto,,La,, IL " IiS az
mar, ahIo af tho w., Jarnto1 Io,.., CIV" ''n,1
Wv H. ''in ,mu' :o'e>l ~ ,'n''
n,e o A. frst hn ;na,toJ ,',I, a.
Lan with byJroa sinno hr'1r P trln
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it, But the gas escaped from TIL Ia
per bag. and it thus became evident
thai paper was too light and frail a
mate ial for the purpose intended.
The brothers next made series of eX-
periments with electricity, in the course
of which they discovered that electric
ity lessoned the weight of bodies.
They made u rude balloon, and lit n
fire under it, not only to rarely the air,
but also to supply layer of electric
fluid This balloon was IL large bag of
silk, with capacity of about forty
cubic feet. AS soon as it had been in
fated by the fire applied beneath it, it
rose rapidly until il bumped against
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