The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-09-09

49, &1h2 NA
Paris We're covered with spectators ON
the tip-toe Of expectation. Tho dls-
charge OF a cannon was the signal for
letting go the balloon. Fully inflated
with hydrogen gas, md having no bal
last, 1t darted into the air as though
1t a been shot from a monster gun.
At the height Of 5000 feet It was lost
to view In a dark cloud, but soon reap
peared above the cloud, and entered the
clouds still higher, until 1t was q mere
speck against the sky. Borne swiftly
by the: wind. 1t was carried away, be-
yend the view, Of the, enthusiastic null
titude, and descended, In three-quar-
tiers of an hour, into d field fifteen
miles distant. = ffofI
/. But "a greater marvel was to come.
Joseph Moptgolfier visited Parie to re-
peat his experiment under the auspices
OF the National Academy. On the 18th
of September, on a platform in front
OF the palace OF Versailles, a linen bal
loon, gaily printed and decorated. was
ready for imitation by smoke. A bas-
Ket was attached to it, in which were
a sneep, a cock and a duck, This
balloon was ~seventy-five feet high and
forty-three feet wide-the largest that
had yet been made. The sound OF d
cannon at n o'clock announced to the
vast crowd that the fires were lighted
and the imitation begun. Eleven min
utes after a second gun informed them
that he balloon was full. At the
sound OF a third the ropes we're cut
and the balloon, with it's living freight.
rose slowly and majestically to the
height OF fifteen hundred feet, and then
descended obliquely to the earth at q
distance of two miles. The animals
were unhurt. The sheep was found
composedly feeding in a field.
The striking success of this experi-
ment led to n still more remarkable.
Joseph Mentgolfier made a new bal
loon of the same dimensions as the
last, but of much more solid and care
ful construction, and provided it with
a larger car of basket work. One day
In November, 1888, while the inventor
was making an experimental imitation,
a gallant young naturalist, Palatfe de
Roster by name, leaped into the car
n the balloon was allowed to ascent
to the height of three hundred feet
where 1t was held by a rope for 4
while and then drawn down. This de.
termined the young man to attempt ar
ascent. A major in the French army
the Marquis d'Arlandes, volunteered
to join him in the daring and periious
adventure. November the 21st all
Paris was again abroad to view the
spectacle. The sky was lowering and
n wind was high. Provided with
plenty of sand ballast and with straw to
renew the imitation the two brave
young men took their places in the
car, and the ropes were cut. A gust
of wind caught the balloon before II
cleared the houses and the adventur-
ers narrowly escaped destruction by
being dashed, against Them The bal
loo was secured, however, and drawn
to the earth Undismayed by this
mishap, they again entered the car, and
the balloon was a second time let go.
The wind had lulled, and the balloon
now rose steadily and slowly almost in
a perpendicular line, while the nayi-
gators waved their hats and a uniyer,
sal cheer broke from the multitude be.
low. Wonder, admiration and Albright
were expressed on every countenance.
The balloon continued to ascend. now
lost in a cloud, now r%eappearing above
it, now shining in the sun, now %ecllps-
ing that luminary by floating between
it and the spectators, until 1t dim
inished to a speck and was finally lost
to view. Meanwhile the aerial travel
ers fed their fire and inflated their
balloon, until, in the thin air of the up
per region, it threatened to burst: It
caught fire, but a wet sponge suffced
to extinguish the flames. The soldier.
it is said, was the first to propose to de-
scend, alarmed by the excessive infla-
ton and the noise of the expanding
linen. The naturalist at length YIELD
ed to his e%ntreaties, the fire was ex,
tinguished, and the balloon descended
rapidly toward the city. To escape
the house tops they were compelled to
light their" fire again, and they lowered
over Paris for some minutes before a
timely breeze waited them beyond the
walls. They alighted in perfect safe
ty, after a flight of twenty-five minutes.
These aerOnauts were, of course, the
lions of the hour, and the whole world
rang with their names. Since Franklin
had flown his electrical kite in NPhila-
delphia no scientific event had SO star
tied and amazed mankind. The broth
ers Montgolfier were rewarded by the
government with pensions and decora-
tions, and a sum of forty thousand
francs was given them to enable them
to continue their experiments.
Thus balloons were invented. The
flying machine is undergoing a .deyel-
opment that many believe will soon
reach perfection. 1t is reasonable.
however, to expect that the day Will
come when the invention of the Mont
golfers will find it's Watt to bring ii
to perfection and it's Fulton to turn II
to account.
Stephen Montgolfier died in 1899.
Joseph spent the remainder of his life
in scientific Investigations, in the
course of which he invented the n.y.
draulic ram. He died in 1910.
Sight Returned for a Day.
Isaac Black, a farmer living south of