Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-10-21
NORWICH MAN WITNESSED
FIRST BALLOON ASCENSION
Took Place in France in 1888 and Was
the Wonder Of the century-DanieI
Lathrop Colt Saw IT,

/
| With the recent demonstration of
difigibfe balloon which took place in
Norwich at the 250th anniversary cell
ebrati6n, there win be. much interest
IN the experience of Daniel Lathrop
Colt, son of Joseph Colt, Esq, who
at Paris in 17S3 saw the ascension
Of the first successful balloon. made
| by Messrs Robert and Charles at
| the Tuileries. On the same day
Mr.. Charles made a second ascent
alore with great rapidity to 'he
height of two miles, but was seized
with Violent pains in the eac and face
aud rever repeated the experiment.
Through the courtesy of Clarence
s. Brigham of the American Anti
| Guarian society of Worcester. William
s. GilJus has received a copy IF me
letter of Daniel Colt, written 10 his
father. which appeared in the Norwich
| Packet, February 26, 1884. The fol-
lowing is from the Norwich Packet;
| Norwich. Feb. "a, 1884.
Mr.. Trumbull: .
sir-Two days past Joseph Colt,
Esq, Of this town received a letter
from his son. Mr.. Daniel Lathrop Colt.
| dated at Paris lin France) Dec, 2.
! 1888; in which he informs of most
| extraordinary exhibition which took
place the day before. Mr.. Colt, hav-
1 liiR COliStlLGQ, 10 GllCItdlH the pun
! lie, through the channel of your paper,
l request the favour of your publish
| ing the following paragraph from the
above mentioned letter. the anthem
ITCHY Of which may be fully relied on,
your compliance will oblige your
friend and humble servant,
WILLIAM HUBBARD.
"The attention of the public was
yesterday calfd on to view prodigy
not before heard of In the world, and
/ had it been related of antiquity we
could not have believed but with pref
| ty good evidence.
| 1T was no less than to see two men,
placed in a beautiful carr, ascend
/ from the ground, in the presence Of
| thousands, to about five hundred yards
in the air. and then sail on the wings
| of the wind about nine leagues; TO
stop here without proceeding further,
presume you would even call my We
racity in question, tho 1 am not used
to telling stories that cannot easily
I be believed: The machine was thus
/ constructed, a large globe, which they
| term balloon, is made of silk. COW
cred with paint, and flld with inflafu
able air, which Is lighter than the
common air, and Of course will rise in
I it There is a netting goes over
the top of the globe which rescends
about halfway down, and then has a
firm rim of rope, leather, or some
thing sufficiently strong to support the
| carr. which is fixed a few feet below
the ball; from this rope descehds a
number of cords which are fastened
to the carr in such manner as to
| make it perfectly secure, and from the
carr goes conductor or tube into the
bottom Of the ball, through which the
light air (formed by vitriolic acid and
| some other substances that occasion
a fermentation) is injected into the
| ball, and when the ball is sufficiently
| extended it becomes lighter than that
quantity of common air, and of course
| rises in it; the ball itself was twenty
six feet in diameter and is said to oc-
cupy the space of about eight hum
dred pounds of common air This
sight was new and pleasing and many
| thousand spectators assembled and
universally testifyed their pleasure to
see it succeed so well; by the help of
the conductor they communicate more
air or let out a part as they please,
and of course as they render them
selves, or rather the ball more or less
| heavy, they rise and fall at pleasure
The principle difficulty they labour un-
der is to steer themselves, which they
are not yet able to do and / appre-
bend will find it difficult matter ever
to attain to, as the fluid in which
| tHey move must dlWdyS BO dS last as
they do themselves The wind
was small and they said along. very
prettily. they were about two hours
and a half in going nine leagues.
whether any thing advantageous
will be the result of this new art of
flying or not; remains it to be de-
termined.
Several have before been Dispatch
ed in the air without any navigators,
but this is their master piece. and
crowns the inventors with applause
The novelty of the thing is so great
that it ingrosses half the talk. and
attention of the city 1 confess il
gave me as much pleasure as any
thing in the way of curiosity that
have yet SEEM