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A TRIP IN THE FIRE BALLOON.

We boivow from, a London journal, whose representative was adventurous enough to bear part in the experiment, the following exciting narrative : — " Rather a hazardous experiment in aerostatics was that which M. Jean Godard attempted on "Wednesday at Cremorne. The use of heated and rarefied air as a means of elevation is indeed as old as ballooning itself ; the quaint machines of Montgolfier were raised by its aid ; but it was thought that a new and important step in the science had been made when gas was substituted. Our ingenious neighbors over the Channel, who were the first to send up a little globe into the loneliness of the air, have, by a kind of irrrerfcetl conservatism, returned, to tlie original idea, and attempted to supersede an accepted improvement by a recurrence to the plans of eighty fears ago. Of course there has been immense progress in the meanwhile. The somewhat formidable machine in which M. Godard, on Wednesday, ascended was complex to a degree which ivould have paralysed his predecessors in nanship. Whatever individual pluck md skill could do to secure a sucess night be safely relied upon on the part of M. Sodardi It was he who, when Nadar's Balloon vas dragged helplessly and hopelessly along over J 3-erman woods and fields, saved the whole party by ds couaage, ability and determination. Whoever oked at the French aeronaut — whoever marked lis keen, quick, bright eyes- — whoever saw the in Lescribable stamp Of daring and adventure that f ature had set upon him^riiust have felt assured hat the old-new scheme woidd, in his hands, have, iair ferial. As to the real value of the system itelf, however, there seemed to be but one opinion mougst the scientific men who were on the ground, he chief plea in plea favor, namely, that ife isecon* mical, is very well in its way ; but to make science beap afc the sacrifice both of efficiency and of lfety is a very problematical .advantage." Infact, • mongst the unscientfio men, ansongst those {who j (

- had often fcravelod wifch Mi\ Coxwell— -not sp much ; because thoy wero interested in tho * dow -point,' I or tho diminution of temperature in proportion to I the increaso of elevation, but because they thought I a glimpse of fche ariel scenery of cloudland was woil worth a little risk — tliere was a decided sonsc f of discomfort when M. Godard's machino was oxL aminod. Ifc wasj undoubtedly very big sit was ,' fouriimcs as largo as that * Mamofch ' which was , lately torn to pieces by a brutal mob at Leicester ; ■1, but unv who had not boon ' posted up 'in rocont ,; aerostatics wero preparod to find thafc tho baloon, ' was really a very awe-inspiring piecoof machinory, i with mysterious furnaces, strange funnels, bowildoring air-holos, and a wholo host of porplexing ,1 accessories. Of courso to an onginoor all this was simple enough. Thoro was a cylinder with a furnace, trusses of straw, carried up in tho baloon woro to be thrown ; the tiro was to be kept briskly when it was intended • to ascond ifc was to bo lowered whon descent was contemplated ; to break a sudden fall there was a pretty parachute ; and the wholo thing was ingenious and 1 elaborate but, to an ordinary mind, rather minifcelligablo than otherwise The advonturoua spirits who, early hi tho afternoon, pushed fchoii* way in under the canvas folds, and gazed afc tno central ma chineiy, simply carried away the idea that tho passengers would have fco.sit down with their baoks to a raging funnel ; and the donuind for soats in this exceptional conveyance accordingly foil off.: Ifc had been aiinouriced'fchat the ascent would take place afc seven o'clock, and long boloro that hour a; well^dreessed crowd had assomblod in the vovy ploasant gardens of Oromorno. Slowly the groat baloon began to bo inllatod ; slowly, the heaps of of straw — which, ifc is only fair to record, wore not of fcho kind that M. Godard had himsolf dosired — wero brought forward and flung into tho furnace* Meanwhile, somo pleasant greetings had boen ox-! changed amongst fcho spo ctators, tho most noticeable being tho interview in wluch Mr. Glaisher and Mr. Coxwell cordially shook hands wifch M. Godard, and wished him good speed in his undertaking. At longth all the difficulties seomodto bo rjmoved. Ono word of explanation on this point may not bo thrown away. It was obvious that Mr. E. T. Smith ancl his staff did fcho best thoy could to aid tho French ceronaut • ifc was equally obvious that the latter gentleman was sometime embarrassed through the want of an interpreter. Tho best and most i'riondly Bpirifc prevailed throughout; and at length all was in reudiness for the ascent. " The jiassengers wero six in numbor ; thore wero four Froiichmen — M. Jean Godard, M. Gustavo Fauchmen, with two assistants ; and two Englishmen, Mi*. F. Burnaby, of tho Lifo Guards, and another gentleman. All had previously ascended in balloons. Strango, howo-vor, wore tho new sensation, occasioned by tho now system — and thoy aro as difficult to describe as thoy were strange. Lot the reader, however, imagine that he has been riding in tho engine of an oxpress train ; lot him then conceive thai, fcbis engine, wifch the fire roaring in the furnace, has suddenly leaped into tho air, and he will get somo faint notion of the situation. As the balloon rose — not with a swift steady bound, liko that of an athlete, bufc rather with a feverish, hesitating uncertain movement — the men who were ' on board' had quite enough to do to pass tho bundles of Btraw to tho aeronaut, who was very properly crying out for ' more.' It was not a nice commencement of a dangerous journey. The elevating power of fcho balloon seemed scarcely sufficient for the occasion ; and whilst the crowd swayed to and fro beneath, thehugo machine drove against some of tho decorations of Crcmorno. and knocked them about at pleasure. Still fresh bundles of straw were thing in ; the necessary impetus was gained; tho 'Eagle' cleared the obstacles ; and as it soared into the air M. Godard sounded a cheery note upon his little trumpet, and waved his cap to fche cheering crowd There was not much wind ; and the balloon, slowly rising, took its course to the south-eastward of London. At times, it scorned becalmed ; and, during these intervals of quiet, those who looked out over tho panorama of Londoii owned that tho sight was well worth the risk. The whole expanse of the mighty city was visible ; dense clouds curtained it in, and covered ifc wifch a mysterious haze ; slowly sank the great red sun ; slowly rose the great white moon ; away over the open fields gathered the mists of the night ; the wonderful roar of Londan rose up through the evening air, like the passionate clamor — impatient, querulous, irresistible — of the sea ; and behind each gazer, close to his back, was the roaring and the raging of the furnace. The red light glared out and was seen afar ; the heat was almost painful ; but fche sight was worth the peril ; and neither amongst Englishmen nor Frenchmen was a murmur heard as, steadily, one after one, the trusses of straw were passed into the fire. The long lines of the bridges, the dim outlines of familiar buildings, and of all the open spaces in which London takes its pleasau nee rose upon the view. Afc no fcimo did the balloon ascend much above half a mile, and at no time did that ugly roaring, crackling clamor cease ; but M. Godard was bland and brave ; his fellow-countrymen were courteous and courageous ; the Englishmen held their tonguc3. At length, after crossing and rec-rossing the river, it was determined to descend. " Three times already had the balloon passed over the Thames ; and when it was resolved to alight. M. Godard was over the Isle of Dogs. He had fixed his eye, however, upon the East Greenwich marshes as an open space in which the descent could be safely attempted. Very nicely and skillfully calculated were his manceuvres. Traversing the Thames at an exceedingly low elevation, the balloon grounded upon the shore, within a dozen yards ofthe water. Distinctly to understand the excitement of the nexfc three minutes it should be borne in mind that the fire was still raging merrily away ; that the machinery, so admirable for its special purposes, would liave caused sad havoc had there been anything like a general upse£ ; and tkat at this particular moment six men "could exert very little control over a balloon capable of containing 460,000 cubic feet of air. Touching the shore, the balloon tore away, the big canvass flapping, the bright lire-burning, whilst right in front rose a stone embankment. The shocks were rough, and had the travellers been novices in this particular mode of locomotion we might now liave some awkward casualties to relate. Just before each bump, however, the men made a little leap, and thus baulked its force, as a cricketer to catch a ball draws back his hand instead of protruding it. Still with all these precautions, it was a nasty drive ; ifc occupied perhaps a minute — it seemed half an hour— and there was a strong inclination to cheer when the thrcatning stones were passed.. On now into a potato field ; another rise ; a wild tendency to leap at a chimney ; a strong * exhibition ' of*restraint in the shape of a hundred sensible Englishmen tugging away at the ropes, and obeying fche orders that were given — and the wholo thing was over."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18641015.2.21

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 59, 15 October 1864, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,602

A TRIP IN THE FIRE BALLOON. Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 59, 15 October 1864, Page 3

A TRIP IN THE FIRE BALLOON. Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 59, 15 October 1864, Page 3

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