the dominion of the air-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rial。　　Thus　it　came　about　that　he　obtained　Mr。　Green's　co…operation　in　the　attempt　he　now　undertook；　and；　though　this　ended　disastrously；　for　Mr。　Cocking；　the　great　professional　aeronaut　can　in　no　way　soever　be　blamed　for　the　tragic　event。

The　date　of　the　trial　was　in　July；　1837。　　Mr。　Cocking's　parachute　was　totally　different　in　principle　from　that　form　which；　as　we　have　seen；　had　met　with　a　fair　measure　of　success　at　the　hands　of　early　experimenters；　and　on　the　eve　of　its　trial　it　was　strongly　denounced　and　condemned　in　the　London　Press　by　the　critic　whom　we　have　recently　so　freely　quoted；　Mr。　Monck　Mason。

This　able　reasoner　and　aeronaut　pointed　out　that　the　contrivance　about　to　be　tested　aimed　at　obviating　two　principal　drawbacks　which　the　parachute　had　up　to　that　time　presented；　namely　（1）　the　length　of　time　which　elapses　before　it　becomes　sufficiently　expanded；　and　（2）　the　oscillatory　movement　which　accompanies　the　descent。　　In　this　new　endeavour　the　inventor　caused　his　machine　to　be　fixed　rigidly　open；　and　to　assume　the　shape　of　an　inverted　cone。　　In　other　words；　instead　of　its　being　like　an　umbrella　opened；　it　rather　resembled　an　umbrella　blown　inside　out。　　Taking；　then；　the　shape　and　dimensions　of　Mr。　Cocking's　structure　as　a　basis　for　mathematical　calculation；　as　also　its　weight；　which　for　required　strength　he　put　at　500　lbs。　　Mr。　Monck　Mason　estimated　that　the　adventurer　and　his　machine　must　attain　in　falling　a　velocity　of　some　twelve　miles　an　hour。　　In　fact；　his　positive　prediction　was　that　one　of　two　events　must　inevitably　take　place。　　〃Either　the　parachute　would　come　to　the　ground　with　a　force　incompatible　with　the　safety　of　the　individual；　or　should　it　be　attempted　to　make　it　sufficiently　light　to　resist　this　conclusion；　it　must　give　way　beneath　the　forces　which　will　develop　in　the　descent。〃

This　emphatic　word　of　warning　was　neglected；　and　the　result　of　the　terrible　experiment　can　best　be　gathered　from　two　principal　sources。　　First；　that　of　a　special　reporter　writing　from　terra…firma；　and；　secondly；　that　of　Mr。　Green　himself；　who　gives　his　own　observations　as　made　from　the　balloon　in　which　he　took　the　unfortunate　man　and　his　invention　into　the　sky。

The　journalist；　who　first　speaks　of　the　enormous　concourse　that　gathered　to　see　the　ascent；　not　only　within　Vauxhall　Gardens；　but　on　every　vantage　ground　without；　proceeds　to　tell　of　his　interview　with　Mr。　Cocking　himself；　who；　when　questioned　as　to　the　danger　involved；　remarked　that　none　existed　for　him；　and　that　the　greatest　peril；　if　any；　would　attend　the　balloon　when　suddenly　relieved　of　his　weight。　　The　proprietors　of　the　Gardens；　as　the　hour　approached；　did　their　best　to　dissuade　the　over…confident　inventor；　offering；　themselves；　to　take　the　consequences　of　any　public　disappointment。　　This　was　again　without　avail；　and　so；　towards　6　p。m。；　Mr。　Green；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Spencer；　a　solicitor　of　whom　this　history　will　have　more　to　tell；　entered　the　balloon；　which　was　then　let　up　about　40　feet　that　the　parachute　might　be　affixed　below。　　A　little　later；　Mr。　Cocking；　casting　aside　his　heavy　coat　and　tossing　off　a　glass　of　wine；　entered　his　car　and；　amid　deafening　acclamations；　with　the　band　playing　the　National　Anthem；　the　balloon　and　aeronauts　above；　and　he　himself　in　his　parachute　swinging　below；　mounted　into　the　heavens；　passing　presently；　in　the　gathering　dusk；　out　of　view　of　the　Gardens。

The　sequel　should　be　gathered　from　Mr。　Green's　own　narrative。　　Previous　to　starting；　650　lbs。　of　ballast　had　to　be　discarded　to　gain　buoyancy　sufficient　to　raise　the　massive　machine。　　This；　together　with　another　100　lbs。；　which　was　also　required　to　be　ejected　owing　to　the　cooling　of　the　air；　was　passed　out　through　a　canvas　tube　leading　downwards　through　a　hole　in　the　parachute；　an　ingenious　contrivance　which　would　prevent　the　sand　thrown　out　from　the　balloon　falling　on　the　slender　structure　itself。　　On　quitting　the　earth；　however；　this　latter　set　up　such　violent　oscillations　that　the　canvas　tube　was　torn　away；　and　then　it　became　the　troublesome　task　of　the　aeronauts　to　make　up　their　ballast　into　little　parcels；　and；　as　occasion　required；　to　throw　these　into　space　clear　of　the　swinging　parachute　below。

Despite　all　efforts；　however；　it　was　soon　evident　that　the　cumbersome　nature　of　the　huge　parachute　would　prevent　its　being　carried　up　quite　so　high　as　the　inventor　desired。　　Mr。　Cocking　had　stipulated　for　an　elevation　of　7；000　feet；　and；　as　things　were；　only　5；000　feet　could　be　reached；　at　any　rate；　before　darkness　set　in。　　This　fact　was　communicated　to　Mr。　Cocking；　who　promptly　intimated　his　intention　of　leaving；　only　requesting　to　know　whereabouts　he　was；　to　which　query　Mr。　Spencer　replied　that　they　were　on　a　level　with　Greenwich。　　The　brief　colloquy　that　ensued　is　thus　given　by　Mr。　Green：

〃I　asked　him　if　he　felt　quite　comfortable；　and　if　the　practical　trial　bore　out　his　calculation。　　Mr。　Cocking　replied；　'Yes；　I　never　felt　more　comfortable　or　more　delighted　in　my　life；'　presently　adding；　'Well；　now　I　think　I　shall　leave　you。'　　I　answered；　'I　wish　you　a　very　〃Good　Night！〃　and　a　safe　descent　if　you　are　determined　to　make　it　and　not　use　the　tackle'　（a　contrivance　for　enabling　him　to　retreat　up　into　the　balloon　if　he　desired）。　　Mr。　Cocking's　only　reply　was；　'Good…night；　Spencer；　Good…night；　Green！'　　Mr。　Cocking　then　pulled　the　rope　that　was　to　liberate　himself；　but　too　feebly；　and　a　moment　afterwards　more　violently；　and　in　an　instant　the　balloon　shot　upwards　with　the　velocity　of　a　sky　rocket。　　The　effect　upon　us　at　this　moment　was　almost　beyond　description。　　The　immense　machine　which　suspended　us　between　heaven　and　earth；　whilst　it　appeared　to　be　forced　upwards　with　terrific　violence　and　rapidity　through　unknown　and　untravelled　regions　amidst　the　howlings　of　a　fearful　hurricane；　rolled　about　as　though　revelling　in　a　freedom　for　which　it　had　long　struggled；　but　of　which　until　that　moment　it　had　been　kept　in　utter　ignorance。　　It；　at　length；　as　if　somewhat　fatigued　by　its　exertions；　gradually　assumed　the　motions　of　a　snake　working　its　way　with　extraordinary　speed　towards　a　given　object。　　During　this　frightful　operation　the　gas　was　rushing　in　torrents　from　the　upper　and　lower　valve；　but　more　particularly　from　the　latter；　as　the　density　of　the　atmosphere　through　which　we　were　forcing　our　progress　pressed　so　heavily　on　the　valve　at　the　top　of　the　balloon　as　to　admit　of　but　a　comparatively　small　escape　by　this　aperture。　　At　this　juncture；　had　it　not　been　for　the　application　to　our　mouths　of　two　pipes　leading　into　an　air　bag；　with　which　we　had　furnished　ourselves　previous　to　starting；　we　must　within　a　minute　have　been　suffocated；　and　so；　but　by　different　means；　have　shared　the　melancholy　fate　of　our　friend。　　This　bag　was　formed　of　silk；　sufficiently　capacious　to　contain　100　gallons　of　atmospheric　air。　　Prior　to　our　ascent；　the　bag　was　inflated　with　the　assistance　of　a　pair　of　bellows　with　fifty　gallons　of　air；　so　allowing　for　any　expansion　which　might　be　produced　in　the　upper　regions。　　Into　the　end　of　this　bag　were　introduced　two　flexible　tubes；　and　the　moment　we　felt　ourselves　to　be　going　up　in　the　manner　just　described；　Mr。　Spencer；　as　well　as　myself；　placed　either　of　them　in　our　mouths。　　By　this　simple　contrivance　we　preserved　ourselves　from　instantaneous　suffocation；　a　result　which　must　have　ensued　from　the　apparently　endless　volume　of　gas　with　which　the　car　was　enveloped。　　The　gas；　notwithstanding　all　our　precautions；　from　the　violence　of　its　operation　on　the　human　frame；　almost　immediately　deprived　us　of　sight；　and　we　were　both；　as　far　as　our　visionary　powers　were　concerned；　in　a　state　of　total　darkness　for　four　or　five　minutes。〃

Messrs。　Green　and　Spencer　eventually　reached　earth　in　safety　near　Maidstone；　knowing　nothing　of　the　fate　of　their　late　companion。　　But　of　this　we　are　sufficiently　informed　through　a　Mr。　R。　Underwood；　who　was　on　horseback　near　Blackheath　and　watching　the　aeronauts　at　the　moment　when　the　parachute　was　separated　from　the　balloon。　　He　noticed　that　the　former　descended　with　the　utmost　rapidity；　at　the　same　time　swaying　fearfully　from　side　to　side；　until　the　basket　and　its　occupant；　actually　parting　from　the　parachute；　fell　together　to　earth　through　seve