the dominion of the air-第38章

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ived　the　idea　of　first　constructing　a　balloon　so　unique　and　unrivalled　that　it　should　compel　public　attention　in　a　way　that　no　other　balloon　had　done　before；　and　so　by　popular　exhibitions　bring　to　his　hand　such　sums　as　he　required。　　A　proper　idea　of　the　scale　of　this　huge　machine　can　be　easily　gathered。　　The　largest　balloons　at　present　exhibited　in　this　country　are　seldom　much　in　excess　of　50；000　cubic　feet　capacity。　　Compared　with　these　the　〃Great　Nassau　Balloon；〃　built　by　Charles　Green；　which　has　been　already　sufficiently　described；　was　a　true　leviathan；　while　Coxwell's　〃Mammoth〃　was　larger　yet；　possessing　a　content；　when　fully　inflated；　of　no　less　than　93；000　cubic　feet；　and　measuring　over　55　feet　in　diameter。　　This；　however；　as　will　be　seen；　was　but　a　mere　pigmy　when　compared　with　〃The　Giant；〃　which；　measuring　some　74　feet　in　diameter；　possessed　the　prodigious　capacity　of　215；000　cubic　feet。

But　the　huge　craft　possessed　another　novelty　besides　that　of　exceptional　size。　　It　was　provided　with　a　subsidiary　balloon；　called　the　〃Compensator；〃　and　properly　the　idea　of　M。　L。　Godard；　the　function　of　which　was　to　receive　any　expulsion　of　gas　in　ascending；　and　thus　to　prevent　loss　during　any　voyage。　　The　specification　of　this　really　remarkable　structure　may　be　taken　from　M。　Nadar's　own　description。　　The　globe　in　itself　was　for　greater　strength　virtually　double；　consisting　of　two　identical　balloons；　one　within　the　other；　each　made　of　white　silk　of　the　finest　quality；　and　costing　about　5s。　4d。　per　yard。　　No　less　than　22；000　yards　of　this　silk　were　required；　and　the　sewing　up　of　the　gores　was　entirely　done　by　hand。　　The　small　compensating　balloon　was　constructed　to　have　a　capacity　of　about　3；500　cubic　feet；　and　the　whole　machine；　when　fully　inflated；　was　calculated　to　lift　4　1/2　tons。　　With　this　enormous　margin　of　buoyancy；　M。　Nadar　determined　on　making　the　car　of　proportionate　and　unparalleled　dimensions；　and　of　most　elaborate　design。　　It　contained　two　floors；　of　which　the　upper　one　was　open；　the　height　of　all　being　nearly　7　feet；　with　a　width　of　about　13　feet。　　Then　what　was　thought　to　be　due　provision　was　made　for　possible　emergencies。　　It　might　descend　far　from　help　or　habitations；　therefore　means　were　provided　for　attaching　wheels　and　axles。　　Again；　the　chance　of　rough　impact　had　to　be　considered；　and　so　canes；　to　act　as　springs；　were　fitted　around　and　below。　　Once　again；　there　was　the　contingency　of　immersion　to　be　reckoned　with；　therefore　there　were　provided　buoys　and　water…tight　compartments。　　Further　than　this；　unusual　luxuries　were　added；　for　there　were　cabins；　one　for　the　captain　at　one　end；　and　another　with　three　berths　for　passengers　at　the　other。　　Nor　was　this　all；　for　there　was；　in　addition；　a　larder；　a　lavatory；　a　photographic　room；　and　a　printing　office。　　It　remains　now　only　to　tell　the　tale　of　how　this　leviathan　of　the　air　acquitted　itself。

The　first　ascent　was　made　on　the　4th　of　October；　1853；　from　the　Champ　de　Mars；　and　no　fewer　than　fifteen　living　souls　were　launched　together　into　the　sky。　　Of　these　Nadar　was　captain；　with　the　brothers　Godard　lieutenants。　　There　was　the　Prince　de　Sayn…Wittgenstein；　there　was　the　Count　de　St。　Martin；　above　all；　there　was　a　lady；　the　Princess　de　la　Tour　d'Auvergne。　　The　balloon　came　to　earth　at　9　o'clock　at　night　near　Meaux；　and；　considering　all　the　provision　which　had　been　made　to　guard　against　rough　landing；　it　can　hardly　be　said　that　the　descent　was　a　happy　one。　　It　appears　that　the　car　dragged　on　its　side　for　nearly　a　mile；　and　the　passengers；　far　from　finding　　security　in　the　seclusion　of　the　inner　chambers；　were　glad　to　clamber　out　above　and　cling；　as　best　they　might；　to　the　ropes。

Many　of　the　party　were　bruised　more　or　less　severely；　though　no　one　was　seriously　injured；　and　it　was　reported　that　such　fragile　articles　as　crockery；　cakes；　confectionery；　and　wine　bottles　to　the　number　of　no　less　than　thirty…seven；　were　afterwards　discovered　to　be　intact；　and　received　due　attention。　　It　is　further　stated　that　the　descent　was　decided　on　contrary　to　the　wishes　of　the　captain；　but　in　deference　to　the　judgment　of　the　experienced　MM。　Godard；　it　being　apparently　their　conviction　that　the　balloon　was　heading　out　to　sea；　whereas；　in　reality；　they　were　going　due　east；　〃with　no　sea　at　all　before　them　nearer　than　the　Caspian。〃

This　was　certainly　an　unpropitious　trial　trip　for　the　vessel　that　had　so　ambitiously　sought　dominion　over　the　air；　and　the　next　trial；　which　was　embarked　upon　a　fortnight　later；　Sunday；　October　18th；　was　hardly　less　unfortunate。　　Again　the　ascent　was　from　the　Champ　de　Mars；　and　the　send…off　lacked　nothing　in　the　way　of　splendour　and　circumstance。　　The　Emperor　was　present；　for　two　hours　an　interested　observer　of　the　proceedings；　the　King　of　Greece　also　attended；　and　even　entered　the　car；　while　another　famous　spectator　was　the　popular　Meyerbeer。　　〃The　Giant〃　first　gave　a　preliminary　demonstration　of　his　power　by　taking　up；　for　a　cable's　length；　a　living　freight　of　some　thirty　individuals；　and　then；　at　5。10　p。m。；　started　on　its　second　free　voyage；　with　nine　souls　on　board；　among　them　again　being　a　lady；　in　the　person　of　Madame　Nadar。　　For　nearly　twenty…four　hours　no　tidings　of　the　voyage　were　forthcoming；　when　a　telegram　was　received　stating　that　the　balloon　had　passed　over　Compiegne；　more　than　seventy　miles　from　Paris；　at　8。30　on　the　previous　evening；　and　that　Nadar　had　dropped　the　simple　message；　〃All　goes　well！〃　　A　later　telegram　the　same　evening　stated　that　the　balloon　had　at　midnight　on　Sunday　passed　the　Belgian　frontier　over　Erquelines；　where　the　Custom　House　officials　had　challenged　the　travellers　without　receiving　an　answer。

But　eight…and…forty　hours　since　the　start　went　by　without　further　news；　and　excitement　in　Paris　grew　intense。　　When　the　news　came　at　last　it　was　from　Bremen；　to　say　that　Nadar's　balloon　had　descended　at　Eystrup；　Hanover；　with　five　of　the　passengers　injured；　three　seriously。　　These　three　were　M。　Nadar；　his　wife；　and　M。　St。　Felix。　　M。　Nadar；　in　communicating　this　intelligence；　added；　〃We　owe　our　lives　to　the　courage　of　Jules　Godard。〃　　The　following　signed　testimony　of　M。　Louis　Godard　is　forthcoming；　and　as　it　refers　to　an　occasion　which　is　among　the　most　thrilling　in　aerial　adventure；　it　may　well　be　given　without　abridgment。　　It　is　here　transcribed　almost　literatim　from　Mr。　H。　Turner's　valuable　work；　〃Astra　Castra。〃

〃The　Giant；〃　after　passing　Lisle；　proceeded　in　the　direction　of　Belgium；　where　a　fresh　current；　coming　from　the　Channel；　drove　it　over　the　marshes　of　Holland。　　It　was　there　that　M。　Louis　Godard　proposed　to　descend　to　await　the　break　of　day；　in　order　to　recognise　the　situation　and　again　to　depart。　　It　was　one　in　the　morning；　the　night　was　dark；　but　the　weather　calm。　　Unfortunately；　this　advice；　supported　by　long　experience；　was　not　listened　to。　　〃The　Giant〃　went　on　its　way；　and　then　Louis　Godard　no　longer　considered　himself　responsible　for　the　consequences　of　the　voyage。

The　balloon　coasted　the　Zuyder　Zee；　and　then　entered　Hanover。　　The　sun　began　to　appear；　drying　　the　netting　and　sides　of　the　balloon；　wet　from　its　　passage　through　the　clouds；　and　produced　a　dilatation　which　elevated　the　aeronauts　to　15；000　feet。　　At　　eight　o'clock　the　wind；　blowing　suddenly　from　the　　west；　drove　the　balloon　in　a　right　line　towards　the　　North　Sea。　　It　was　necessary；　at　all　hazards；　to　　effect　a　descent。　　This　was　a　perilous　affair；　as　the　　wind　was　blowing　with　extreme　violence。　　The　brothers　Godard　assisted；　by　M。　Gabriel；　opened　the　valve　and　got　out　the　anchors；　but；　unfortunately；　the　　horizontal　progress　of　the　balloon　augmented　from　second　to　second。　　The　first　obstacle　which　the　anchors　encountered　was　a　tree；　it　was　instantly　　uprooted；　and　dragged　along　to　a　second　obstacle；　a　house；　whose　roof　was　carried　off。　　At　this　moment　　the　two　cables　of　the　anchors　were　broken　without　the　voyagers　being　aware　of　it。　　Foreseeing　the　successive　shocks　that　were　about　to　ensuethe　moment　was　criticalthe　least　forgetfulness　might　cause　death。　　To　add　to　the　difficulty；　the　balloon's　inclined　　position　did　not　permit　of　operating　the　valve；　except　on　the　hoop。

At　the　request　of　his　brother；　Jules　Godard　attempted　the　difficult　work　of　climbi