the dominion of the air-第5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！



In　the　meanwhile；　the　rival　balloon　of　hydrogen　gasthe　Charliere；　as　it　has　been　calledhad　had　its　first　innings。　　Before　the　close　of　the　year　MM。　Roberts　and　Charles　constructed　and　inflated　a　hydrogen　balloon；　this　time　fitted　with　a　practicable　valve；　and　in　partnership　accomplished　an　ascent　beating　all　previous　records。　　The　day；　December　17；　was　one　of　winter　temperature；　yet　the　aeronauts　quickly　reached　6；000　feet；　and　when；　after　remaining　aloft　for　one　and　a　half　hours；　they　descended；　Roberts　got　out；　leaving　Charles　in　sole　possession。　　Left　to　himself；　this　young　recruit　seems　to　have　met　with　experiences　which　are　certainly　unusual；　and　which　must　be　attributed　largely　to　the　novelty　of　his　situation。　　He　declared　that　at　9；000　feet；　or　less　than　two　miles；　all　objects　on　the　earth　had　disappeared　from　view；　a　statement　which　can　only　be　taken　to　mean　that　he　had　entered　cloud。　　Further；　at　this　moderate　elevation　he　not　only　became　benumbed　with　cold；　but　felt　severe　pain　in　his　right　ear　and　jaw。　　He　held　on；　however；　ascending　till　10；500　feet　were　reached；　when　he　descended；　having　made　a　journey　of　thirty　miles　from　the　start。

Ascents；　all　on　the　Continent；　now　followed　one　another　in　rapid　succession；　and　shortly　the　MM。　Roberts　essayed　a　venture　on　new　lines。　　They　attempted　the　guidance　of　a　balloon　by　means　of　oars；　and　though　they　failed　in　this　they　were　fortunate　in　making　a　fresh　record。　　They　also　encountered　a　thunderstorm；　and　by　adopting　a　perfectly　scientific　methodof　which　more　hereaftersucceeded　in　eluding　it。　　The　storm　broke　around　them　when　they　were　14；000　feet　high；　and　at　this　altitude；　noting　that　there　were　diverse　currents　aloft；　they　managed　to　manoeuvre　their　balloon　higher　or　lower　at　will　and　to　suit　their　purpose；　and　by　this　stratagem　drew　away　from　the　storm　centre。　　After　six　and　a　half　hours　their　voyage　ended；　but　not　until　150　miles　had　been　covered。

It　must　be　freely　granted　that　prodigious　progress　had　been　made　in　an　art　that　as　yet　was　little　more　than　a　year　old；　but　assuredly　not　enough　to　justify　the　absurdly　inflated　ideas　that　the　Continental　public　now　began　to　indulge　in。　　Men　lost　their　mental　balance；　allowing　their　imagination　to　run　riot；　and　speculation　became　extravagant　in　the　extreme。　　There　was　to　be　no　limit　henceforward　to　the　attainment　of　fresh　knowledge；　nor　any　bounds　placed　to　where　man　might　roam。　　The　universe　was　open　to　him：　　he　might　voyage　if　he　willed　to　the　moon　or　elsewhere：　　Paris　was　to　be　the　starting　point　for　other　worlds：　　Heaven　itself　had　been　taken　by　storm。

Moderation　had　to　be　learned　ere　long　by　the　discipline　of　more　than　one　stern　lesson。　　Hitherto　a　marvellouscall　it　a　Providentialgood　fortune　had　attended　the　first　aerial　travellers；　and　even　when　mishaps　presently　came　to　be　reckoned　with；　it　may　fairly　be　questioned　whether　so　many　lives　were　sacrificed　among　those　who　sought　to　voyage　through　the　sky　as　were　lost　among　such　as　first　attempted　to　navigate　the　sea。

It　is　in　such　ventures　as　we　are　now　regarding　that　fortune　seems　readiest　to　favour　the　daring；　and　if　I　may　digress　briefly　to　adduce　experiences　coming　within　my　own　knowledge；　I　would　say　that　it　is　to　his　very　impulsiveness　that　the　enthusiast　often　owes　the　safety　of　his　neck。　　It　is　the　timid；　not　the　bold　rider；　that　comes　to　grief　at　the　fence。　　It　is　the　man　who　draws　back　who　is　knocked　over　by　a　tramcar。　　Sheer　impetus；　moral　or　physical；　often　carries　you　through；　as　in　the　case　of　a　fall　from　horse…back。　　To　tumble　off　when　your　horse　is　standing　still　and　receive　a　dead　blow　from　the　ground　might　easily　break　a　limb。　　But　at　full　gallop　immunity　often　lies　in　the　fact　that　you　strike　the　earth　at　an　angle；　and　being　carried　forward；　impact　is　less　abrupt。　　I　can　only　say　that　I　have　on　more　than　one　occasion　found　the　greatest　safety　in　a　balloon　venture　involving　the　element　of　risk　to　lie　in　complete　abandonment　to　circumstances；　and　in　the　increased　life　and　activity　which　the　delirium　of　excitement　calls　forth。　　In　comparing；　however；　man's　first　ventures　by　sky　with　those　by　sea；　we　must　remember　what　far　greater　demand　the　former　must　have　made　upon　the　spirit　of　enterprise　and　daring。

We　can　picture　the　earliest　sea　voyager　taking　his　first　lesson　astride　of　a　log　with　one　foot　on　the　bottom；　and　thus　proceeding　by　sure　stages　till　he　had　built　his　coracle　and　learned　to　paddle　it　in　shoal　water。　　But　the　case　was　wholly　different　when　the　first　frail　air　ship　stood　at　her　moorings　with　straining　gear　and　fiercely　burning　furnace；　and　when　the　sky　sailor　knew　that　no　course　was　left　him　but　to　dive　boldly　up　into　an　element　whence　there　was　no　stepping　back；　and　separated　from　earth　by　a　gulf　which　man　instinctively　dreads　to　look　down　upon。

Taking　events　in　their　due　sequence；　we　have　now　to　record　a　voyage　which　the　terrors　of　sky　and　sea　together　combined　to　make　memorable。　　Winter　had　comeearly　January　of　1785when；　in　spite　of　short　dark　days　and　frosty　air；　M。　Blanchard；　accompanied　by　an　American；　Dr。　Jeffries；　determined　on　an　attempt　to　cross　the　Channel。　　They　chose　the　English　side；　and　inflating　their　balloon　with　hydrogen　at　Dover；　boldly　cast　off；　and　immediately　drifted　out　to　sea。　　Probably　they　had　not　paid　due　thought　to　the　effect　of　low　sun　and　chilly　atmosphere；　for　their　balloon　rose　sluggishly　and　began　settling　down　ere　little　more　than　a　quarter　of　their　course　was　run。　　Thereupon　they　parted　with　a　large　portion　of　their　ballast；　with　　the　result　that　they　crept　on　as　far　as　mid…　Channel；　when　they　began　descending　again；　and　cast　out　the　residue　of　their　sand；　together　with　some　books；　and　this；　too；　with　the　uncomfortable　feeling　that　even　these　measures　would　not　suffice　to　secure　their　safety。

This　was　in　reality　the　first　time　that　a　sea　passage　had　been　made　by　sky；　and　the　gravity　of　their　situation　must　not　be　under…estimated。　　We　are　so　accustomed　in　a　sea　passage　to　the　constant　passing　of　other　vessels　that　we　allow　ourselves　to　imagine　that　a　frequented　portion　of　the　ocean；　such　as　the　Channel；　is　thickly　dotted　over　with　shipping　of　some　sort。　　But　in　entertaining　this　idea　we　are　forgetful　of　the　fact　that　we　are　all　the　while　on　a　steamer　track。　　The　truth；　however；　is　that　anywhere　outside　such　a　track；　even　from　the　commanding　point　of　view　of　a　high…flying　balloon；　the　ocean　is　seen　to　be　more　vast　than　we　suppose；　and　bears　exceedingly　little　but　the　restless　waves　upon　its　surface。　　Once　fairly　in　the　water　with　a　fallen　balloon；　there　is　clearly　no　rising　again；　and　the　life　of　the　balloon　in　this　its　wrong　element　is　not　likely　to　be　a　long　one。　　The　globe　of　gas　may　under　favourable　circumstances　continue　to　float　for　some　while；　but　the　open　wicker　car　is　the　worst　possible　boat　for　the　luckless　voyagers；　while　to　leave　it　and　cling　to　the　rigging　is　but　a　forlorn　hope；　owing　to　the　massof　netting　which　surrounds　the　silk；　and　which　would　prove　a　death…trap　in　the　water。　　There　are　many　instances　of　lives　having　been　lost　in　such　a　dilemma；　even　when　help　was　near　at　hand。

Our　voyagers；　whom　we　left　in　mid…air　and　stream；　were　soon　　descending　again；　and　this　time　they　threw　out　their　tackleanchor；　ropes；　and　other　gear；　still　without　adequately　mending　matters。　　Then　their　case　grew　desperate。　　The　French　coast　was；　indeed；　well　in　sight；　but　there　seemed　but　slender　chance　of　reaching　it；　when　they　began　divesting　themselves　of　clothing　as　a　last　resort。　　The　upshot　of　this　was　remarkable；　and　deserves　a　moment's　consideration。　　When　a　balloon　has　been　lightened　almost　to　the　utmost　the　discharge　of　a　small　weight　sometimes　has　a　magical　effect；　as　is　not　difficult　to　understand。　　Throwing　out　ten　pounds　at　an　early　stage；　when　there　may　be　five　hundred　pounds　more　of　superfluous　weight；　will　tell　but　little；　but　when　those　five　hundred　pounds　are　expended　then　an　extra　ten　pounds　scraped　together　from　somewhere　and　cast　overboard　may　cause　a　balloon　to　make　a　giant　stride　into　space　by　way　of　final　effort；　and　it　was　so　with　M。　Blanchard。　　His　expiring　balloon　shot　up　and　over　the　approaching　land；　and　came　safely　to　earth　near　the　Forest　of　Guiennes。　　A　magnificent　fe