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WonderfulBalloonAscents:or,theConquestoftheSkies1WonderfulBalloonAscents:or,theConquestoftheSkiesF.(Fulgence)Marion1870WonderfulBalloonAscents:or,theConquestoftheSkies2PREFACELetposterityknow,andknowingbeastonished,thatonthefifteenthdayofSeptember,1784,VincentLunardiofLucca,inTuscany,thefirstaerialtravellerinBritain,mountingfromtheArtilleryGroundinLondon,andtraversingtheregionsoftheairfortwohoursandfifteenminutes,onthisspotrevisitedtheearth.Inthisrudemonumentforagesberecordedthiswondrousenterprisesuccessfullyachievedbythepowersofchemistryandthefortitudeofman,thisimprovementinsciencewhichthegreatAuthorofallKnowledge,patronisingbyhisProvidencetheinventionsofmankind,hathgraciouslypermitted,totheirbenefitandhisowneternalglory.Thestoneuponwhichtheaboveinscriptionwascarved,stands,orstoodrecently,nearCollier'sEnd,intheparishofStandon,Hertfordshire;anditwillpossiblyaffordtheEnglishreaderamoreaccurateideaofthefeelingswithwhichtheworldhailedthediscoveryoftheballoonthananyincidentorillustrationdrawnfromtheannalsofaforeigncountry.Theworkwhichwenowintroducetoourreadersdoesnotexaggeratethecasewhenitdeclaresthatnodiscoveryofmoderntimeshasarousedsolargeanamountofenthusiasm,hasexcitedsomanyhopes,hasappearedtothehumanracetoopenupsomanyvistasofenterpriseandresearch,asthatforwhichwearemainlyindebtedtotheBrothersMontgolfier.Thediscoveryortheinventionoftheballoon,however,wasoneofthoseeffortsofgeniusandenterprisewhichhavenoinfancy.Ithadreacheditsfullgrowthwhenitburstupontheworld,andtheninetyyearswhichhavesinceelapsedhavewitnessednodevelopmentoftheoriginalidea.Theballoonofto-day--theballooninwhichCoxwellandGlaisherhavemadetheirperiloustripsintotheremoteregionsoftheair--isinalmosteveryrespectthesameastheballoonwithwhichthephysicianCharles,followinginthefootstepsoftheMontgolfiers,astonishedParisin1783.Therearefewmoretantalisingstoriesintheannalsofinventionthanthis.SomuchhadbeenaccomplishedwhenRoziersmadehisfirstaerialvoyageabovetheastonishedcapitalofFrancethatalltherestseemedeasy.Thenewhighwayappearedtohavebeenthrownopentotheworld,andWonderfulBalloonAscents:or,theConquestoftheSkies3thedullestimaginationsawtheairthrongedwithcolossalchariots,bearingtravellersinperfectsafety,andwithmorethanthespeedoftheeagle,fromcitytocity,fromcountrytocountry,recklessofalltheobstacles--theseas,andrivers,andmountains--whichNaturemighthaveplacedinthepathofthewayfarer.Butfromthatmomenttothepresenttheprospectwhichwasthusopeneduphasremainedavisionandnothingmore.Thereare--asthosewhovisitedtheCrystalPalacetwoyearsagohavereasontoknow--notafewmenwhostillbelieveinthepracticabilityofjourneyingbyair.But,withhardlyanexception,thosefewhaveabandonedallideaofutilisingtheballoonforthispurpose.Thegracefulmachinewhichastonishedtheworldatitsbirthremainstothisdayasbeautiful,andasuselessforthepurposesoftravel,asinthefirsthourofitshistory.ThedaymaycomewhensomeonemorefortunatethantheMontgolfiersmayearntheDukeofSutherland'sofferedrewardbyasuccessfulflightfromtheMalltothetopofStaffordHouse;butwhenthiscomestopasstheballoonwillhavenoshareinthehonouroftheachievement.Nottheless,however,isthestoryofthiswonderfulinventionworthyofbeingrecorded.Itdeservesaplaceinthehistoryofhumanenterprise--iffornothingelse--becauseofthedaringcouragewhichithasinsomanycasesbroughttolight.FromthedaysofRoziersdowntothoseofCoxwell,ouraeronautshavefearlesslytempteddangersnotlessterriblethanthosewhichfacethesoldierasheenterstheimminentdeadlybreach;and,asoneofthechaptersinthisvolumemournfullyproves,notafewoftheirnumberhavepaidthepenaltyoftheirrashcouragewiththeirlives.Allthemoreisittoberegrettedthatsolittlepracticalgoodhasresultedfromtheirlaboursandtheirsacrifices;andthatsomanyofthosewhohaveperishedinballoonvoyageshavedonesowhilstservingtobetterendthantheamusementofaholidaycrowd.Thereis,however,anotheraspectwhichmakesatleasttheearlierhistoryoftheballoonwellworthpreserving.Thisistheinfluencewhichtheinventionhaduponthegenerationwhichwitnessedit.Asthesepagesshow,thepeopleofEuropeseemtohavebeenabsolutelyintoxicatedbythesuccessoftheMontgolfiers'discovery.Thereissomethingbitterlysuggestiveinourknowledgeofthisfact.WhilstpensionsandhonoursandpopularapplausewerebeingshoweredupontheWonderfulBalloonAscents:or,theConquestoftheSkies4inventorsoftheballoon,Wattwaslabouringunnoticedathisimprovementsofthesteam-engine--averyprosaicaffaircomparedwiththegildedglobewhichMontgolfierhadcausedtorisefromearthamidsttheacclamationsofahundredthousandspectators,butonewhichhadbeforeitasomewhatdifferenthistorytothatofthemorestartlinginvention.England,whenitremembersthestoryofthesteam-engine,haslittleneedtogrudgeFrancethehonourofdiscoveringtheballoon.Afterall,however,GreatBritainhaditsshareinthatdiscovery.TheearlyobservationsofFrancisBaconandBishopWilkinspavedthewayforthelaterachievement,whilstitwasourownCavendishwhodiscoveredthathydrogengaswaslighterthanair;andDr.BlackofEdinburgh,whofirstemployedthatgastoraiseaglobeinwhichitwascontainedfromtheearth.TheScotchprofessor,wearetold,thoughtthatthediscoverywhichhemadewhenhesenthislittletissue-pa