the age of invention-第27部分

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the　Westinghouse　plant　in　Pittsburgh；　and　Westinghouse　also　supplied　the　turbo…generators　which　inaugurated；　in　1895；　the　delivery　of　power　from　Niagara　Falls。



CHAPTER　X。　THE　CONQUEST　OF　THE　AIR

The　most　popular　man　in　Europe　in　the　year　1783　was　still　the　United　States　Minister　to　France。　The　figure　of　plain　Benjamin　Franklin；　his　broad　head；　with　the　calm；　shrewd　eyes　peering　through　the　bifocals　of　his　own　invention；　invested　with　a　halo　of　great　learning　and　fame；　entirely　captivated　the　people's　imagination。

As　one　of　the　American　Commissioners　busy　with　the　extraordinary　problems　of　the　Peace；　Franklin　might　have　been　supposed　too　occupied　for　excursions　into　the　paths　of　science　and　philosophy。　But　the　spaciousness　and　orderly　furnishing　of　his　mind　provided　that　no　pursuit　of　knowledge　should　be　a　digression　for　him。　So　we　find　him；　naturally；　leaving　his　desk　on　several　days　of　that　summer　and　autumn　and　posting　off　to　watch　the　trials　of　a　new　invention；　nothing　less　indeed　than　a　ship　to　ride　the　air。　He　found　time　also　to　describe　the　new　invention　in　letters　to　his　friends　in　different　parts　of　the　world。

On　the　21st　of　November　Franklin　set　out　for　the　gardens　of　the　King's　hunting　lodge　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　on　the　outskirts　of　Paris；　with　a　quickened　interest；　a　thrill　of　excitement；　which　made　him　yearn　to　be　young　again　with　another　long　life　to　live　that　he　might　see　what　should　be　after　him　on　the　earth。　What　bold　things　men　would　attempt！　Today　two　daring　Frenchmen；　Pilatre　de　Rozier　of　the　Royal　Academy　and　his　friend　the　Marquis　d'Arlandes；　would　ascend　in　a　balloon　freed　from　the　earththe　first　men　in　history　to　adventure　thus　upon　the　wind。　The　crowds　gathered　to　witness　the　event　opened　a　lane　for　Franklin　to　pass　through。

At　six　minutes　to　two　the　aeronauts　entered　the　car　of　their　balloon；　and；　at　a　height　of　two　hundred　and　seventy　feet；　doffed　their　hats　and　saluted　the　applauding　spectators。　Then　the　wind　carried　them　away　toward　Paris。　Over　Passy；　about　half　a　mile　from　the　starting　point；　the　balloon　began　to　descend；　and　the　River　Seine　seemed　rising　to　engulf　them；　but　when　they　fed　the　fire　under　their　sack　of　hot　air　with　chopped　straw　they　rose　to　the　elevation　of　five　hundred　feet。　Safe　across　the　river　they　dampened　the　fire　with　a　sponge　and　made　a　gentle　descent　beyond　the　old　ramparts　of　Paris。

At　five　o'clock　that　afternoon；　at　the　King's　Chateau　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　the　members　of　the　Royal　Academy　signed　a　memorial　of　the　event。　One　of　the　spectators　accosted　Franklin。

〃What　does　Dr。　Franklin　conceive　to　be　the　use　of　this　new　invention？〃

〃What　is　the　use　of　a　new…born　child？〃　was　the　retort。

A　new…born　child；　a　new…born　republic；　a　new　invention：　alike　dim　beginnings　of　development　which　none　could　foretell。　The　year　that　saw　the　world　acknowledge　a　new　nation；　freed　of　its　ancient　political　bonds；　saw　also　the　first　successful　attempt　to　break　the　supposed　bonds　that　held　men　down　to　the　ground。　Though　the　invention　of　the　balloon　was　only　five　months　old；　there　were　already　two　types　on　exhibition：　the　original　Montgolfier；　or　fireballoon；　inflated　with　hot　air；　and　a　modification　by　Charles；　inflated　with　hydrogen　gas。　The　mass　of　the　French　people　did　not　regard　these　balloons　with　Franklin's　serenity。　Some　weeks　earlier　the　danger　of　attack　had　necessitated　a　balloon's　removal　from　the　place　of　its　first　moorings　to　the　Champ　de　Mars　at　dead　of　night。　Preceded　by　flaming　torches；　with　soldiers　marching　on　either　side　and　guards　in　front　and　rear；　the　great　ball　was　borne　through　the　darkened　streets。　The　midnight　cabby　along　the　route　stopped　his　nag；　or　tumbled　from　sleep　on　his　box；　to　kneel　on　the　pavement　and　cross　himself　against　the　evil　that　might　be　in　that　strange　monster。　The　fear　of　the　people　was　so　great　that　the　Government　saw　fit　to　issue　a　proclamation；　explaining　the　invention。　Any　one　seeing　such　a　globe；　like　the　moon　in　an　eclipse；　so　read　the　proclamation；　should　be　aware　that　it　is　only　a　bag　made　of　taffeta　or　light　canvas　covered　with　paper　and　〃cannot　possibly　cause　any　harm　and　which　will　some　day　prove　serviceable　to　the　wants　of　society。〃

Franklin　wrote　a　description　of　the　Montgolfier　balloon　to　Sir　Joseph　Banks；　President　of　the　Royal　Society　of　London：

〃Its　bottom　was　open　and　in　the　middle　of　the　opening　was　fixed　a　kind　of　basket　grate；　in　which　faggots　and　sheaves　of　straw　were　burnt。　The　air；　rarefied　in　passing　through　this　flame；　rose　in　the　balloon；　swelled　out　its　sides；　and　filled　it。　The　persons；　who　were　placed　in　the　gallery　made　of　wicker　and　attached　to　the　outside　near　the　bottom；　had　each　of　them　a　port　through　which　they　could　pass　sheaves　of　straw　into　the　grate　to　keep　up　the　flame　and　thereby　keep　the　balloon　full　。　。　。　。　One　of　these　courageous　philosophers；　the　Marquis　d'Arlandes；　did　me　the　honor　to　call　upon　me　in　the　evening　after　the　experiment；　with　Mr。　Montgolfier；　the　very　ingenious　inventor。　I　was　happy　to　see　him　safe。　He　informed　me　that　they　lit　gently；　without　the　least　shock；　and　the　balloon　was　very　little　damaged。〃

Franklin　writes　that　the　competition　between　Montgolfier　and　Charles　has　already　resulted　in　progress　in　the　construction　and　management　of　the　balloon。　He　sees　it　as　a　discovery　of　great　importance；　one　that　〃may　possibly　give　a　new　turn　to　human　affairs。　Convincing　sovereigns　of　the　folly　of　war　may　perhaps　be　one　effect　of　it；　since　it　will　be　impracticable　for　the　most　potent　of　them　to　guard　his　dominions。〃　The　prophecy　may　yet　be　fulfilled。　Franklin　remarks　that　a　short　while　ago　the　idea　of　〃witches　riding　through　the　air　upon　a　broomstick　and　that　of　philosophers　upon　a　bag　of　smoke　would　have　appeared　equally　impossible　and　ridiculous。〃　Yet　in　the　space　of　a　few　months　he　has　seen　the　philosopher　on　his　smoke　bag；　if　not　the　witch　on　her　broom。　He　wishes　that　one　of　these　very　ingenious　inventors　would　immediately　devise　means　of　direction　for　the　balloon；　a　rudder　to　steer　it；　because　the　malady　from　which　he　is　suffering　is　always　increased　by　a　jolting　drive　in　a　fourwheeler　and　he　would　gladly　avail　himself　of　an　easier　way　of　locomotion。


The　vision　of　man　on　the　wing　did　not；　of　course；　begin　。with　the　invention　of　the　balloon。　Perhaps　the　dream　of　flying　man　came　first　to　some　primitive　poet　of　the　Stone　Age；　as　he　watched；　fearfully；　the　gyrations　of　the　winged　creatures　of　the　air；　even　as　in　a　later　age　it　came　to　Langley　and　Maxim；　who　studied　the　wing　motions　of　birds　and　insects；　not　in　fear　but　in　the　light　and　confidence　of　advancing　science。

Crudely　outlined　by　some　ancient　Egyptian　sculptor；　a　winged　human　figure　broods　upon　the　tomb　of　Rameses　III。　In　the　Hebrew　parable　of　Genesis　winged　cherubim　guarded　the　gates　of　Paradise　against　the　man　and　woman　who　had　stifled　aspiration　with　sin。　Fairies；　witches；　and　magicians　ride　the　wind　in　the　legends　and　folklore　of　all　peoples。　The　Greeks　had　gods　and　goddesses　many；　and　one　of　these　Greek　art　represents　as　moving　earthward　on　great　spreading　pinions。　Victory　came　by　the　air。　When　Demetrius；　King　of　Macedonia；　set　up　the　Winged　Victory　of　Samothrace　to　commemorate　the　naval　triumph　of　the　Greeks　over　the　ships　of　Egypt；　Greek　art　poetically　foreshadowed　the　relation　of　the　air　service　to　the　fleet　in　our　own　day。

Man　has　always　dreamed　of　flight；　but　when　did　men　first　actually　fly？　We　smile　at　the　story　of　Daedalus；　the　Greek　architect；　and　his　son；　Icarus；　who　made　themselves　wings　and　flew　from　the　realm　of　their　foes；　and　the　tale　of　Simon；　the　magician；　who　pestered　the　early　Christian　Church　by　exhibitions　of　flight　into　the　air　amid　smoke　and　flame　in　mockery　of　the　ascension。　But　do　the　many　tales　of　sorcerers　in　the　Middle　Ages；　who　rose　from　the　ground　with　their　cloaks　apparently　filled　with　wind；　to　awe　the　rabble；　suggest　that　they　had　deduced　the　principle　of　the　aerostat　from　watching　the　action　of　smoke　as　did　the　Montgolfiers　hundreds　of　years　later？　At　all　events　one　of　these　alleged　exhibitions　about　the　year　800　inspired　the　good　Bishop　Agobard　of　Lyons　to　write　a　book　against　superstition；　in　which　he　proved　conclusively　that　it　was　impossible　for　human　beings　to　rise　through　the　air。　Later；　Roger　Bacon　and　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　each　in　his　turn　ruminated　in　manuscript　upon　the　subject　of　flight。　Bacon；　the　scientist；　put　forward　a　theory　of　thin　copper　globes　filled　with　liquid　fire；　which　would　soar。　Leonardo；　artist；　studied　the　wings　of　birds。　The　Jesuit　Francisco　Lana；　in　1670；　working　on　Bacon's　theory　sketched　an　airship　made　of　four　copper　balls　with　a　skiff　attached；　this　machine　was　to　soar　by　means　of　the　lighter…than…air　globes　and　to　be　navigated　aloft　by　oars　and　sails。

But　while　philosophers　in　their　libraries　were　designing　airships　on　paper　and　propounding　their　theories；　venturesome　men；　〃crawling；　but　pestered　with　the　thought　of　wings；〃　were　making　pinions　of　various　fabrics　and　trying　them　upon　the　wind。　Four　years　after　Lana　suggested　his　airship　with　balls　and　oars；　Besnier；　a　French　locksmith；　made　a　flying　machine　of　four　collapsible　planes　like　book　covers　suspended　on　rods。　With　a　rod　over　each　shoulder；　and　moving　the　two　front　planes　with　his　arms　and　the　two　back　ones　by　his　feet；　Besnier　gave　exhibitions　of　gliding　from　a　height　to　the　earth。　But　his　machine　could　not　soar。　What　may　be　called　the　first　patent　on　a　flying　machine　was　recorded　in　1709　when　Bartholomeo　de　Gusmao；　a　friar；　appeared　before　the　King　of　Portugal　to　announce　that　he　had　invented　a　flying　machine　and　to　request　an　order　prohibiting　other　men　from　making　anything　of　the　sort。　The　King　decreed　pain　of　death　to　all　infringers；　and　to　assist　the　enterprising　monk　in　improving　his　machine；　he　appointed　him　first　professor　of　mathematics　in　the　University　of　Coimbra　with　a　fat　stipend。　Then　the　Inquisition　stepped　in。　The　inventor's　suave　reply；　to　the　effect　that　to　show　men　how　to　soar　to　Heaven　was　an　essentially　religious　act；　availed　him　nothing。　He　was　pronounced　a　sorcerer；　his　machine　was　destroyed；　and　he　was　imprisoned　till　his　death。　Many　other　men　fashioned　unto　themselves　wings；　but；　though　some　of　them　might　glide　earthward；　none　could　rise　upon　the