the dominion of the air-第30部分

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ortable　retirement　at　Upper　Holloway。　　The　grand　old　man　pointed　to　a　well…filled　portfolio　in　the　corner　of　his　room；　in　which；　he　said；　were　accounts　of　all　his　travels；　that　would　require　a　lifetime　to　peruse　and　put　in　order。　　Green　then　took　his　visitor　to　the　end　of　the　narrow　court；　and；　opening　the　door　of　an　outhouse；　showed　him　the　old　Nassau　balloon。　　〃Here　is　my　car；〃　he　said；　touching　it　with　a　kind　of　solemn　respect；　〃which；　like　its　old　pilot；　now　reposes　quietly　after　a　long　and　active　career。　　Here　is　the　guide　rope　which　I　imagined　in　former　years；　and　which　has　been　found　very　useful　to　aeronauts。。。。　Now　my　life　has　past　and　my　time　has　gone　by。。。。　Though　my　hair　is　white　and　my　body　too　weak　to　help　you；　I　can　still　give　you　my　advice；　and　you　have　my　hearty　wishes　for　your　future。〃

It　was　but　shortly　after　this；　on　March　26；　1870；　that　Charles　Green　passed　away　in　the　85th　year　of　his　age。

De　Fonvielle's　colleague；　M。　Gaston　Tissandier；　was　on　one　occasion　accidentally　brought　to　visit　the　resting　place　of　the　earliest　among　aeronauts；　whose　tragic　death　occurred　while　Charles　Green　himself　was　yet　a　boy。　　In　a　stormy　and　hazardous　descent　Tissandier；　under　the　guidance　of　M。　Duruof；　landed　with　difficulty　on　the　sea　coast　of　France；　when　one　of　the　first　to　render　help　was　a　lightkeeper　of　the　Griz…nez　lighthouse；　who　gave　the　information　that　on　the　other　side　of　the　hills；　a　few　hundred　yards　from　the　spot　where　they　had　landed；　was　the　tomb　of　Pilatre　de　Rozier；　whose　tragical　death　has　been　recorded　in　an　early　chapter。　　A　visit　to　the　actual　locality　the　next　day　revealed　the　fact　that　a　humble　stone　still　marked　the　spot。

Certain　scientific　facts　and　memoranda　collected　by　the　talented　French　aeronaut　whom　we　are　following　are　too　interesting　to　be　omitted。　　In　the　same　journey　to　which　we　have　just　referred　the　voyagers；　when　nearly　over　Calais；　were　witnesses　from　their　commanding　standpoint　of　a　very　striking　phenomenon　of　mirage。　　Looking　in　the　direction　of　England；　the　far　coast　line　was　hidden　by　an　immense　veil　of　leaden…coloured　cloud；　and；　following　this　cloud　wall　upward　to　detect　where　it　terminated；　the　travellers　saw　above　it　a　greenish　layer　like　that　of　the　surface　of　the　sea；　on　which　was　detected　a　little　black　point　suggesting　a　walnut　shell。　　Fixing　their　eyes　on　this　black　spot；　they　presently　discerned　it　to　be　a　ship　sailing　upside　down　upon　an　aerial　ocean。　　Soon　after；　a　steamer　blowing　smoke；　and　then　other　vessels；　added　themselves　to　the　illusory　spectacle。

Another　wonder　detected；　equally　striking　though　less　uncommon；　was　of　an　acoustical　nature；　the　locality　this　time　being　over　Paris。　　The　height　of　the　balloon　at　this　moment　was　not　great；　and；　moreover；　was　diminishing　as　it　settled　down。　　Suddenly　there　broke　in　upon　the　voyagers　a　sound　as　of　a　confused　kind　of　murmur。　　It　was　not　unlike　the　distant　breaking　of　waves　against　a　sandy　coast；　and　scarcely　less　monotonous。　　It　was　the　noise　of　Paris　that　reached　them；　as　soon　as　they　sank　to　within　2；600　feet　of　the　ground；　but　it　disappeared　at　once　when　they　threw　out　just　sufficient　ballast　to　rise　above　that　altitude。

It　might　appear　to　many　that　so　strange　and　sudden　a　shutting　out　of　a　vast　sound　occurring　abruptly　in　the　free　upper　air　must　have　been　more　imaginary　than　real；　yet　the　phenomenon　is　almost　precisely　similar　to　one　coming　within　the　experience　the　writer；　and　vouched　for　by　his　son　and　daughter；　as　also　by　Mr。　Percival　Spencer；　all　of　whom　were　joint　observers　at　the　time；　the　main　point　of　difference　in　the　two　cases　being　the　fact　that　the　〃region　of　silence〃　was　recorded　by　the　French　observers　as　occurring　at　a　somewhat　lower　level。　　In　both　cases　there　is　little　doubt　that　the　phenomenon　can　be　referred　to　a　stratum　of　disturbed　or　non…homogeneous　air；　which　may　have　been　very　far　spread；　and　which　is　capable　of　acting　as　a　most　opaque　sound　barrier。

Attention　has　often　been　called　in　these　pages　to　the　fact　that　the　action　of　the　sun　on　an　inflated　balloon；　even　when　the　solar　rays　may　be　partially　obscured　and　only　operative　for　a　few　passing　moments；　is　to　give　sudden　and　great　buoyancy　to　the　balloon。　　An　admirable　opportunity　for　fairly　estimating　the　dynamic　effect　of　the　sun's　rays　on　a　silk　globe；　whose　fabric　was　half　translucent；　was　offered　to　the　French　aeronauts　when　their　balloon　was　spread　on　the　grass　under　repair；　and　for　this　purpose　inflated　with　the　circumambient　air　by　means　of　a　simple　rotatory　fan。　　The　sun　coming　out；　the　interior　of　the　globe　quickly　became　suffocating；　and　it　was　found　that；　while　the　external　temperature　recorded　77　degrees；　that　of　the　interior　was　in　excess　of　91　degrees。



CHAPTER　XVII。　ADVENTURE　AND　ENTERPRISE。


A　balloon　which　has　become　famous　in　history　was　frequently

used　in　the　researches　of　the　French　aeronauts　mentioned　in　our　last　chapter。　　This　was　known　as　〃The　Giant；〃　the　creation　of　M。　Nadar；　a　progressive　and　practical　aeronaut；　who　had　always　entertained　ambitious　ideas　about　aerial　travel。

M。　Nadar　had　been　editor　of　L'Aeronaut；　a　French　journal　devoted　to　the　advancement　of　aerostation　generally。　　He　had　also　strongly　expressed　his　own　views　respecting　the　possibility　of　constructing　air　ships　that　should　be　subject　to　control　and　guidance　when　winds　were　blowing。　　His　great　contention　was　that　the　dirigible　air　ship　would；　like　a　bird；　have　to　be　made　heavier　than　the　medium　in　which　it　was　to　fly。　　As　he　put　it；　a　balloon　could　never　properly　become　a　vessel。　　It　would　only　be　a　buoy。　　In　spite　of　any　number　of　accessories；　paddles；　wings；　fans；　sails；　it　could　not　possibly　prevent　the　wind　from　bodily　carrying　away　the　whole　concern。

After　this　strong　expression　of　opinion；　it　may　appear　somewhat　strange　that　such　a　bold　theoriser　should　at　once　have　set　himself　to　construct　the　largest　gas　balloon　on　record。　　Such；　however；　was　the　case　and　the　reason　urged　was　not　otherwise　than　plausible。　　For；　seeing　that　a　vast　sum　of　money　would　be　needed　to　put　his　theories　into　practice；　M。　Nadar　conceived　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　co