the dominion of the air-第31部分

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aptain；　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　climbing　to　this　hoop；　and；　in　spite　of　his　known　agility；　he　was　obliged　several　times　to　renew　the　effort。　　Alone；　and　not　being　able　to　detach　the　cord；　M。　Louis　Godard　begged　M。　Yon　to　join　his　brother　on　the　hoop。　　The　two　made　themselves　masters　of　the　rope；　which　they　passed　to　Louis　Godard。　　The　latter　secured　it　firmly；　in　spite　of　the　shocks　he　received。　　A　violent　impact　shook　the　car　and　M。　de　St。　Felix　became　entangled　under　the　car　as　it　was　ploughing　the　ground。　　It　was　impossible　to　render　him　any　assistance；　notwithstanding；　Jules　Godard；　stimulated　by　his　brother；　leapt　out　to　attempt　mooring　the　balloon　to　the　trees　by　means　of　the　ropes。　　M。　Montgolfier；　entangled　in　the　same　manner；　was　re…seated　in　time　and　saved　by　Louis　Godard。

At　this　moment　others　leapt　out　and　escaped　with　a　few　contusions。　　The　car；　dragged　along　by　the　balloon；　broke　trees　more　than　half　a　yard　in　diameter　and　overthrew　everything　that　opposed　it。

Louis　Godard　made　M。　Yon　leap　out　of　the　car　to　assist　Madame　Nadar；　but　a　terrible　shock　threw　out　MM。　Nadar；　Louis　Godard；　and　Montgolfier；　the　two　first　against　the　ground；　the　third　into　the　water。　　Madame　Nadar；　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　the　voyagers；　remained　the　last；　and　found　herself　squeezed　between　the　ground　and　the　car；　which　had　fallen　upon　her。　　More　than　twenty　minutes　elapsed　before　it　was　possible　to　disentangle　her；　in　spite　of　the　most　vigorous　efforts　on　the　part　of　everyone。　　It　was　at　this　moment　the　balloon　burst　and；　like　a　furious　monster；　destroyed　everything　around　it。　　Immediately　afterwards　they　ran　to　the　assistance　of　M。　de　St。　Felix；　who　had　been　left　behind；　and　whose　face　was　one　ghastly　wound；　and　covered　with　blood　and　mire。　　He　had　an　arm　broken；　his　chest　grazed　and　bruised。

After　this　accident；　though　a　creditable　future　lay　in　store　for　〃The　Giant；〃　its　monstrous　and　unwieldy　car　was　condemned；　and　presently　removed　to　the　Crystal　Palace；　where　it　was　daily　visited　by　large　crowds。

It　is　impossible　to　dismiss　this　brief　sketch　of　French　balloonists　of　this　period　without　paying　some　due　tribute　to　M。　Depuis　Delcourt；　equally　well　known　in　the　literary　and　scientific　world；　and　regarded　in　his　own　country　as　a　father　among　aeronauts。　　Born　in　1802；　his　recollection　went　back　to　the　time　of　Montgolfier　and　Charles；　to　the　feats　of　Garnerin；　and　the　death　of　Madame　Blanchard。　　He　established　the　Aerostatic　and　Meteorological　Society　of　France；　and　was　the　author　of　many　works；　as　well　as　of　a　journal　dealing　with　aerial　navigation。　　He　closed　a　life　devoted　to　the　pursuit　and　advancement　of　aerostation　in　April；　1864。

Before　very　long；　events　began　shaping　themselves　in　the　political　world　which　were　destined　to　bring　the　balloon　in　France　into　yet　greater　prominence。　　But　we　should　mention　that　already　its　capabilities　in　time　of　war　to　meet　the　requirements　of　military　operations　had　been　scientifically　and　systematically　tested；　and　of　these　trials　it　will　be　necessary　to　speak　without　further　delay。

Reference　has　already　been　made　in　these　pages　to　a　valuable　article　contributed　in　1862　by　Lieutenant　G。　Grover；　R。E。；　to　the　Royal　Engineers'　papers。　　From　this　report　it　would　appear　that　the　balloon；　as　a　means　of　reconnoitring；　was　employed　with　somewhat　uncertain　success　at　the　battle　of　Solferino；　the　brothers　Godard　being　engaged　as　aeronauts。　　The　balloon　used　was　a　Montgolfier；　or　fire　balloon；　and；　in　spite　of　its　ready　inflation；　MM。　Godard　considered　it；　from　the　difficulty　of　maintaining　within　it　the　necessary　degree　of　buoyancy；　far　inferior　to　the　gas　inflated　balloon。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Austrian　Engineer　Committee　were　of　a　contrary　opinion。　　It　would　seem　that　no　very　definite　conclusions　had　been　arrived　at　with　respect　to　the　use　and　value　of　the　military　balloon　up　to　the　time　of　the　commencement　of　the　American　War　in　1862。

It　was　now　that　the　practice　of　ballooning　became　a　recognised　department　of　military　manoeuvres；　and　a　valuable　report　appears　in　the　above…mentioned　papers　from　the　pen　of　Captain　F。　Beaumont；　R。E。　　According　to　this　officer；　the　Americans　made　trial　of　two　different　balloons；　both　hydrogen　inflated；　one　having　a　capacity　of　about　13；000　cubic　feet；　and　the　other　about　twice　as　large。　　It　was　this　latter　that　the　Americans　used　almost　exclusively；　it　being　found　to　afford　more　steadiness　and　safety；　and　to　be　the　means；　sometimes　desirable；　of　taking　up　more　than　two　persons。　　The　difficulty　of　sufficient　gas　supply　seems　to　have　been　well　met。　　Two　generators　sufficed；　these　being　〃nothing　more　than　large　tanks　of　wood；　acid…proof　inside；　and　of　sufficient　strength　to　resist　the　expansive　action　of　the　gas；　they　were　provided　with　suitable　stopcocks　for　regulating　the　admission　of　the　gas；　and　with　manhole　covers　for　introducing　the　necessary　materials。〃　The　gas；　as　evolved；　being　made　to　pass　successively　through　two　vessels　containing　lime　water；　was　delivered　cool　and　purified　into　the　balloon；　and　as　the　sulphuric　acid　needed　for　the　process　was　found　sufficiently　cheap；　and　scrap　iron　also　required　was　readily　come　by；　it　would　seem　that　practical　difficulties　in　the　field　were　reduced　to　a　minimum。

According　to　Captain　Beaumont；　the　difficulties　which　might　have　been　expected　from　windy　weather　were　not　considerable；　and　twenty…five　or　thirty　men　sufficed　to　convey　the　balloon　easily；　when　inflated；　over　all　obstacles。　The　transport　of　the　bulk　of　the　rest　of　the　apparatus　does　not　read；　on　paper；　a　very　serious　matter。　　The　two　generators　required　four　horses　each；　and　the　acid　and　balloon　carts　as　many　more。　　Arrived　on　the　scene　of　action；　the　drill　itself　was　a　simple　matter。　　A　squad　of　thirty　men　under　an　officer　sufficed　to　get　the　balloon　into　position；　and　to　arrange　the　ballast　so　that；　with　all　in；　there　was　a　lifting　power　of　some　thirty　pounds。　　Then；　at　the　word　of　command；　the　men　together　drop　the　car；　and　seize　the　three　guy　ropes；　of　which　one　is　made　to　pass　through　a　snatch　block　firmly　secured。　　The　guy　ropes　are　then　payed　out　according　to　the　directions　of