the dominion of the air-第16节

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d　of　gas；　finally　came　to　rest；　but　not　until　some　severe　injuries　had　been　received。



CHAPTER　VIII。　JOHN　WISETHE　AMERICAN　AERONAUT。


By　this　period　the　domination　of　the　air　was　being　pursued　in　a　fresh　part　of　the　world。　　England　and　her　Continental　neighbours　had　vied　with　each　in　adding　to　the　roll　of　conquests；　and　it　could　hardly　other　be　supposed　that　America　would　stand　by　without　taking　part　in　the　campaign　which　was　now　being　revived　with　so　much　fresh　energy　in　the　skies。

The　American　champion　who　stepped　forward　was　Mr。　John　Wise；　of　Lancaster；　Pa。；　whose　career；　commencing　in　the　year　1835；　we　must　now　for　a　while　follow。　　Few　attempts　at　ballooning　of　any　kind　had　up　to　that　time　been　made　in　all　America。　　There　is　a　record　that　in　December；　1783；　Messrs。　Rittenhouse　and　Hopkins；　Members　of　the　Philosophical　Academy　of　Philadelphia；　instituted　experiments　with　an　aerial　machine　consisting　of　a　cage　to　which　forty…seven　small　balloons　were　harnessed。　　In　this　strange　craft　a　carpenter；　by　name　Wilcox；　was　induced　to　ascend；　which；　it　is　said；　he　did　successfully；　remaining　in　the　air　for　ten　minutes；　when；　finding　himself　near　a　river；　he　sought　to　come　to　earth　again　by　opening　several　of　his　balloons。　　This　brought　about　an　awkward　descent；　attended；　however；　by　no　more　serious　accident　than　a　dislocated　wrist。　　Mr。　Wise；　on　the　other　hand；　states　that　Blanchard　had　won　the　distinction　of　making　the　first　ascent　in　the　New　World　in　1793　in　Philadelphia　on　which　occasion　Washington　was　a　spectator；　and　a　few　years　afterwards　other　Frenchmen　gave　ex　hibitions；　which；　however；　led　to　no　real　development　of　the　new　art　on　this；　the　further　side　of　the　Atlantic。　　Thus　the　endeavours　we　are　about　to　describe　were　those　of　an　independent　and；　at　the　same　time；　highly；　practical　experimentalist；　and　on　this　account　have　a　special　value　of　their　own。

The　records　that　Wise　has　left　of　his　investigations　begin　at　the　earliest　stage；　and　possess　the　charm　of　an　obvious　and　somewhat　quaint　reality。　　They　commence　with　certain　crude　calculations　which　would　seem　to　place　no　limit　to　the　capabilities　of　a　balloon。　　Thus；　he　points　out　that　one　of　〃the　very　moderate　size　of　400　feet　diameter〃　would　convey　13；000　men。　　〃No　wonder；　then；〃　he　continues；　〃the　citizens　of　London　became　alarmed　during　the　French　War；　when　they　mistook　the　appearance　of　a　vast　flock　of　birds　coming　towards　the　Metropolis　for　Napoleon's　army　apparently　coming　down　upon　them　with　this　new　contrivance。〃

Proceeding　to　practical　measures；　Wise's　first　care　was　to　procure　some　proper　material　of　which　to　build　an　experimental　balloon　of　sufficient　size　to　lift　and　convey　himself　alone。　　For　this　he　chose　ordinary　long…cloth；　rendered　gas…tight　by　coats　of　suitable　varnish；　the　preparation　of　which　became　with　him；　as；　indeed；　it　remains　to　this　day；　a　problem　of　chief　importance　and　difficulty。　　Perhaps　it　hardly　needs　pointing　out　that　the　varnish　of　a　balloon　must　not　only　be　sufficiently　elastic　not　to　crack　or　scale　off　with　folding　or　unavoidable　rough　usage；　but　it　must　also　be　of　a　nature　to　resist　the　common　tendency　of　such　substances　to　become　adherent　or　〃tacky。〃　　Wise　determined　on　bird　lime　thinned　with　linseed　oil　and　ordinary　driers。　　With　this　preparation　he　coated　his　material　several　times　both　before　and　after　the　making　up；　and　having　procured　a　net；　of　which　he　speaks　with　pride；　and　a　primitive　sort　of　car；　of　which　he　bitterly　complains；　he　thought　himself　sufficiently　equipped　to　embark　on　an　actual　ascent；　which　he　found　a　task　of　much　greater　practical　difficulty　than　the　mere　manufacture　of　his　air　ship。　　For　the　inflation　by　hydrogen　of　so　small　a　balloon　as　his　was　he　made　more　than　ample　provision　in　procuring　no　less　than　fifteen　casks　of　130　gallons　capacity　each。　　He　also　duly　secured　a　suitable　filling　ground　at　the　corner　of　Ninth　and　Green　Streets；　Philadelphia；　but　he　made　a　miscalculation　as　to　the　time　the　inflation　would　demand；　and　this　led　to　unforeseen　complications；　for　as　yet　he　knew　not　the　way　of　a　crowd　which　comes　to　witness　a　balloon　ascent。

Having　all　things　in　readiness；　and　prudently　waiting　for　fair　weather；　he　embarked　on　his　grand　experiment　on　the　2nd　of　May；　1835；　announcing　4　p。m。　as　the　hour　of　departure。　　But　by　that　time　the　inflation；　having　only　proceeded　for　three　hours；　the　balloon　was　but　half　full；　and　then　the　populace　began　to　behave　as　in　such　circumstances　they　always　will。　　They　were　incredulous；　and　presently　grew　troublesome。　　In　vain　the　harnessing　of　the　car　was　proceeded　with　as　though　all　were　well。　　For　all　was　not　well；　and　when　the　aeronaut　stepped　into　his　car　with　only　fifteen　pounds　of　sand　and　a　few　instruments　he　must　have　done　so　with　much　misgiving。　　Still；　he　had　friends　around　who　might　have　been　useful　had　they　been　less　eager　to　help。　　But　these　simply　crowded　round　him；　giving　him　no　elbow　room；　nor　opportunity　for　trying　the　〃lift〃　of　his　all…too…empty　globe。　　Moreover；　some　would　endeavour　to　throw　the　machine　upward；　while　others　as　strenuously　strove　to　keep　it　down；　and　at　last　the　former　party　prevailed；　and　the　balloon；　being　fairly　cast　into　the　air；　grazed　a　neighbouring　chimney　and　then　plunged　into　an　adjacent　plot；　not；　however；　before　the　distracted　traveller　had　flung　away　all　his　little　stock　of　sand。　　There　now　was　brief　opportunity　for　free　action；　and　to　the　first　bystander　who　came　running　up　Wise　gave　the　task　of　holding　the　car　in　check。　　To　the　next　he　handed　out　his　instruments；　his　coat；　and　also　his　boots；　hoping　thus　to　get　away；　but　his　chance　had　not　yet　come；　for　once　again　the　crowd　swarmed　round　him；　keeping　him　prisoner　with　good…natured　but　mistaken　interference；　and　drowning　his　voice　with　excited　shouting。　　Somehow；　by　word　and　gesture；　he　gave　his　persecutors　to　understand　that　he　wished　to　speak；　and　then　he　begged　them　only　to　give　him　a　chance；　whereupon　the　crowd　fell　back；　forming　a　ring；　and　leaving　only　one　man　holding　the　car。　　It　was　a　moment　of　suspense；　for　Wise　calculated　that　he　had　only　parted　with　some　eighteen　pounds　since　his　first　ineffectual　start　from　the　filling　ground；　but　it　was　enough；　and　in　another　moment　he　was　sailing　up　clear　above　the　crowd。　　So　great；　as　has　been　already　shewn；　is　often　the　effect　of　parting　with　the　last　few　pounds　of　dead　weight　in　a　well…balanced　balloon。

Such　was　the　first　〃send　off〃　of　the　future　great　balloonist；　destined　to　become　the　pioneer　in　aeronautics　on　the　far　side　of　the　Atlantic。　　The　balloon　ascended　to　upwards　of　a　mile；　floating　gradually　away；　but　at　its　highest　point　it　reached　a　conflict　of　currents；　causing　eddies　from　which　Wise　escaped　by　a　slight　decrease　of　weight；　effected　by　merely　cutting　away　the　wreaths　of　flowers　that　were　tied　about　his　car。　　A　further　small　substitute　for　ballast　he　extemporised　in　the　metal　tube　inserted　in　the　neck　of　his　fabric；　and　this　he　cast　out　when　over　the　breadth　of　the　Delaware；　and　he　describes　it　as　falling　with　a　rustling　sound；　and　striking　the　water　with　a　splash　plainly　heard　at　more　than　a　mile　in　the　sky。　　After　an　hour　and　a　quarter　the　balloon　spontaneously　and　steadily　settled　to　earth。

An　ascent　carried　out　later　in　the　same　summer　led　to　a　mishap；　which　taught　the　young　aeronaut　an　all…important　lesson。　　Using　the　same　balloon　and　the　same　mode　of　inflation；　he　got　safely　and　satisfactorily　away　from　his　station　in　the　town　of　Lebanon；　Pa。；　and　soon　found　himself　over　a　toll　gate　in　the　open　country；　where　the　gate　keeper　in　banter　called　up　to　him　for　his　due。　　To　this　summons　Wise；　with　heedless　alacrity；　responded　in　a　manner　which　might　well　have　cost　him　dear。　　He　threw　out　a　bag　of　sand　to　represent　his　toll；　and；　though　he　estimated　this　at　only　six　pounds；　it　so　greatly　accelerated　his　ascent　that　he　shortly　found　himself　at　a　greater　altitude　than　he　ever　after　attained。　　He　passed　through　mist　into　upper　sunshine；　where　he　experienced　extreme　cold　and　ear…ache；　at　which　time；　seeking　the　natural　escape　from　such　trouble；　he　found　to　his　dismay　that　the　valve　rope　was　out　of　reach。　　Thus　he　was　compelled　to　allow　the　balloon　to　ascend　yet　higher；　at　its　own　will；　and　then　a　terrible　event　happened。

By　mischance　the　neck　of　his　balloon；　which　should　have　been　open；　was　out　of　reach　and　folded　inwards　in　such　a　way　as　to　prevent　the　free　escape　of　the　gas；　which；　at　this　great　altitude；　struggled　for　egress　with　a　loud　humming　noise；　giving　him　apprehensions　of　an　accident　which　very　shortly　occurred；　namely；　the　bursting　of　the　lower　part　of　his　balloon　with　a　loud　report。　　It　happened；　however；　that　no　extreme　loss　of　gas　ensued；　and　he　commenced　descending　with　a　speed　which；　though　considerable；　was　not　very　excessive。　　Still；　he　was　eager　to　alight　in　safety；　until　a　chance　occurrence　made　him　a　second　time　that　afternoon　guilty　of　an　act　of　boyish　impetuosity。　　A　party　of　volunteers　firing　a　salute　in　his　honour　as　he　neared　the　ground；　he　instantly　flung　out　papers；　ballast；　anything　he　could　lay　his　hands　on；　and　once　again　soared　to　a　great　height　with　his　damaged　balloon。　　He　could　then　do　no　more；　and　presently　subsiding　to　earth　again；　he　acquired　the　welcome　knowledge