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alace；　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　the　aeronaut；　as　conveyed　through　the　officer。

The　balloon　accompanied　the　army's　advance　where　its　services　could　be　turned　to　the　greatest　advantage。　　It　was　employed　in　making　continual　ascents；　and　furnishing　daily　reports　to　General　M'Clellan；　and　it　was　supposed　that　by　constant　observation　the　aeronaut　could；　at　a　glance；　assure　himself　that　no　change　had　taken　place　in　the　occupation　of　the　country。　　Captain　Beaumont；　speaking；　be　it　remembered；　of　the　military　operations　and　manoeuvres　then　in　vogue；　declared　that　earthworks　could　be　seen　even　at　the　distance　of　eight　miles；　though　their　character　could　not　be　distinctly　stated。　　Wooded　country　was　unfitted　for　balloon　reconnaissance；　and　only　in　a　plain　could　any　considerable　body　of　troops　be　made　known。　　Then　follows　such　a　description　as　one　would　be　expecting　to　find：

〃During　the　battle　of　Hanover　Court　House；　which　was　the　first　engagement　of　importance　before　Richmond；　I　happened　to　be　close　to　the　balloon　when　the　heavy　firing　began。　　The　wind　was　rather　high；　but　I　was　anxious　to　see；　if　possible；　what　was　going　on；　and　I　went　up　with　the　father　of　the　aeronaut。　　The　balloon　was；　however；　short　of　gas；　and　as　the　wind　was　high　we　were　obliged　to　come　down。　　I　then　went　up　by　myself；　the　diminished　weight　giving　increased　steadiness；　but　it　was　not　considered　safe　to　go　more　than　500　feet；　on　account　of　the　unsettled　state　of　the　weather。　　The　balloon　was　very　unsteady；　so　much　so　that　it　was　difficult　to　fix　my　sight　on　any　particular　object。　　At　that　distance　I　could　see　nothing　of　the　fight。〃

Following　this　is　another　significant　sentence：

〃In　the　case　of　a　siege；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　a　balloon　reconnaissance　would　be　of　less　value　than　in　almost　any　other　case　where　a　reconnaissance　can　be　required；　but；　even　here；　if　useless；　it　is；　at　any　rate；　also　harmless。　　I　once　saw　the　fire　of　artillery　directed　from　the　balloon；　this　became　necessary；　as　it　was　only　in　this　way　that　the　picket　which　it　was　desired　to　dislodge　could　be　seen。　　However；　I　cannot　say　that　I　thought　the　fire　of　artillery　was　of　much　effect　against　the　unseen　object；　not　that　this　was　the　fault　of　the　balloon；　for　had　it　not　told　the　artillerists　which　way　the　shots　were　falling　their　fire　would　have　been　more　useless　still。〃

It　will　be　observed　that　at　this　time　photography　had　not　been　adopted　as　an　adjunct　to　military　ballooning。

Full　details　have　been　given　in　this　chapter　of　the　monster　balloon　constructed　by　M。　Nadar；　but　in　1864　Eugene　Godard　built　one　larger　yet　of　the　Montgolfier　type。　　Its　capacity　was　nearly　half　a　million　cubic　feet；　while　the　stove　which　inflated　it　stood　18　feet　high；　and　weighed　nearly　1；000　pounds。　　Two　　free　ascents　were　made　without　mishap　from　Cremorne　Gardens。　　Five　years　later　Ashburnham　Park　was　the　scene　of　captive　ascents　made　with　another　mammoth　balloon；　containing　no　less　than　350；000　cubic　feet　of　pure　hydrogen；　and　capable　of　lifting　11　tons。　　It　was　built　at　a　cost　of　28；000　francs　by　M。　Giffard；　the　well…known　engineer　and　inventor　of　the　injector　for　feeding　steam　engines。

These　aerial　leviathans　do　not　appear　to　have　been；　in　any　true　sense　successful。



CHAPTER　XVIII。　THE　BALLOON　IN　THE　SIEGE　OF　PARIS。


Within　a　few　months　of　the　completion　of　the　period　covered　by　the　records　of　the　last　chapter；　France　was　destined　to　receive　a　more　urgent　stimulus　than　ever　before　to　develop　the　resources　of　ballooning；　and；　in　hot　haste；　to　turn　to　the　most　serious　and　practical　account　all　the　best　resources　of　aerial　locomotion。　　The　stern　necessity　of　war　was　upon　her；　and　during　four　months　the　sole　mode　of　exit　from　Parisnay；　the　only　possible　means　of　conveying　a　simple　message　beyond　the　boundary　of　her　fortificationswas　by　balloon。

Hitherto；　from　the　very　inception　of　the　art　from　the　earliest　Montgolfier　with　its　blazing　furnace；　the　balloon　had　gone　up　from　the　gay　capital　under　every　variety　of　circumstancefor　pleasure；　for　exhibition；　for　scientific　research。　　It　was　now　put　in　requisition　to　mitigate　the　emergency　occasioned　by　the　long　and　close　investment　of　the　city　by　the　Prussian　forces。

Recognising；　at　an　early　stage；　the　possibilities　of　the　balloon；　an　enquiry　was　at　once　made　by　the　military　authorities　as　to　the　existing　resources　of　the　city；　when　it　was　quickly　discovered　that；　with　certain　exceptions　to　be　presently　mentioned；　such　balloons　as　were　in　existence　within　the　walls　were　either　unserviceable　or　inadequate　for　the　work　that　was　demanded　of　them。　　Thereupon；　with　admirable　promptness　and　enterprise；　it　was　forthwith　determined　to　organise　the　building　and　equipment　of　a　regular　fleet　of　balloons　of　sufficient　size　and　strength。

It　chanced　that　there　were　in　Paris　at　the　time　two　professional　aeronauts　of　proved　experience　and　skill；　both　of　whom　had　become　well　known　in　London　only　the　season　before　in　connection　with　M。　Giffard's　huge　captive　balloon　at　Ashburnham　Park。　　These　were　MM。　Godard　and　Yon；　and　to　them　was　entrusted　the　establishment　of　two　separate　facto