As the “Giant” is the largest balloon that has yet been made, and as its experiences on the occasions of its first and second ascents1 were not only peculiar3 but terrible, we shall give an account of it in detail—commencing with its construction, and ending with the thrilling termination of its brief but wild career.
Monsieur Nadar, a photographer of Paris, was the enthusiastic and persevering4 aeronaut who called it into being, and encountered the perils5 of its ascents, from which he did not emerge scatheless6, as we shall see.
Besides being an experimental voyager in cloudland, Monsieur Nadar started a newspaper named L’Aéronaute, in which he gives an account of the “Giant,” and his reasons for constructing it.
These latter were peculiar. He is emphatic7 in asserting that the huge balloon was never intended by him to be an “end,” but a mere8 stepping-stone to an end—which end was the construction of an aeromotive—a machine which was to be driven by means of a screw, and which he intended should supersede9 balloons altogether, so that his own “Giant” was meant to be the last of its race!
In reference to this, Monsieur Nadar tells us that he was deeply impressed with the belief that the screw would ultimately become our aerial motor, but that, being ignorant of what it was likely the experiments of this first aeromotive would cost, he had resolved, instead of begging for funds to enable him to accomplish his great end, to procure10 funds for himself in the following manner:—
“I shall,” says he, “make a balloon—the last balloon—in proportions extraordinarily11 gigantic, twenty times larger than the largest, which shall realise that which has never been but a dream in the American journals, which shall attract, in France, England, and America, the crowd always ready to run to witness the most insignificant12 ascent2. In order to add further to the interest of the spectacle—which, I declare beforehand, without fear of being belied13, shall be the most beautiful spectacle which it has ever been given to man to contemplate,—I shall dispose under this monster balloon a small balloon (balloneau), destined14 to receive and preserve the excess of gas produced by dilation15, instead of losing this excess, as has hitherto been the case, which will permit my balloon to undertake veritable long voyages, instead of remaining in the air two or three hours only, like our predecessors16. I do not wish to ask anything of any one, nor of the State, to aid me, even in this question of general, and also of such immense, interest. I shall endeavour to furnish myself the two hundred thousand francs necessary for the construction of my balloon. The said balloon finished, by public ascents and successive exhibitions at Paris, London, Brussels, Vienna, Baden, Berlin, New York, and everywhere, I know that I shall collect ten times the funds necessary for the construction of our first aeromotive.”
This first aeromotive, however, has not yet made its appearance, whether from want of funds or of practicability we do not know, but Monsieur Nadar carried his designs triumphantly17 into effect with the “monster balloon,” which in course of time made its appearance, performed flights, attracted the wonder and admiration18, as well as a good deal of the coin, of hundreds of thousands in France and England, even conveyed royalty19 up into the clouds, broke the bones of its originator, and was exhibited in the great transept (which it nearly filled) of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham. While there we had the good fortune to behold20 it with our own eyes!
The construction of this balloon merits particular notice; but first, it may be remarked that it is well worthy21 of being named a giant, seeing that its height was only forty-five feet less than that of the towers of Notre Dame22 Cathedral, namely 196 feet.
That Nadar had cut out for himself an arduous23 task will be readily believed. Touching24 on this, he writes thus:—
“I have set myself to work immediately, and with difficulties, sleepless25 nights, vexations which I have kept to myself alone to this hour, and which some one of the days of this winter, the most urgent part of my task being finished, I shall in part make in confidence to my readers. I have succeeded in establishing my balloon, in founding at the same time this journal—indispensable moniteur to the aerial automotive—and in laying the basis of that which shall be, perhaps, the greatest financial operation of the age. Those who shall see and appreciate these labours, will please to pardon me, I hope, for having wiped my forehead with a little touch of pride, when at the end of a month—one month!—I have said to myself, ‘it is done!’”
The “Giant” was composed of yellowish white silk, of which there were used 22,000 yards at about 5 shillings 4 pence a yard, so that the cost of the silk alone was 5,866 pounds. This was cut into 118 gores26, which were entirely27 hand-sewed with a double seam, and some idea of the vastness of the work may be gathered from the fact that 200 women were employed during a month in the sewing of the gores. For the sake of greater strength the silk was doubled. In other words, there were two balloons of the same size, one within the other.
Directly beneath, and attached to its lower orifice, there was a small balloon called a compensator28, the object of which was to receive and retain for use the surplus gas. When a balloon rises to the higher regions of the atmosphere, the gas within it expands, so that a large quantity of it is allowed to rush out at the open mouth beneath, or at the safety-valve above. Were this not the case, the balloon would certainly burst. This loss of gas, however, is undesirable29, because when the balloon descends31 the gas contracts, and the loss is then felt to be a great one. By collecting the over-flow of gas in the compensator, this disadvantage is obviated32.
The car, which was made chiefly of wicker-work, was actually a small cottage of two storeys (a ground-floor and platform or upper deck), with door and windows. Its height was about eight, and its length thirteen feet. The ground-floor contained a cruciform passage and six divisions. At one extremity33 was a captain’s cabin with a bed in it, and underneath34 a compartment35 for luggage. At the other was the passengers’ cabin, with three beds, one above the other. The four other divisions or rooms were a provision store, a lavatory36, a place for conducting photographic operations, and a room for a small lithographic press, with which it was intended to print an account of the voyage, to be scattered37 about the localities over which they should pass!
In reference to this last, Monsieur Nadar writes:—
“An English company a month ago (our neighbours are marvellous in not losing time), appreciating the bustle38 which the sight of a balloon always excites in every inhabited place, and judging rightly that papers would never be better received and more greedily read than those thrown overboard by us, despatched a messenger to propose to me to accept commercial prospectuses39. We shall never have too much money for the construction of our first aeromotive. I have accepted and made a contract.”
Besides many miscellaneous articles, such as grapnels, fowling-pieces, speaking-trumpets, etcetera, that were to be carried up in this cot, there were provisions of all sorts, instruments for scientific observations, games, means of defence in case of descent among an inhospitable people, and two cages of carrier-pigeons sent from Liège. The car and all it contained was secured by twenty cables traversing on and beneath its walls, interlaced with the fabric40 and fastened to a large hoop41 just below the neck, to which hoop was also attached the ropes of the net-work by which the balloon itself was enveloped42. There were two axles and four wheels connected with the car, by means of which it could, when necessary, be drawn43 along an ordinary road. Canes44, disposed to act as springs, were placed underneath and round the middle of it to protect it from concussions45, besides which internal buoys47 and an immense girdle in compartments48 of inflated49 india-rubber, rendered it incapable50 of submersion in water.
Such was the giant balloon in which Monsieur Nadar and his friends made two ascents; of the first of which (4th October 1863) Galignani writes thus:—
“The departure of this Leviathan of the airy regions attracted immense crowds to the Champ de Mars yesterday afternoon. Considering that the avenues encircling that vast space were filled to suffocation51, so that we found it extremely difficult to force our way to the open ground reserved for tickets, and that all the housetops were occupied by spectators, we think the number of persons present may fairly be stated at 80,000. Ample precautions had been taken to prevent disasters,—a strong police force, supported by a company of infantry52 and some cavalry53, being present to maintain order. The balloon, which is 90 yards in circumference54, and has consumed upwards55 of 20,000 yards of silk in its manufacture, was held down, while filling, by about 100 men, and the weight of at least 200 sandbags. The car was of wicker-work, comprising an inner surface of about 54 square feet divided into three compartments or small rooms, surmounted56 by an open terrace, to which the balloon was braced57. Outside grapnels, wheels, and fowling-pieces, four of each, besides two speaking-trumpets, were lashed58 to the sides of the car. (The wheels were intended to be put to the car after alighting, in order to convey it back with horses.) The preliminary operations took considerable time, putting the patience of the spectators to a severe trial, a circumstance which perhaps prevented them from cheering when the words ‘Lâchez tout59!’ were given, and the immense machine rose slowly and majestically60 into the air. We were rather surprised at the silence of the public, considering the very remarkable61 and interesting feat62 in aeronautics63 thus successfully performed. There were fifteen persons in the car, or rather cabin:— Monsieur Nadar, captain; Messieurs Marcel, Louis and Jules Godard, lieutenants64; the Prince de Sayn-Wittgenstein, Count de Saint Martin, Monsieur Tournachon (Nadar’s brother), Messieurs Eugène Delessert, Thirion, Piallat, Robert Mitchell, Gabriel Morris, Paul de Saint Victor, de Villemessant, and one lady, the Princess de la Tour d’Auvergne. The Princess was taking her usual drive to the Bois de Boulogne, when, observing an unusual movement in the neighbourhood of the Invalides, and having inquired the cause; she ordered her coach man to drive to the Champ de Mars. Having seen the balloon, she expressed a wish to make the ascent, and although Nadar had to the last moment refused to take any lady, and even his own wife, he could not resist the entreaty65 of the Princess. On starting, Monsieur Nadar climbed up the net-work and took off his hat to the spectators. The balloon took a north-easterly direction, and was visible for some time. At the moment of going to press, a communication has reached us, signed by the captain, Monsieur Nadar, and all those who had taken places in the balloon, stating that on alighting yesterday evening at nine o’clock at Ibarcy, near Meaux (Seine-et-Marne), three severe shocks were experienced, which had the effect of completely capsizing the balloon, and inflicting66 on its occupants several rather severe contusions.
“Interesting details of the ascent of the Nadar balloon, said to have been narrated67 by Prince Wittgenstein, are given by the France. The most extraordinary is, that at half-past eight, when the balloon attained68 the height of 1500 metres, the aeronauts saw the sun, which had set for the earth below upwards of two hours before. The effect of the light upon the balloon is described as something marvellous, and as having thrown the travellers into a sort of ecstasy69. Although they met with no rain, their clothes were all dripping wet from the mist which they passed through. The descent was more perilous70 than at first reported. The car dragged on its side for nearly a mile, and the passengers took refuge in the ropes, to which they clung. Several were considerably71 bruised—though, as before stated, no one sustained any very serious injury. Everybody behaved well. Nadar, visibly uneasy about his fair charge, the young Princess de la Tour d’Auvergne, was told by her to attend to his duty as captain. ‘Every one at his post,’ said she; ‘I will keep to mine.’ Notwithstanding all the shaking which the car underwent, the 37 bottles of wine provided for the journey were all found unbroken, and they were most joyously72 broached73 when the party got on terra firma. The rifles, the crockery, as well as a cake and 13 ices, presented to Nadar by Siraudin, of the Rue74 de la Paix, were all uninjured. When the descent was effected, the lights and the speaking-trumpets soon attracted a number of peasants, who brought carts and helped the party to the village of Barcy, where most of them passed the night; but Monsieur Nadar and the Prince de Wittgenstein, with two or three others, came to Paris by the first train from Meaux.
“It is said that the descent was resolved upon in consequence of the advice of the brothers Godard, and contrary to the wish of Monsieur Nadar, who, as captain, had made every one of his companions sign an agreement to act upon his orders, even though the vote should be unanimously against him. He, however, yielded his opinion, in deference75 to that of these experienced aeronauts. A truly extraordinary statement is, that they fancied the wind was blowing them to the sea, and certain destruction, whereas they were going due east, with no sea at all before them nearer than the Caspian.
“There was great disappointment in the receipts at the Champ de Mars, which are said to have realised only 27,000 francs, whereas 150,000 had been calculated upon. The papers say that the public broke down the barriers and got in for nothing, instead of paying their franc. It is quite certain that at the moment of the ascent there could not have been less than 50,000 people on the Champ de Mars, and on the terraces and heights around there must have been four times that number.”
Monsieur Nadar, on his return to Paris, wrote as follows:—
“Here, as briefly76 as possible, is the account which you asked me to send. Yesterday evening at nine o’clock, the ‘Giant’ was compelled to descend30 near the Barcy Marsh77, two leagues from Meaux, after three violent shocks, the last of which completely turned everything in the car topsy-turvy, and it descended78 on its side. The rupture79 of our valve-pipe rope while travelling by night, forced us to throw out our anchors. One of the prongs of the first anchor having broken, the principal anchor fortunately took hold of the ground. We were able to let out the gas, notwithstanding the violence of the wind, and the car was set up at half-past one in the morning. Some slight contusions and a concussion46 of the knee of one of the passengers—that is our receipt in full. It is not too dear.
“A. Nadar.”
This bold and zealous80 aeronaut unfortunately paid dearer for his succeeding ascent as shall be seen in the next chapter.
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1
ascents
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| n.上升( ascent的名词复数 )；（身份、地位等的）提高；上坡路；攀登 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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scatheless
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| adj.无损伤的，平安的 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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supersede
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| v.替代；充任 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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belied
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| v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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dilation
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| n.膨胀，扩张，扩大 | |
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predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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gores
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| n.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破( gore的名词复数 )v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破( gore的第三人称单数 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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compensator
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| 补偿者 | |
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undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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descends
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| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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obviated
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| v.避免，消除（贫困、不方便等）( obviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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lavatory
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| n.盥洗室，厕所 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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prospectuses
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| n.章程，简章，简介( prospectus的名词复数 ) | |
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fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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hoop
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| n.（篮球）篮圈，篮 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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canes
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| n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖 | |
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concussions
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| n.震荡( concussion的名词复数 )；脑震荡；冲击；震动 | |
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concussion
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| n.脑震荡；震动 | |
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buoys
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| n.浮标( buoy的名词复数 )；航标；救生圈；救生衣v.使浮起( buoy的第三人称单数 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
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compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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suffocation
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| n.窒息 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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tout
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| v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱 | |
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majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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aeronautics
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| n.航空术，航空学 | |
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lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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72
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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73
broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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74
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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75
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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76
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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77
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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78
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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79
rupture
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| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
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80
zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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