NAVIGATING THE AIR 



of four book-covers fastened by their backs to the ends 

 of the bars, opening and closing alternately as the bars 

 were worked up and down. 



The inventor began his experiments in a modest way. 

 His first attempt at flight was by jumping from a chair; 

 next he tried a table; and finally, emboldened by his 

 success, he made flights from window-sills and even 

 house-tops. On one occasion he is said to have sailed 

 from his attic window over the roof of a neighboring 

 cottage, alighting, without injury, some distance beyond. 

 It was even rumored at one time that he would try to 

 fly across the Seine, but if such a feat was ever con- 

 templated, it was never attempted. 



Half a century later, however, the Marquis de Bacque- 

 ville actually made such an attempt with a machine 

 somewhat similar to that of Besnier. The marquis 

 had practiced in private with his machine with such en- 

 couraging results that he felt confident the feat was not 

 an impossible one — in fact, that he was sure of accom- 

 plishing it. He therefore announced publicly that at a 

 certain time the attempt would be made, and on the 

 appointed day an immense crowd of people gathered on 

 the banks of the river to witness the spectacle. Starting 

 from a building some little distance away from the 

 stream, the marquis made good progress at first, but just 

 as he reached the river-bank his machine collapsed and 

 he was tumbled out, alighting on a barge moored at the 

 edge of the stream. Fortunately, the only injury he 

 sustained was a broken leg; but this single attempt 

 seems to have satisfied his aeronautic ambitions. 



Until this time all attempts made at aerial flight had 

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