THE CONQUEST OF TIME AND SPACE 



But it was not until the Franco- Prussian War that 

 the one thing for which the Montgolfiers had predicted 

 their usefulness in warfare — that of sending messages 

 out from a closely besieged city — was put to practical 

 test. During the siege of Paris by the Germans in 

 1870-71, when every other possible means of communica- 

 tion had been cut off, the Parisians still kept in com- 

 munication with the outside world by means of balloons 

 and carrier-pigeons. On September 23rd, the first 

 ascent of the siege was made by the aeronaut Durouf, 

 who carried a large number of despatches from the city, 

 landing near Evreux, after being in the air about three 

 hours. The success of this journey and several others 

 that quickly followed led the French Government to 

 establish a regular balloon-post, and to undertake the 

 manufacture of balloons for this purpose. The mere 

 matter of balloon construction offered no difficulty but 

 a more serious one was met in the lack of experienced 

 aeronauts. In this emergency, however, it occurred to 

 the authorities that sailors, accustomed to climbing 

 about at dizzy heights, might be taught to take the place 

 of trained aeronauts. This experiment proved most 

 successful, and in subsequent voyages these mariners 

 maintained their reputation for daring undertakings. 

 Between September and January sixty-four balloons 

 were sent up, all but seven of which fulfilled their mission 

 and delivered their despatches; and the total number 

 of persons leaving Paris in balloons during the siege 

 was one hundred and fifty-five. These carried with 

 them a total of nine tons of despatches and something 

 like three million letters, the speed with which these 



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