THE CONQUEST OF TIME AND SPACE 



signals except by one vessel, which responded by firing 

 several shots which went wide of the mark. The 

 balloon continued on its course northward until late in 

 the day when land was sighted lying to the northeast. 

 By this time the ballast in the car had been entirely 

 expended, and the balloon, which had been sinking 

 gradually for several hours, seemed about to plunge into 

 the ocean. In this extremity a heavy bag of despatches 

 was thrown out, and the balloon thus lightened again 

 rose to a considerable height, where another current of 

 air carried it over the land. 



A successful landing was made in Norway, in a deso- 

 late but friendly region, where the balloonists were 

 treated with the greatest kindness. The balloon and 

 its contents were subsequently secured, and all the de- 

 spatches delivered to their proper destinations, except, 

 of course, the one package that had been thrown out as 

 ballast. 



A week after the eventful voyage of the Ville d^Or- 

 Uans a still more unfortunate ascent was made by a 

 sailor named Prince, in the balloon called the Jacquard. 

 As the ropes releasing this balloon were cut, the en- 

 thusiastic mariner, standing in his car and extending 

 his hand toward the crowd, shouted dramatically, ^'I 

 go upon a great voyage!" He did — and on one much 

 greater than he anticipated — for the balloon was blown 

 out to sea and lost. As he was passing over England 

 after successfully crossing the Channel, he threw out his 

 package of despatches, but this so lightened his balloon 

 that it mounted quickly and was soon far out over the 

 Atlantic. It was never heard of again. But the life of 



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