HISTORY OF AEROSTATION. 7i) 



Hospital, in Pancras. The balloon was of the usual sort, viz. of 

 oiled Milk, with a net, from which ropes proceeded, which termi- 

 nated in, or were joinied to, a single rope at a few feet below the 

 balloon. To this rope the parachute was fastened in the following 

 manner. The reader may easily form to himself an idea of this pa- 

 rachute, by imagining a large umbrella of canvass of about thirty 

 feet in diameter, but destitute of the ribs and handle. Several 

 ropes of about thirty feet in length, which proceeded from the 

 edge of the parachute, terminated in a common joining, from which 

 basket shorter ropes proceeded, to the extremities of which a circular 

 was fastened, and in this basket M. Garnerin placed himself. Now 

 the single rope, which has been said above to proceed from the 

 balloon, passed through a hole in the centre of the parachute, also 

 through certain tin tubes, which were placed one after the other in 

 the place of the handle or stick of an umbrella, and was lastly 

 fastened to the basket ; so that when the balloon was in the air, by 

 cutting the end of this rope next to the basket, the parachute, 

 with the basket, would be separated from the balloon, and, m fall- 

 ing downwards, would be naturally opened by the resistance of the 

 air. The use of the tin tubes was to let the rope slip off with greater 

 certainty, and to prevent its beiug entangled with any of the other 

 ropes, as also to keep the parachute at a distance from the basket. 

 The balloon began to be filled at about two o'clock. There were 

 thirty-six casks filled with iron filings and diluted sulphuric acid, for 

 the production of the hydrogen gas. These communicated with 

 three other casks or general receivers, to each of which was fixed a 

 tube that emptied itself into the main tube attached to the balloon. 

 At six, the balloon being quite full of gas, and the parachute, &c. 

 being attached to it, M. Garnerin placed himself in the basket, and 

 ascended majestically amidst the acclamations of innumerable spec, 

 tators. The weather was the clearest and pleasantest imaginable ; 

 the wind was gentle and about west by south ; in consequence of 

 which M. Ganierin went in tbe direction of about east by north. 

 In about eight minutes time, the balloon and parachute had ascended 

 to an immense height, and M. Garnerin, in the basket, could 

 scarcely be perceived. While every spectator was contemplating 

 the grand sight before him, M. Garnerin cut the rope, and in an 

 instant he was separated from the balloon, trusting his safety to the 

 parachute. At first, viz. before the parachute opened, he fell with 

 great velocity ; but as soon as the parachute was expanded, which 

 look place a few moments after, the descent was very gentle and gra- 



