292 Aerostation. 



rection of the wind. Mr. Blanchard, having landed his friend 

 about the distance of fourteen miles from Chelsea, proceeded along 

 with different currents, and ascended so high as to experience great 

 difficulty of breathing. A pigeon also, which flew away from the 

 boat, labored for some time with its wings, in order to sustain it- 

 self in the rarefied air, and after wandering for a considerable 

 time, returned and rested on one side of the boat. Mr. Blanch- 

 ard perceiving the sea before him, descended near Rumsey, about 

 seventy-five miles from Loudon, having travelled at the rate of 

 nearly twenty miles an hour. The fate of M. P. de Rozier, the 

 first aerial navigator, and of his companion M. Romain, has been 

 much lamented. They ascended at Bologne, on July 15, 1785, 

 with an intention of crossing the channel to England. Their ma- 

 chine consisted of a spherical balloon, thirty-seven feet in diame- 

 ter, filled with inflammable air, and under this balloon was sus- 

 pended a small montgolfier, or fire balloon, ten feet in diameter. 

 This montgolfier was designed for rarefying the atmospheric air, 

 and thus diminishing the specific gravity of the whole apparatus. 

 For the first twenty minutes they seemed to pursue the proper 

 course ; but the balloon appeared to be much inflated, and the 

 aeronauts appeared anxious to descend. Soon, however, when 

 they were at the height of about three-quarters of a mile, the 

 whole apparatus was in flames, and the unfortunate adventurers 

 fell to the ground, and were killed on the spot. 



On the 19th of July, 1785, Mr. Crosbie ascended at Dublin, 

 Avith a view of crossing the.xhannel to England. To a wicker 

 basket of a circular form, which he had substituted for the boat, 

 he had affiixed a number of bladders, for the purpose of rendering 

 his gallery buoyant, in case of a disaster at sea. The height to 

 which he ascended at one time was such, that by the intense cold, 

 his ink was frozen, and the mercury sunk into the ball of the 

 thermometer. He himself was sick, and he felt a strong impres- 

 sion on the tympanum of his ears. At his utmost elevation he 

 thought himself stationary ; but on discharging some gas he de- 

 scended to a very rough current of air blowing to the north. He 

 then entered a dense cloud, and experienced strong blasts of wind, 

 with thunder and lightning, which brought him with rapidity to- 

 wards the surface of the water. The water soon entered his car; 

 the force of the wind plunged him into the ocean, and it was with 

 difficulty that he put on his cork jacket. The bladders which he 

 had prepared were now found of great use. The water, added 

 to his own weight, served as ballast ; and the balloon maintaining 

 its poise, answered the purpose of a sail,, by means of which, and 

 a snatch block to his car, he moved before the wind as regularly 



