Animadversions on Mr. Genefs Memorial, §c. 97 



I accord with you also in the spirit of your concluding re- 

 marks, but do not think that the case in hand is one to which 

 it applies ; I mean when you say " We conclude by wishing 

 Mr. Genet ample success. Failure will involve no disgrace, 

 but success would add another brilliant leaf to the book of 

 discovery." Although I doubt the practicability of steering 

 balloons in the air, I have not the temerity to say that it is 

 impossible, and I would cheerfully aid and gladly witness, 

 an experiment for the attainment of this object, provided 

 the means indicated, were not palpably, inadequate. But 

 were some person to propose to elevate an aeronaut by the 

 " specific levity" of carbonic acid, or to raise a load of sev- 

 enty-five tons, to the height of one hundred feet, by the de- 

 scent or ascent of a power of seventy-five tons, to the dis- 

 tance of 10 feet, I should be disgraced as a man of science, 

 were I not to condemn the project in the most unqualified . 

 terms ; and here also we undoubtedly agree. 



" The prostatic vessel, or aeronaut^ appears to be Mr. 

 Genet's greatest favorite. I cannot attempt to point out the 

 numerous fallacies respecting it, which are contained in the 

 memorial, but will merely make a few remarks upon the 

 main point, the proposed means of propulsion ; and even on 

 this, I shall offer but a small number of objections which 

 present themselves. Mr. Genet proposes to navigate his 

 balloon by the power of two small horses, each equal to 1 00 

 lbs. making conjointly 200 lbs. In this estimate he has left 

 out of view, that most important function of their power, 

 velocity. His two small horses, would be able to draw the 

 weight assigned, with a velocity of only two and a half 

 miles per hour ; yet with them he is to move sails, which 

 according to his own calculation, are to " produce a press- 

 ure of 4200 lbs. per minute upon the air." Now according 

 to the vulgar arithmetic, by which other philosophers have 

 made their estimates, this would exceed the power of three 

 horses, 20 fold ; but Mr. Genet says, that their power " be- 

 ing multiplied by 21 revolutions of the air wheels in one 

 minute will produce a pressure of 4200 lbs." The same 

 principle prevails here, as in his other machines, power and 

 speed, are both obtained, by making large wheels act upon 

 small ones. 



The small power which I have assigned, say ^ of that 

 claimed, will be reduced to less than nothing, by making a 

 very moderate allowance for friction, and bv the want of 



Vol. XIII.— No. 1. 13 



