SCIENTIFIC BALLOONING. 1 



By Rev. John M. Bacon. 



The story runs that early in the eighties of last century two young 

 gentlemen in Paris were trying to make a paper bag float in the air by 

 tilling it with smoke, in which attempt they met with extremely limited 

 success. Kindling light fuel in a tin plate and holding the bag above, 

 the latter became distended and bouyant until removed from the flame, 

 when it promptly collapsed. This experiment, however, was witnessed 

 by their housekeeper, who coming into the room at the moment, naively 

 asked the young philosophers why they did not tie the tin on at the 

 bottom. 



That old lady deserved undying fame. Her idea it was that launched 

 the first balloon into space; yet her name is lost to history. Such is 

 the way of fate. Columbus discovered America, yet the name of the 

 new world was borrowed from a man who remained at home and wrote 

 a book. Anyway, it is a fact that the Mongolfiers are credited with 

 the invention of the hot air balloon, and to their perseverance certainly 

 is due the first successful step in aeronautics. 



A machine to float in the air was from this time an accomplished fact. 

 The world was electrified. No sooner had the first adventurers reached 

 the clouds than everyone indulged in extravagant speculations as to 

 the wealth of new knowledge that was thought to be brought within 

 reach. A new kingdom had been discovered, boundless and unfath- 

 omed, and heaven itself had been almost taken by storm. Man had 

 yet to be taught that he could penetrate but a very little way into 

 these new realms and live, and that he was powerless even to guide his 

 course. A few stubborn facts were learned, a few brave lives were 

 lost, and then soon some sort of scientific and systematic investigation 

 was set on foot. 



In the first years of the present century the Emperor of Russia bade 

 one Professor Robertson to go up and determine many things. He 

 was to discover how the magnetic needle behaved at a great height; 

 how much electric matter existed there; how a prism would act; how 

 a bird would fly; with many other such inquiries, which, however, led 

 to no results of value. 



'Reprinted from th } Contemporary Review, December, 1898, by permission of 

 Leonard Scott Publication Company. 



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