Up in the Clouds: Balloon Voyages

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Robert Michael Ballantyne. Up in the Clouds: Balloon Voyages

Chapter One. Balloon Voyages. Treats of Early Efforts to Fly, etcetera

Chapter Two. The First Balloons

Chapter Three. Early Attempts at Aerial Navigation

Chapter Four. The first Aerial Voyages made in Great Britain—Succeeding Ascents

Chapter Five. Parachutes

Chapter Six. Ascents by Messrs Glaisher and Coxwell

Chapter Seven. Account of Nadar’s Balloon, “Le Géant.” First Ascent

Chapter Eight. Second Ascent of Nadar’s “Giant” Balloon

Chapter Nine. War-Balloons

Chapter Ten. Aerial Locomotives, etcetera

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The germ of the invention of the balloon lies in the discovery of Mr Cavendish, made in 1766, that hydrogen gas, called inflammable air, is at least seven times lighter than atmospheric air. Founding on this fact, Dr Black of Edinburgh proved by experiment that a very thin bag, filled with this gas, would rise to the ceiling of a room.

In Dr Thomson’s History of Chemistry, an anecdote, related by Mr Benjamin Bell, refers to this as follows:—

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Delighted with their success, the indefatigable brothers resolved to make further experiment on a larger scale. They procured a quantity of packcloth or coarse linen, formed it into a globe about ninety feet in circumference, lined it with paper, and lighted a fire under it in an iron choffer. This balloon went up with a force which they estimated as equivalent to 500 pounds.

After this the Montgolfiers appeared to have become ambitious of accomplishing greater things, and giving to their discoveries publicity; for we are told that, “they invited the members of the provincial meeting of the states of the Vivarais, then assembled at Annonay, to witness the first public aerial ascent. On the 5th June 1783, amidst a very large concourse of spectators, the spherical bag or balloon, consisting of different pieces of linen, merely buttoned together, was suspended from cross poles. Two men kindled a fire under it, and kept feeding the flame with small bundles of chopped straw. The loose bag gradually swelled, assuming a graceful form, and in the space of five minutes it was completely distended, and made such an effort to escape that eight men were required to hold it down.

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