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TO
SIR JOSEPH BANKS
Passy,
Dec. 1, 1783. Dear Sir:-
In mine of yesterday I promised to give you an account of Messrs.
Charles & Robert's experiment, which was to have been made this
day, and at which I intended to be present. Being a little indisposed,
and the air cool, and the ground damp, I declined going into the
garden of the Tuileries, where the balloon was placed, not knowing
how long I might be obliged to wait there before it was ready to
depart, and chose to stay in my carriage near the statue of Louis
XV., from whence I could well see it rise, and have an extensive
view of the region of air through which, as the wind sat, it was
likely to pass. The morning was foggy, but about one o'clock the
air became tolerably clear, to the great satisfaction of the spectators,
who were infinite, notice having been given of the intended experiment
several days before in the papers, so that all Paris was out, either
about the Tuileries, on the quays and bridges, in the fields, the
streets, at the windows, or on the tops of houses, besides the inhabitants
of all the towns and villages of the environs. Never before was
a philosophical experiment so magnificently attended. Some guns
were fired to give notice that the departure of the balloon was
near, and a small one was discharged, which went to an amazing height,
there being but little wind to make it deviate from its perpendicular
course, and at length the sight of it was lost. Means were used,
I am told, to prevent the great balloon's rising so high as might
endanger its bursting. Several bags of sand were taken on board
before the cord that held it down was cut, and the whole weight
being then too much to be lifted, such a quantity was discharged
as to permit its rising slowly. Thus it would sooner arrive at that
region where it would be in equilibrio with the surrounding air,
and by discharging more sand afterwards, it might go higher if desired.
Between one and two o'clock, all eyes were gratified with seeing
it rise majestically from among the trees, and ascend gradually
above the buildings, a most beautiful spectacle. When it was about
two hundred feet high, the brave adventurers held out and waved
a little white pennant, on both sides their car, to salute the spectators,
who returned loud claps of applause. The wind was very little, so
that the object though moving to the northward, continued long in
view; and it was a great while before the admiring people began
to disperse. The persons embarked were Mr. Charles, professor of
experimental philosophy, and a zealous promoter of that science;
and one of the Messieurs Robert, the very ingenious constructors
of the machine. When it arrived at its height, which I suppose might
be three or four hundred toises, [A toise was a distance of about
2 meters] it appeared to have only horizontal motion. I had
a pocketglass, with which I followed it, till I lost sight
first of the men, then of the car, and when I last saw the balloon,
it appeared no bigger than a walnut. I write this at seven in the
evening. What became of them is not yet known here. I hope they
descended by daylight, so as to see and avoid falling among trees
or on houses, and that the experiment was completed without any
mischievous accident, which the novelty of it and the want of experience
might well occasion. I am the more anxious for the event, because
I am not well informed of the means provided for letting themselves
down, and the loss of these very ingenious men would not only be
a discouragement to the progress of the art, but be a sensible loss
to science and society.
I shall inclose one of the tickets of admission, on which the globe
was represented, as originally intended, but is altered by the pen
to show its real state when it went off. When the tickets were engraved
the car was to have been hung to the neck of the globe, as represented
by a little drawing I have made in the corner.
I suppose it may have been an apprehension of danger in straining
too much the balloon or tearing the silk, that induced the constructors
to throw a net over it, fixed to a hoop which went round its middle,
and to hang the car to that hoop.
Tuesday
morning, December 2d.-I am relieved from my anxiety by hearing
that the adventurers descended well near L'lsle Adam before sunset.
This place is near seven leagues from Paris. Had the wind blown
fresh they might have gone much farther.
If I receive any further particulars of importance, I shall communicate
them hereafter.
With
great esteem, I am, dear sir, your most obedient and most humble
servant,
B. FRANKLIN
P.S.
Tuesday evening.-Since writing the above I have received the
printed paper and the manuscript containing some particulars of
the experiment, which I enclose. I hear further that the travellers
had perfect command of their carriage, descending as they pleased
by letting some of the inflammable air escape, and rising again
by discharging some sand; that they descended over a field so low
as to talk with the labourers in passing, and mounted again to pass
a hill. The little balloon falling at Vincennes shows that mounting
higher it met with a current of air in a contrary direction, an
observation that may be of use to future aerial voyagers.
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