Read Online The Eternal Adam and other stories by Jules Vernes - Free Book Online
Authors: Jules Vernes
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services to the world in this art, if God granted me life. But that
will not be!’
‘Why?’
‘Because my name is Empedocles, or
Erostratus.’
Meanwhile, the balloon was happily
approaching the earth; but when one is falling, the danger is as great at a
hundred feet as at 5,000.
‘Do you recall the battle of Fleurus?’
resumed my companion, whose face became more and more animated. ‘It was at that
battle that Contello, by order of the Government, organised a company of
balloonists. At the siege of Manbenge General Jourdan derived so much service
from this new method of observation that Contello ascended twice a day with the
general himself. The communications between the aeronaut and his agents who
held the balloon were made by means of small white, red, and yellow flags.
Often the gun and cannon shot were directed upon the balloon when he ascended,
but without result. When General Jourdan was preparing to invest Charleroi,
Contello went into the vicinity, ascended from the plain of Jumet, and continued
his observations for seven or eight hours with General Morlot, and this no
doubt aided in giving us the victory of Fleurus. General Jourdan publicly
acknowledged the help which the aeronautical observations had afforded him.
Well, despite the services rendered on that occasion and during the Belgian
campaign, the year which had seen the beginning of the military career of
balloons saw also its end. The school of Meudon, founded by the Government, was
closed by Buonaparte on his return from Egypt. And now, what can you expect
from the new-born infant? as Franklin said. The infant was born alive; it
should not be stifled!’
The unknown bowed his head in his hands,
and reflected for some moments; then raising his head, he said, —
‘Despite my prohibition, monsieur, you have
opened the valve.’
I dropped the cord.
‘Happily,’ he resumed, ‘we have still 300
pounds of ballast.’
‘What is your purpose?’ said I.
‘Have you ever crossed the seas?’ he asked.
I turned pale.
‘It is unfortunate,’ he went on, ‘that we
are being driven towards the Adriatic. That is only a stream; but higher up we
may find other currents.’
And, without taking any notice of me, he
threw over several bags of sand; then, in a menacing voice, he said, —
‘I let you open the valve because the
expansion of the gas threatened to burst the balloon; but do not do it again!’
Then he went on as follows:—
‘You remember the voyage of Blanchard and
Jeffries from Dover to Calais? It was magnificent! On the 7th of January, 1785,
there being a north-west wind, their balloon was inflated with gas on the Dover
coast. A mistake of equilibrium, just as they were ascending, forced them to
throw out their ballast so that they might not go down again, and they only
kept thirty pounds. It was too little: for, as the wind did not freshen, they
only advanced very slowly towards the French coast. Besides, the permeability
of the tissue served to reduce the inflation little by little, and in an hour
and a half the aeronauts perceived that they were descending.
"What shall we do?" said
Jeffries.
"We are only one quarter of the way
over," replied Blanchard, "and very low down. On rising, we shall
perhaps meet more favourable winds."
"Let us throw out the rest of the
sand."
‘The balloon acquired some ascending force,
but itsoon began to descend again. Towards the middle of the transit the
aeronauts threw over their books and tools. A quarter of an hour after,
Blanchard said to Jeffries: —
"The barometer?"
"It is going up! We are lost, and yet
there is the French coast."
A loud noise was heard.
"Has the balloon burst?" asked
Jeffries.
"No. The loss of the gas has reduced
the inflation of the lower part of the balloon. But we are still descending. We
are lost! Out with everything useless!"
‘Provisions, oars, and rudder were thrown
into the sea. The aeronauts were only one hundred yards high.
"We are going up again,"
will not be!’
‘Why?’
‘Because my name is Empedocles, or
Erostratus.’
Meanwhile, the balloon was happily
approaching the earth; but when one is falling, the danger is as great at a
hundred feet as at 5,000.
‘Do you recall the battle of Fleurus?’
resumed my companion, whose face became more and more animated. ‘It was at that
battle that Contello, by order of the Government, organised a company of
balloonists. At the siege of Manbenge General Jourdan derived so much service
from this new method of observation that Contello ascended twice a day with the
general himself. The communications between the aeronaut and his agents who
held the balloon were made by means of small white, red, and yellow flags.
Often the gun and cannon shot were directed upon the balloon when he ascended,
but without result. When General Jourdan was preparing to invest Charleroi,
Contello went into the vicinity, ascended from the plain of Jumet, and continued
his observations for seven or eight hours with General Morlot, and this no
doubt aided in giving us the victory of Fleurus. General Jourdan publicly
acknowledged the help which the aeronautical observations had afforded him.
Well, despite the services rendered on that occasion and during the Belgian
campaign, the year which had seen the beginning of the military career of
balloons saw also its end. The school of Meudon, founded by the Government, was
closed by Buonaparte on his return from Egypt. And now, what can you expect
from the new-born infant? as Franklin said. The infant was born alive; it
should not be stifled!’
The unknown bowed his head in his hands,
and reflected for some moments; then raising his head, he said, —
‘Despite my prohibition, monsieur, you have
opened the valve.’
I dropped the cord.
‘Happily,’ he resumed, ‘we have still 300
pounds of ballast.’
‘What is your purpose?’ said I.
‘Have you ever crossed the seas?’ he asked.
I turned pale.
‘It is unfortunate,’ he went on, ‘that we
are being driven towards the Adriatic. That is only a stream; but higher up we
may find other currents.’
And, without taking any notice of me, he
threw over several bags of sand; then, in a menacing voice, he said, —
‘I let you open the valve because the
expansion of the gas threatened to burst the balloon; but do not do it again!’
Then he went on as follows:—
‘You remember the voyage of Blanchard and
Jeffries from Dover to Calais? It was magnificent! On the 7th of January, 1785,
there being a north-west wind, their balloon was inflated with gas on the Dover
coast. A mistake of equilibrium, just as they were ascending, forced them to
throw out their ballast so that they might not go down again, and they only
kept thirty pounds. It was too little: for, as the wind did not freshen, they
only advanced very slowly towards the French coast. Besides, the permeability
of the tissue served to reduce the inflation little by little, and in an hour
and a half the aeronauts perceived that they were descending.
"What shall we do?" said
Jeffries.
"We are only one quarter of the way
over," replied Blanchard, "and very low down. On rising, we shall
perhaps meet more favourable winds."
"Let us throw out the rest of the
sand."
‘The balloon acquired some ascending force,
but itsoon began to descend again. Towards the middle of the transit the
aeronauts threw over their books and tools. A quarter of an hour after,
Blanchard said to Jeffries: —
"The barometer?"
"It is going up! We are lost, and yet
there is the French coast."
A loud noise was heard.
"Has the balloon burst?" asked
Jeffries.
"No. The loss of the gas has reduced
the inflation of the lower part of the balloon. But we are still descending. We
are lost! Out with everything useless!"
‘Provisions, oars, and rudder were thrown
into the sea. The aeronauts were only one hundred yards high.
"We are going up again,"
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