Read Online The Eternal Adam and other stories by Jules Vernes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jules Vernes
Ads: Link
said the
doctor.
"No. It is the spurt caused by the
diminution of the weight, and not a ship in sight, not a bark on the horizon!
To the sea with our clothing!"
The unfortunates stripped themselves, but
the balloon continued to descend.
"Blanchard," said Jeffries,
"you should have made this voyage alone; you consented to take me; I will
sacrifice myself! I am going to throw myself into the water, and the balloon,
relieved of my weight, will mount again."
"No. no! It is frightful!"
The balloon became less and less inflated,
and as it doubled up its concavity pressed the gas against the sides, and
hastened its downward course.
"Adieu, my friend," said the
doctor. "God preserve you!"
He was about to throw himself over, when
Blanchard held him back.
"There is one more chance," said
he. "We can cut the cords which hold the car, and cling to the net!
Perhaps the balloon will rise. Let us hold ourselves ready. But – the barometer
is going down! The wind is freshening! We are saved!"
‘The aeronauts perceived Calais. Their joy
was delirious. A few moments more, and they had fallen in the forest of Guines.
I do not doubt,’ added the unknown, ‘that, under similar circumstances, you
would have followed Doctor Jeffries’ example!’
The clouds rolled in glittering masses
beneath us. The balloon threw large shadows on this heap of clouds, and was
surrounded as by an aureola. The thunder rumbled below the car. All this was
terrifying.
‘Let us descend!’ I cried.
‘Descend, when the sun is up there,
waiting for us? Out with more bags!’
And more than fifty pounds of ballast were
cast over.
At a height of 3,500 yards we remained
stationary.
The unknown talked unceasingly. I was in a
state of complete prostration, while he seemed to be in his element.
‘With a good wind, we shall go far,’ he
cried. ‘In the Antilles there are currents of air which have a speed of a
hundred leagues an hour. When Napoleon was crowned, Garnerin sent up a balloon
with coloured lamps, at eleven o’clock at night. The wind was blowing
north-north-west. The next morning, at daybreak, the inhabitants of Rome
greeted its passage over the dome of St Peter’s. We shall go farther and
higher!’
I scarcely heard him. Everything whirled around
me. An opening appeared in the clouds.
‘See that city,’ said the unknown. ‘It is
Spires!’
I leaned over the car and perceived a small
blackish mass. It was Spires. The Rhine, which is so large, seemed an unrolled
ribbon. The sky was a deep blue over our heads. The birds had long abandoned
us, for in that rarefied air they could not have flown. We were alone in space,
and I in presence of this unknown!
‘It is useless for you to know whither I am
leading you,’ he said, as he threw the compass among the clouds. ‘Ah! a fall is
a grand thing! You know that but few victims of ballooning are to be reckoned,
from Pilatre des Rosiers to Lieutenant Gale, and that the accidents have always
been the result of imprudence. Pilatre des Rosiers set out with Romain of
Boulogne, on the 13th of June, 1785. To his gas balloon he had affixed a
Montgolfier apparatus of hot air, so as to dispense, no doubt, with the
necessity of losing gas or throwing out ballast. It was putting a torch under a
powder-barrel. When they had ascended 400 yards, and were taken by opposing
winds, they were driven over the open sea. Pilatre, in order to descend,
essayed to open the valve, but the valve-cord became entangled in the balloon,
and tore it so badly that it became empty in an instant. It fell upon the
Montgolfier apparatus, overturned it, and dragged down the unfortunates, who
were soon shattered to pieces! It is frightful, is it not?’
I could only reply, ‘For pity’s sake, let
us descend!’
The clouds gathered around us on every
side, and dreadful detonations, which reverberated in the cavity of the
balloon, took place beneath us.
‘You provoke me,’ cried the unknown, ‘and
you shall no longer
doctor.
"No. It is the spurt caused by the
diminution of the weight, and not a ship in sight, not a bark on the horizon!
To the sea with our clothing!"
The unfortunates stripped themselves, but
the balloon continued to descend.
"Blanchard," said Jeffries,
"you should have made this voyage alone; you consented to take me; I will
sacrifice myself! I am going to throw myself into the water, and the balloon,
relieved of my weight, will mount again."
"No. no! It is frightful!"
The balloon became less and less inflated,
and as it doubled up its concavity pressed the gas against the sides, and
hastened its downward course.
"Adieu, my friend," said the
doctor. "God preserve you!"
He was about to throw himself over, when
Blanchard held him back.
"There is one more chance," said
he. "We can cut the cords which hold the car, and cling to the net!
Perhaps the balloon will rise. Let us hold ourselves ready. But – the barometer
is going down! The wind is freshening! We are saved!"
‘The aeronauts perceived Calais. Their joy
was delirious. A few moments more, and they had fallen in the forest of Guines.
I do not doubt,’ added the unknown, ‘that, under similar circumstances, you
would have followed Doctor Jeffries’ example!’
The clouds rolled in glittering masses
beneath us. The balloon threw large shadows on this heap of clouds, and was
surrounded as by an aureola. The thunder rumbled below the car. All this was
terrifying.
‘Let us descend!’ I cried.
‘Descend, when the sun is up there,
waiting for us? Out with more bags!’
And more than fifty pounds of ballast were
cast over.
At a height of 3,500 yards we remained
stationary.
The unknown talked unceasingly. I was in a
state of complete prostration, while he seemed to be in his element.
‘With a good wind, we shall go far,’ he
cried. ‘In the Antilles there are currents of air which have a speed of a
hundred leagues an hour. When Napoleon was crowned, Garnerin sent up a balloon
with coloured lamps, at eleven o’clock at night. The wind was blowing
north-north-west. The next morning, at daybreak, the inhabitants of Rome
greeted its passage over the dome of St Peter’s. We shall go farther and
higher!’
I scarcely heard him. Everything whirled around
me. An opening appeared in the clouds.
‘See that city,’ said the unknown. ‘It is
Spires!’
I leaned over the car and perceived a small
blackish mass. It was Spires. The Rhine, which is so large, seemed an unrolled
ribbon. The sky was a deep blue over our heads. The birds had long abandoned
us, for in that rarefied air they could not have flown. We were alone in space,
and I in presence of this unknown!
‘It is useless for you to know whither I am
leading you,’ he said, as he threw the compass among the clouds. ‘Ah! a fall is
a grand thing! You know that but few victims of ballooning are to be reckoned,
from Pilatre des Rosiers to Lieutenant Gale, and that the accidents have always
been the result of imprudence. Pilatre des Rosiers set out with Romain of
Boulogne, on the 13th of June, 1785. To his gas balloon he had affixed a
Montgolfier apparatus of hot air, so as to dispense, no doubt, with the
necessity of losing gas or throwing out ballast. It was putting a torch under a
powder-barrel. When they had ascended 400 yards, and were taken by opposing
winds, they were driven over the open sea. Pilatre, in order to descend,
essayed to open the valve, but the valve-cord became entangled in the balloon,
and tore it so badly that it became empty in an instant. It fell upon the
Montgolfier apparatus, overturned it, and dragged down the unfortunates, who
were soon shattered to pieces! It is frightful, is it not?’
I could only reply, ‘For pity’s sake, let
us descend!’
The clouds gathered around us on every
side, and dreadful detonations, which reverberated in the cavity of the
balloon, took place beneath us.
‘You provoke me,’ cried the unknown, ‘and
you shall no longer
Similar Books
