“On the 22nd October, 1797,” says the astronomer Lalande, “at
twenty-eight minutes past five, Citizen Garnerin rose in a balloon from
the park of Monceau. Silence reigned in the assembly, anxiety and fear
being painted on the visages of all. When he had ascended upwards of
2,000 feet, he cut the cord that connected his parachute and car
with the balloon. The latter exploded, and Garnerin descended in his
parachute very rapidly. He made a dreadful lurch in the air, that forced
a sudden cry of fear from the whole multitude, and made a number of
women faint. Meanwhile Citizen Garnerin descended into the plain of
Monceau; he mounted his horse upon the spot, and rode back to the park,
attended by an immense multitude, who gave vent to their admiration for
the skill and talent of the young aeronaut. Garnerin was the first to
undertake this most daring and dangerous venture. He had conceived the
idea of this feat while lying a prisoner of state in Buda, Hungary.”
Lalande adds that he went and announced his success at the Institute
National, which was assembled at the time, and which listened to him
with the greatest interest.
Robertson conducted an experiment of descending by means of a parachute
at Vienna, in 1804, in which he received all the glory, without
partaking of any of the danger. He made the public preparations for an
ascent in the balloon, his pupil, Michaud, however, took his place in
the car, and made the ascent.
Robertson says that on this occasion he yielded to the entreaties of a
young man who was his pupil, and had begged to be allowed to make his
debut before such a great multitude. In this case a slight improvement
was made in the parachute. The car was surrounded by a cloth of silk,
which, when the aeronaut cut himself away from the balloon, spread
itself out in such a way as to form a second parachute.
Robertson made all the preparations, and Michaud had no more to do than
place himself in the car. Loud applause arose on all sides. Michaud
had ascended 900 feet above the earth when the signal for his cutting
himself clear of the balloon was given, by the firing of a cannon. He
at once cut the two strings, and the balloon soared away into the upper
regions, whilst he was left for one terrible moment to fate. The fall
was at first rapid, but the two parachutes soon opened themselves
simultaneously, and presented a majestic appearance. In a few seconds
the aeronaut had traversed the space that intervened between him and
the assembly, and found himself safely landed on the ground, at a short
distance from the place whence he had set out, while the whole air
was rent with shouts of applause. This experiment was deemed a most
extraordinary one. Compliments were showered upon Robertson from all
sides, and the court presented him with rich presents.
Balloons have always formed a prominent feature at the fetes of
Paris, for the celebration of the chief events of the Revolution, the
Consulate, and the Empire--the first of these epochs being that in which
these aerial vessels were held in highest esteem.
Jacques Garnerin had played a brilliant role as aeronaut under the
Directory, the Consulate, and the Empire; and it was he who after the
coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I., was charged with the raising of a
monster balloon, which was arranged to ascend, with the accompaniment of
fireworks, on the evening of the 16th of December, 1804.
An uncommon incident connected with this event serves to show us the
spirit of fatalism with which the character of Napoleon I. was infected.
“The Man of Destiny” believed in the destiny of man; he had faith in
his star alone; and from the height of his greatness the new ruler,
consecrated emperor and king by the Pope, beheld a presage of misfortune
in a chance circumstance, insignificant to all but himself, in the
experiment of which we are about to recount the history.
The fete given by the city of Paris to their majesties embraced the
whole town, from the Champs Elysees to the Barriere du Trone, on the
square of the Hotel de Ville. Upon the river throughout its length
between the Isle of St. Louis and the bridge of Notre Dame, an immense
display of fireworks was to take place. The scene to be represented was
the passage of Mont St. Bernard. Garnerin was stationed with his balloon
in front of the gate of the church of Notre Dame. At eleven o’clock in
the evening, at the moment when the first discharge of fireworks made
the air luminous with a hundred thousand stars, Garnerin threw off his
immense balloon. The chief feature of it was the device of a crown,
designed in coloured lanterns arranged round the globe. It rose
splendidly, and with the most perfect success.
On the following morning the inhabitants of Rome were astounded to
behold advancing toward them from the horizon a luminous globe, which
threatened to descend upon their city. The excitement was intense.
The balloon passed the cupola of St. Peter’s and the Vatican; then
descending, it touched the ground, but rose again, and finally it sank
into the wafers of Lake Bracciano.
It was drawn from the water, and the following inscription, emblazoned
in letters of gold upon its vast circumference, was printed, published,
and read throughout the whole of Italy--“Paris, 25eme Primaire, an
XIII., couronnement de l’empereur Napoleon, 1er par S.S. Pie VII.”
In touching the earth, the balloon happened to strike against the tomb
of the Emperor Nero, and, owing to the concussion, a portion of the
crown was left upon this ancient monument. The Italian journals, which
were not so strictly under the supervision of the government as were the
journals of France, gave the full particulars of these minor events; and
certain of them, connecting the names of Nero and Napoleon, indulged in
malicious remarks at the expense of the French emperor. These facts
came to the ear of the great general, who manifested much indignation,
dismissed the innocent Garnerin from his post, and appointed Madame
Blanchard to the supervision of all the balloon ascents which took place
at the public fetes.
The balloon was preserved in the vaults of the Vatican in Rome,
accompanied with an inscription narrating its travels and wonderful
descent--minus the circumstance of the tomb. It was removed, as might be
supposed, in 1814. From this time the ascents of balloons took place
for the most part only on the occasions of coronations and other great
public fetes.