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Ballooning: A History, 1782–1900 PDF

304 Pages·2010·48.943 MB·English
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BALLOONING ALSOBY S.L. KOTARANDJ.E. GESSLER The Steamboat Era: A History of Fulton’s Folly on American Rivers, 1807–1860 (McFarland, 2009) BALLOONING A History, 1782–1900 S.L. Kotar and J.E. Gessler McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA Kotar, S.L. Ballooning : a history, 1782–1900 / S.L. Kotar and J.E. Gessler. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-4941-5 softcover : 50# alkaline paper 1. Hot air balloons—History—19th century. 2. Ballooning—History—19th century. I. Gessler, J.E. II. Title. TL616.K68 2011 797.5'109034—dc22 2010040878 BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE ©2011S.L. Kotar and J.E. Gessler. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. On the cover: lithograph of a balloon over Paris on June 6, 1874 (Tissandier Collection, Library of Congress) Manufactured in the United States of America McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com To be a truly successful aeronaut, an individual had to have courage, skill, a craftsman’s knowledge and perhaps more than anything else, a burning desire to succeed. Part conjurer, part sportsman, the balloonist was involved in every aspect of the performance, always keeping one step ahead of the game. In that respect, it is not too far removed from being a baseball manager. With that in mind, we respectfully dedicate our book to Dorrel Norman Elvert “Whitey” Herzog, Baseball Hall of Fame 2010. We would like to express our appreciation to Brian Pearce of Red Jacket Press for scanning our illustrations. Table of Contents Preface 1 1. 1782—In the Beginning: A Voador, a Cock, a Duck and a Sheep 7 2. 1783—Monsters and Aeronauts 13 3. 1784—Big Ascensions 21 4. Rowing with Wings and Other Oddities 27 5. A Reservation for Hope 34 6. Don Quixote de la Manche 41 7. Destinies Played Out 47 8. Balloons at War 53 9. Playing Catch-up 58 10. The Sad Tale of Francis Barrett and the Great English Balloon 62 11. The Skies Belong to Garnerin 68 12. James Sadler and the Real Great English Balloon 76 13. The Women of Aerostation 80 14. (Mostly) Magnificent Balloon Ascensions: 1812–1819 89 15. For the World Is Green and I Have Touched the Sky 95 16. Candidates for Aeronautical Distinction 101 17. Mr. Harris and Miss Stocks: The Journey Unforeseen 108 18. The Aftermath and Beyond 115 19. The Case of the Pastry Cook and a Great Tragedy 121 20. An Astonishing Resurrection 126 21. Notwithstanding, Notwithstanding, Notwithstanding... 132 22. Ballooning in the Americas 141 23. The Europeans Continue to Make Headlines 152 24. American Barnstormers and E.A. Poe’s Great Hoax 156 25. All Balloons, Great and Small 166 26. More News from the Continent 175 27. “No Preventing Providence” 183 vii viii Table of Contents 28. “A Little Relief from the Ordinary Cares of Life” 189 29. Crossing the Atlantic—Or Not 198 30. Higher Than Anyone Had Gone Before 209 31. Great Plans, Tragedies and a Civil War 212 32. Civilian Ballooning During and After the Civil War 217 33. Of Songs, Circuses and “No-Goes” 226 34. The “Impossibility” of Aerial Navigation 236 35. News That Shocked the World 239 36. Seekers After the Philosopher’s Stone 246 37. “Paddy-Whacks” but “No Balloon Rackets!” 252 38. Flying Too High 259 39. “A Ridiculous ‘Flunk’” 264 Appendix: Glossary 273 Chapter Notes 275 Bibliography 289 Index 291 Preface We must speak of the ascent once more; It was the most beautiful. Instead of the struggle and violent sweeps which generally follow on cutting the ropes, its progress upward was calm and slow, and grand. As it rose the sun shone out, and a broad gleam of light fell upon its “gorgeous blazonry.” There was scarcely an idea of terror in its grand motion: it moved as if at the touch of an enchanter, like MILTON’S Palace, with its music, and its magic, and its multitude: “Anon, out of the earth, a fabric huge Rose like an exhalation, with the sound Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet.”1 In the beginning, we never dreamed how utterly compelling a story on aerostation could be. The concept started with one article from the early 1800s that described in vivid detail the ascension of a hot-air balloon. Curiosity piqued, we began searching the archives for more, never dreaming we would find a pathway to an immense phenomenon that con- sumed the people of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Tracing the roots of ballooning back through the pages of old, blurry and at times illegible newspaper print, the story quickly assumed a life of its own. We became enmeshed in the techniques of how balloons were constructed, the type of gas used; figuratively bump- ing shoulders with the multitudes assembled to watch the rise of a manmade globe; held our breath as the frail structure was blown against a chimney or carried out to sea. Seeking more in-depth knowledge, we studied the backgrounds of those who shared from the sky the very earliest glimpses of our world in miniature. French aeronauts were the first to challenge the realm of gods and winged creatures; in a time span nearly as fast as the flap of a wing, the awe and fascination spread to England, Italy, America and around the globe. With national pride nearly as great a driving force as wonder and adventure, each country claimed to have the bravest aeronauts, the largest aerostats, the fastest machines. Mankind literally rose to the challenge as they pushed beyond their limits. Some suc- ceeded in breaking newer and greater barriers. Some died horrible and tragic deaths, but others took their places. It did not take long for balloons to accompany armies in the field, those on the sidelines either lauding the new methods of reconnaissance and dropping incen- diary bombs on unsuspecting enemies or decrying the barbarism which quickly brought armed conflict to a new and dangerous level. Balloons and balloonists were present at peace conferences, performing their aerostatic arts as a respite for the royalty and nobility assembled to rewrite the regulations for post– 1

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