LONG AGO STORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1934, Page 21 (Supplement)

LONG AGO STORIES

Robert was fifteen when, in a state of breathless excitement, he went to Vauxhall Gardens and pushed his way into the office of the young gentleman in charge of the great balloon which was being exhibited. The crowd round the balloon was immense. Rich, poor, young and old men elbowed each other to get a good view. “Please, sir!” cried Robert. “I hear that you and two other gentlemen are going up in the balloon and require your parachutes tested. I’ll test them if you’ll take me with you when you go. “I suppose you know that we may come down in the sea?” asked the very elegant young gentleman, who was smoking a cigar. “And if we get caught in a gale we shall be driven at such a pace that even if we let out gas in order to come down we shall only be smashed to pieces.

“I realise that,” replied Robert, “But the parachutes might save you.” It was the year 1836, and the world had gone balloon mad. All over France and England young men were trying to conquer the air in balloons, and all day and most of the night Robert wondered whether it would be possible to fix a sort of steering wheel to a balloon and so direct it. Having no money to try experiments, his only hope was to work for the young men who could afford to make these wonderful things, and he had no fear.

Next day, Robert went up in a balloon which was held captive by great ropes, then he stepped out of the little car underneath, and, holding a parachute, he came down to earth like a leaf in

the wind. He felt very sick, his knees trembled, his eyes smarted, but he tested the three parachutes for the three young gentlemen, and did not mind at all that there was not one for himself.

The day they started bn their voyage was like a public holiday. Thousands of people collected to see them off. The balloon was blown out with gas, and in the little swinging car beneath it sat the three young gentlemen aad Robert, close together, with some provisions dumped down beside them. There was cheering when the balloon was released, and up it went, free, but at the mercy of the air. Swinging in their little basket, Robert and the three others laughed and joked, but when, after a few hours, they saw the North Sea beneath them they grew silent. When night fell they had no idea where they were, and the silence was dreadful. They ate some food while the balloon went calmly on, and were thankful to see the sun rls *ln the morning they looked down upon a Strange country. “We have been eighteen hours in the air,” said Robert proudly. “We’ll let out the gas and come down In that plain,” said rne of the others. They came down so slowly that hundreds of people were able to collect, and the excitement was tremendous. Soon all Europe was ringing with the news that four Englishmen had travelled In a balloon to Germany!