PARACHUTE, an instrument more or less resembling a large umbrella, which by the resistance it offers to the air enables a person or an object attached to it to descend safely from a balloon or flying machine in the air. In 1783 Sebastien Lenormand practically demonstrated the efficiency of a parachute by de scending from the tower of Montpellier observatory; but he merely regarded it as a useful means whereby to escape from fire. To J. P. Blanchard (1753-1809) is due the idea of using it as an adjunct to the balloon. As early as 1785 he had con structed a parachute to which was attached a basket. In this he placed a dog, which descended safely to the ground when the parachute was released from a balloon at a considerable eleva tion. It is stated that he descended himself from a balloon in a parachute in 1793; but, owing to some defect in its construction he fell too rapidly, and broke his leg.
The First Parachute Descent from a Balloon.—Andre Jacques Garnerin (1769-1823) was the first person who success fully descended from a balloon in a parachute, and he repeated this experiment so often that he may be said to have first dem onstrated the practicability of using the machine. His first pub lic experiment was made on Oct. 22, 1797. He ascended from the park of Monceau, at Paris, and at the height of 2,236 feet he re leased the parachute, which was attached to the balloon in place of a car; the balloon, relieved suddenly of so great a weight rose very rapidly till it burst, while the parachute descended very fast, making violent oscilla tions all the way. Garnerin, how ever, reached the earth in safety.
He repeated his parachute experi ment in England on Sept. 21, 1802. The parachute was dome shaped, and bore a resemblance to a large umbrella. The case or dome was made of white canvas, and was 23 ft. in diameter. At the top was a truck or round piece of wood io in. in diameter, with a hole in its centre, fastened to the canvas by 32 short pieces of tape. The parachute was suspended from a hoop at tached to the netting of the balloon, and below it was placed a cylindrical basket, 4 ft. high and 23 ft. in diameter, which con
tained the aeronaut. The ascent took place at about six o'clock from North Audley street, London; and at a height of about (it is believed) 8,000 ft. Garnerin separated the parachute from the balloon. He was hurt a little by the violence with which the basket containing him struck the earth; but a few cuts and a slight nausea represented all the ill effects of his fall. A few years later, Jordaki Kuparento, a Polish aeronaut, made real use of a parachute. He ascended from Warsaw on July 24, 1808, in a fire-balloon, which, at a considerable elevation, took fire, hut he was able to effect his descent in safety by means of his parachute.
The next experiment made with a parachute resulted in the death of Robert Cocking. The great defect of Garnerin's um brella-shaped parachute had been its violent oscillation during descent, and Cocking considered that if the parachute were made of a conical form (vertex down wards) the whole of this oscilla tion would be avoided; and if it were made of sufficient size there would be resistance sufficient to check too rapid a descent. He therefore constructed a parachute on this principle, the radius of which at its widest part was about 17 feet. On July 24, 1837, Cocking rose in the Nassau balloon from Vauxhall Gardens, London, hoping to reach a height of 8,000 ft.; but when the balloon reached 5,000 ft. it was found to be impossible to ascend to the requisite height if the parachute was to descend in daylight. Cocking accordingly let slip the catch which was to liberate him from the balloon. The parachute for a few seconds descended very rapidly, but still evenly, until suddenly the upper rim seemed to give way and the whole apparatus collapsed (taking a form resembling an umbrella turned inside out, and nearly closed), and the machine descended with great rapidity, oscillat ing very much. When about 200 or 30o ft. from the ground the basket became disengaged from the remnant of the parachUte, and Cocking was found in a field at Lee, dashed to pieces.