In July 1803, M. Garncrin made his thirty-third aerial excursion from Petersburgh, accompanied by Madame Garnerin, and his thirty-fifth from Moscow. During the latter, a huntsman, who spied him hovering over a wood, fired at him, which induced him to descend.
On the 7th of October, count Zambeccari, Dr Gras setti, and signor Pascal Andreoli, ascended from Bologna. As the filling of the balloon could not be completed be fore midnight, the count was desirous of postponing the attempt till the following day ; but his inclinations were obliged to yield to the clamour of the populace, who would not permit any delay. The balloon mounted with great velocity ; and in a short time reached an elevation where the count and Dr Grassetti were benumbed by the intense cold, and fell into a deep sleep. About half past two, they began to descend ; and signor Andrcoli, who still preserved his senses, observing the waves of the Adriatic dashing against the coast of Romagna, awakened his companions ; and in a few minutes the balloon was precipitated into the sea. The aeronauts, in the utmost consternation, threw out their ballast, and every thing else that could be disposed of ; on which it immediately re-ascended, and passed through clouds where their clothes were covered with hoar frost. At three o'clock it began to descend again, and a violent squall drove it across the Adriatic towards the coast of Istria. The car several times touched the waves ; and, during four or five hours, the aeronauts were on the surface of the sea, without any hope of being rescued from the terrors of their perilous situation. But at eight in the morning, at the distance of twenty Italian miles from the harbour of Veruda, in Istria, they were acci dentally delivered, by a vessel, from the fate that threat ened them.
Soon after this period, several aerial voyages were undertaken for purposes of scientific observation ; among which the ascent of professors Robertson and Sacharolf from Petersburgh, on the 30th June, merits particular notice. Their balloon was 30 feet in diameter, and con tained 9000 cubic feet of hydrogen gas. The whole apparatus, including ballast, instruments, and the aero nauts themselves, weighed about 725 pounds. A small balloon previously launched, was first driven from the coast, but on rising higher took its course towards the sea. Nevertheless, the aeronauts embarked a little past seven, P. M., and the balloon ascended slowly. On pass ing the Neva it sunk ; but by discharging part of their ballast, it again resumed its flight. A telescope had been fitted in the bottom of the car, to view distinctly the objects over which they passed ; and they employ ed a very light log, consisting of two sheets of paper suspended by a thread, to ascertain the rise and fall of the balloon, of which they found it a more sensible index than the barometer. In the course of the v(). age, t1). balloon turned round Sc venal times slow1i ; and dorm:; a perfect calm, which prevailed in some time, its mo tion was imperceptible. The aeronauts filled empty
vessels with air at different heights m the atmosphere At one time, they proposed to continue their voyage all night ; but, from their ignorance of their actual situation in the sky, and from total want of ballast, they were in duccd to descend. They landed accordingly, before eleven, without the smallest shock, 40 miles from Pe tersburgh. Professor Robertson ascended again Riga, in the same month, and in his do Lent threw oil: hooked anchors to secure the balloon, instead of trusting to the uncertain assistance of men at the place of des cent. He ascended also from Vienna in October. We avoid detailing the voyage which professor Robertson, along with Mr Lhourt, accomplished in 1803: because the phenomena, which are said to have attended that ex cursion, have not received confirmation from succeedbut observations.
In August 1804, count Zambeccari, accompanied b!, sig. Andrcoli, made another ascent from Bologna. They set out at ten in the morning ; and at one o'clock, when the aeronauts found themselves above Capo D'Argine, six Italian miles from Bologna, the balloon became in visible to the spectators. The count having then at tempted a descent, his anchor caught a tree, when a lamp in the car being overturned, from the oblique posi tion of the balloon, the spirit of wine, which it contained, took fire. The flames communicated with a vessel con taining 30 pounds of the same spirit, and as this immedi ately burst, the fire attacked the clothes of the aero nauts, which instantly called their whole attention to themselves. The count succeeded in extinguishing the flames which threatened him, and sig. Andreoli having escaped by sliding clown the anchor-rope, the balloon was thus lightened about 15.) pounds, and with the count alone sprung rapidly into the air, and soon disappeared among the clouds. In this situation of danger and alarm, it was by his great presence of mind and laborious ex ertions alone, that he was able to extinguish the fire in the car. He was now carried by a strong current to wards the Adriatic, and could very faintly distinguish the coast of Comachio. The balloon was soon afterwards precipitated into the sea, 25 Italian miles from the coast. The car, which was half-hurnt, sunk in the wa ter: and the count, then holding fast by the ropes of the balloon, was frequently up to the neck. Having fast ened one of them round his body, he remained in this comfortless and hopeless condition, when seven fishing boats came in sight at six in the evening. The crews of four, terrified at the strange appearance of the aero naut with the balloon floating over him, conceived it to be some large sea-monster, and fled ; but the rest less influenced by fear, than by curiosity, ventured to ap proach, and rescued the count, after he had been four hours in the water. The fishermen, preparing to take in the balloon, inadvertently cut the ropes below, on which it rose suddenly into the air, and was carried to wards the Turkish coast.