The plainest Points, on which not only the Success of an Excursion, but the Lives of Aironauts may depend, are too frequently neglected, as unimportant and trivial.
CHAPTER LXVII.
THE PROCESS OF INFLATION.
Process of Inflation on the Day of Ascent, viz. on Thursday the 8th Sept. 1785.
Sect. 339. Art. 1.THREE cylindric wooden Vessels were sunk more than half their Depth into the Ground: two of them, each, 5 Feet Diameter, and 5 Feet high: the third, 8 Feet in Diameter, and 8 Feet high.
An oblong Hole, 4 Inches by 3, was made in each Vessel: and each Hole was furnished with a solid wooden Plug (made tapering) 6 Inches in Length: throu’ these the Vitriol was poured.
Besides which, there was an oblong Opening in each Vessel, large enough to admit a Workman, to distribute the Iron equally over the Bottom, and to pour in Buckets of Water: which Openings were well stopped, as soon as the Iron and Water were poured in.
As the vitriolic Acid is corrosive, burning the Skin or Cloaths; the following Precautions were taken.
An occasional moveable Tub was provided, 3 Feet high, and 3 wide: in the Center of whose Bottom was an oblong Aperture, equal to that in each of the Vessels: a corresponding Tin Tube, 6 Inches long, and narrowing to the Bottom, was nailed by its Border on the Inside of the occasional Tub; so as to go easily into any of the oblong Holes.