The balloon is filled with a gas that is much lighter than the air is around it. This makes it so light that it flies up in the air very rapidly, and to a great height; and if the balloon is very large, it can carry up a person, or even two or three persons, in a sort of car or boat attached to it, as represented on the following page.
The car is attached to the balloon in this way: A netting covers the balloon, and the cords that hold the car are fastened to this netting. It would not do, you know, to fasten them to the balloon itself, for that is made of such light material that the cords would tear out with the slightest pull upon them.
How the balloon is made to come down.
How the balloon is prevented from going down too fast.
The parachute.
How do you think the person in this car manages when he wants to come down? So long as all the light gas remains in the balloon, it will stay up in the air. So, when he wants to come down, he lets out some of this gas. He does this very carefully; for, if he lets out too much, he will go down too fast. Sometimes he will go down too fast in spite of all his care. He is prepared for this, however, in two ways. There are sand-bags in the car, which he can throw out when the balloon is falling too fast. This makes the car so much lighter that it commonly relieves the difficulty; but if it does not, he can use the parachute. This is a sort of umbrella, made very large and very strong. It is represented here both as shut and as opened. You can see how the resistance of the air against this when open would make him go down much slower than he would go without his parachute.
The danger of going up in balloons.
A great escape.