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Home arrow Famous People arrow Link Free or Die arrow First Balloon Over NH
First Balloon Over NH Print E-mail
Written by James Garvin   

Hot air balloon
FAMOUS PEOPLE
Jean-Pierre Blanchard, 1796

He was first to cross the English Channel in a hot air balloon. He was first to successfully parachute to the ground. But when he took his balloon aloft in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1796, a jealous local newspaper suggested his invention was only good for scaring cats.


On the cold afternoon of February 18, 1796, the winter calm that muffled the streets of Portsmouth was broken by the roll of drums and the piping of fifes. Instantly, a certain restlessness that had pervaded the seaport all morning was transformed into excitement. The martial music was a signal that this day would see the success or failure of French balloonists Jean-Pierre Blanchard’s "Aerostatic Experiment" – an exhibition of a sort that few New Hampshire citizens had ever witnessed, and that few would ever see again.

Jean PIerre BlanchardAs the town clock approached the hour of three, crowds began to gather at every vantage point. Already the balloon was being filled in the enclosed garden behind the Portsmouth Assembly House on Vaughan Street. Those who could afford a dollar each for tickets were admitted to the garden, where they could get a better view of the immense flying apparatus. The balloon, fabricated from some 150 yards of silk taffeta, had inflated to a height of 23 feet and a diameter of 17. It held 2573 cubic feet of a mysterious "aerial fluid" that caused it to tug at its tethers like a living thing.

Beneath the great globe hung a large umbrella-like device decorated to resemble a red, white, and blue French liberty cap. This was the famous parachute, a new invention whose amazing ability to retard the fall of an airborne object had been conclusively demonstrated by the very aeronaut who was now in Portsmouth. Below the parachute swung the "car" of the balloon, a wicker basket destined to carry "several living quadrupeds"—probably recruited from Portsmouth’s back alleys—high into the ether.

Jean Pierre Blanchard in NHSoon a hushed multitude of thousands listened anxiously for the strike of the town clock in the North Church steeple. Many stood within the assembly house courtyard, but most crowded the streets or gazed from the roof scuttles of private homes, expectantly searching the skyline in the direction of Vaughan Street. Suddenly they saw it; a majestic sphere, as tall as the average house, rose swiftly, irresistibly and in perfect silence toward the heavens. As the great form cleared the rooftops, the fluted surface of the balloon, the partially folded parachute and the small basketwork car were all silhouetted against a clear sky. Gasps of awe and admiration escaped the crowd and delighted huzzas filled the crisp air.

But the experiment had not yet ended. As the aerostatic machine climbed higher, a slow fuse was burning above the parachute. Suddenly, as a seemingly immense altitude, a charge exploded. The balloon shot upward, freed of its burden, and the parachute and car dropped toward the earth. The parachute blossomed into a huge tri-colored umbrella, drifting slowly in the almost imperceptible breeze. No longer counterbalanced, the balloon overturned, spilled it "aerial fluid" and fell in a majestic parabolic curve. Descending lazily, the parachute safely returned the car and its living cargo to the earth.

The New Hampshire Gazette, which had been favored with most of Blanchard’s advance advertising, estimated Blanchard’s audience at nearly 3,000 "who appeared very well satisfied at this sight, the first of the kind ever seen in this State."

STORY CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE


 

Calendar
Little Engine That Could
July 4 - 6, 2008
LINCOLN -- Hi everyone!! We are trying to get the word out that the Little Engine That Could will be at the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, NH on July 4,5 & 6, 2008. People can purchase tickets right online at our website. The train is a full-sized repli...

Art in Nature
July 4 - 10, 2008
RYE, NH -- Celebrate art, nature and science during this week-long event. We will explore inspiring and creative ways of connecting to the environment through hands-on workshops, programs and activities for all ages. You can learn about organic sculptur...

Zoo Farm
July 5 - 6, 2008
CANDIA -- Enjoy all day zoo admission; unlimited pony, tractor and horse-drawn hay. rides; and a bag of grain for each child. All for just $16.00 per person! So pack your lunch and spend the day with us at the farm. We look forward to seeing you! For...

Freedom Rocks
July 5, 2008
The Freedom Rocks Festival is one that truly incorporates a gamete of musical talent. Everything from metal bands, garage, funk, alternative, retro and classic rock perform on stage. Ranging music styles and artists come together to form a festival fill...

Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival
July 6, 2008
This 13th annual celebration of joyous creativity which Tommy Gallant helped initiate, has become a staple item on our summer menu. Don't miss this venue of jazz greats organized by UNH Jazz Master Dave Seiler.

Sammie Haynes
July 6, 2008
ROCHESTER -- The Governor's Inn presents a beautiful late afternoon in the garden (or under the patio in case of rain) Great food and drinks and company

HARVEY REID
July 6, 2008
SOUTH BERWICK -- Maine songwriter and stringed-instrument virtuoso Harvey Reid will appear in concert This is Harvey's only local concert this summer. It takes place outdoors in the beautiful garden at the historic Hamilton House in South Berwick, Maine...

Theatre Camp
July 7 - 11, 2008
KIDS THEATRE CAMP, July 7-11, 9 AM to 12 NOON, Ages 6-9 Now in its eighth year, this popular week-long camp features creative drama, movement, and visual arts activities, with a final performance at 6:30 PM on Friday, July 11. Limited to 14 campers. ...

PPAF Summer Theatre Academy begins
July 7, 2008
We believe that every child has an innate sense of creativity and imagination. Our Summer Theatre Academy is geared toward developing confidence and advancing performance skills so that every child can be a star. Students will not only learn theatrical ...

NHTP Teen Camp Starts
July 7, 2008
TEEN THEATRE CAMP, July 7-19, Ages 13-17 This intensive camp will focus on a theme from classic dramatic literature. (Teen Camp 2007 featured William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night). Participants will learn acting, directing and design skills along with...

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