
4 0 c m
31cm
actual image size: 23cm x 32cm
Description
On 15th June, 1785, Pilatre de Rozier and Jules Romain attempted to cros the English Channel in a balloon of de Rozier's design, featuring a hydrogen-filled chamber above a compartment filled with hot air. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes after they took off from Boulogne, the hydrogen in the upper compartment caught fire, almost certainly ignited by a spark of static electricity. The horrified watching crowd saw the balloon and its occupants plummet to earth resulting in de Rozier and Romain becoming ballooning's first fatalities.
Image Details
Image Ref.
10304338
© Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library