Mannering looked very different out of uniform and wearing a cap and if it had not been for him being outside the warehouse they could well have walked straight past him.
‘Henry, Tom, good to see you,’ greeted Mannering. ‘I have it in here.’ He swung open the double wooden doors and before them, spread out on the floor illuminated by shafts of sunlight was the dark gray wrinkled balloon, enclosed in rope webbing. At its lower end was a heavy metal hoop and from that attached by ropes stood a stout wicker basket.
‘Amazing,’ breathed Tom. ‘What is its construction?’
‘I am told it is made from cotton and painted with Indian rubber and varnish,’ said Mannering as he bent and grasped some of the fabric. ‘From my inspection it appears to be in good condition, though there are some places where repairs will be needed prior to any inflation. It was designed to pack within the basket and was therefore easy to transport.’
‘What was used to inflate and provide lift? The aperture indicates something other than hot air?’ quizzed Tom.
‘During the Siege of Paris during the Prussian War, over sixty balloons were manufactured by the besieged French and flown over a four month period carrying messages. The balloons were filled with coal gas. While most only needed to travel as far as friendly territory, one travelled over 900 miles to Norway during a storm!’ Mannering informed them. ‘I understand, it is possible to access coal gas here from the pipes of the city lighting system.’
Over the next few hours the three men inspected the fabric with care, examining the inlet flange and the valve that allowed the gas to be released in order to allow a controlled descent. With his eye for detail and process Tom identified that a new flange would need to be manufactured to allow a linkage between the balloon and any city gas pipe. During this time Henry’s mind was working and he finally came to a conclusion.
‘Mannering, do you mind if I take Tom outside for a few minutes, I have something I wish to discuss with him.’
Mannering nodded his assent and Henry and Tom went outside.
‘What do you think Tom?’
‘What I think was that your mind has gone into overdrive, so how about you tell me what you are thinking and I will put my thoughts in response to that,’ Tom countered.
‘As my rope walking career is at an end I am thinking this might present a new opportunity, people are just as interested in aeronauts as they are in rope walkers. Maybe this was a gift from heaven, so to speak. I am thinking we should offer to buy it from Mannering,’ stated Henry.
‘From a technical viewpoint the balloon seems in good condition. How to fill it with gas may present some challenges and also how to fly it. There is also the matter of making it pay for itself. I can see that technically it will likely work, but as you know, I rely and trust your judgment in relation drawing the crowds. So, if you are willing, then so am I!’ said Tom.
‘We need to decide on a price,’ said Henry.
‘I would have no idea!’ responded Tom. It could be worth ten pounds or it could be worth 500.’
‘Lets start with a lower offer and see were it takes us. Agreed?’
Henry slapped Tom on the back with delight and with a cock of his head indicating they should talk to Mannering, headed back inside the barn.
‘Tom and I have a proposition for you,’ he began. ‘We would like to buy it from you as the notion of aeronautics has captured my imagination. What I propose is a two-stage purchase. The first is a payment based on the assumption that the balloon will, after repairs, inflate and hold gas. The second payment will be made on proof of this at its first test. Does that appeal to you?’
‘It sounds a fair proposition. What prices where you considering,’ responded Mannering.
‘Given your foresight into its possible application here in Australia and that you have brought it to this country, I propose two payments of fifty pounds for each occasion.’
Mannering paused to contemplate the offer, not so much that he needed to decide if it was a good price, it was. He had only paid a tenth of that to the owner of the barn where it was discovered and it had cost nothing to bring home. Even the first payment would return him a handsome profit, but he contemplated a few moments more to make it seem that they were offering only just enough to cover the cost of its acquisition.
‘You drive a hard bargain Henry, but I am agreeable,’ responded Mannering as he extended his hand the two men sealed the deal with a handshake.
*
Over the next few days Tom busied himself making repairs to the fabric using information that Mannering had managed to gather while in France and probing the knowledge of the local India rubber supplier of for his ideas. He also arranged to have a connecting flange made based on measurements and sketches of the manifold on the balloon and the same from a typical gas outlet in the city.
Henry, meanwhile, announced the news of his new purchase to Ada, who received the news with a mix of apprehension and excitement.
‘Well Henry, you certainly do not do things halfheartedly, but what on earth do you intend to do with it?’
‘Why ascend in it of course my dear, to go aloft and see the world as few have ever seen it before. In fact after an initial test flight where I propose to float just above the rooftops, I then intend to have it tethered and then to take paying passengers skyward and charge them for the privilege! I also plan to explore its merits as a means of transport,’ he enthused.
A successful application to the Sydney City Council gave them use of the Exhibition Grounds for up to a week, in case bad weather delaying the flight. The site was deemed an excellent place to test the balloon as it provided ample space and was enclosed by fences and buildings. This would help facilitate sales of tickets to observers interested in watching the setting up and inflation process. Plus it had access to a gas outlet with the Australian Gas Light Company, who were contracted to supply sufficient coal gas to fill the balloon.