It rose to the height of a few inches from the ground, sank, and then rose again, sank once more, and so kept on rising and sinking and bobbing about, but alas! never exhibiting sufficient ascending power, to raise the hamper even as high as their heads! Karl continued to feed the furnace with the chopped grass and poshm, but all to no purpose.

The air within was sufficiently heated to have raised it for miles--had they only been as low as the sea-level, and the balloon constructed of lighter materials.
As it was, all their efforts were in vain.

The gigantic globe could not be raised above six feet from the ground.

It had not power enough to carry up a cat--much less a man.

In short, it was a failure--one more added to the long list of their dark disappointments! For more than an hour Karl continued to keep his fire ablaze.