Cultivating a New Science — Barral
Jean-Augustine Barral devoted his career to the important task of improving agriculture in France, as a chemist and editor of the “Journal d’agriculture pratique.” Even after decades of increasing industrialization and urbanization, agriculture remained critical to sustaining economic growth in France at the end of the 19th century. Advances in chemistry, following the revolution in that field led by Lavoisier, identified the role of soil moisture and nutrients in supporting the productivity of crops. Barral compiled information on climate, nutrients in rainfall, the movement of water in the soil, and characteristics of different kinds of manure used as fertilizer. One study looked at the factors behind the success of an award-winning industrial farm in Masny, a community near the border with Brussels. Barral summarized his findings in terms of income and expense, both in terms of money and in terms of the nutrient budget for the soil.
In this long, distinguished career, one event stands out as particularly revealing of Barral’s true mettle. On June 29, 1850, Barral and Bixio launched themselves from the grounds of the Observatory of Paris intent on setting a new altitude record. This would be the first aeronautic expeditions for scientific discovery since the record-setting ascent by Biot and Gay-Lussac in 1804.At a height of 5000 meters a rip appeared in the bag, and the balloon and its passengers began a rapid descent. Facing almost certain death Barral and Bixio solemnly shook hands in a silent farewell. Then, they proceeded to throw overboard everything that they could lay their hands on — except their precious instruments — to lighten the balloon, but to no effect.
As gondola accelerated it fall, passing on its way down the objects that had just been jettisoned, the Barral and Bixio could do nothing more but wait for their inevitable end. By a stroke of luck the gondola crash landed in an orchard, and the small trees cushioned the impact enough so that both scientists survived unscathed. On freeing themselves from the wreckage, Barral turned to his companion and said, “Without doubt, Icarus must have been clumsy to have perished in his fall.” Bixio replied with similar bravado. However, the true measure of their sangfroid is the fact that Barral and Bixio made a second balloon ascent only two weeks later. This one proved to be more successful scientifically, if somewhat less exhilarating.
Jean-Augustine Barral is one of the 72 scientists and engineers named on the Eiffel Tower.
