He put together a frame using aluminum and wire, then covered it with golden fireworks to create a ladder rising over a thousand feet high. After that, he attached the top to a huge helium balloon and allowed it to slowly lift into the sky. You see, he had been trying to build this ladder for years, and every time he failed, his grandmother encouraged him, but now that she was close to dying, he realized he had to try one final time. He ignited the fuse, letting the flames travel along the wires