d of 13 miles an
hour, can remain fully inflated for 48 hours. One of the most sanguine,
as well as enterprising, imitators of Santos Dumont was a fellow
countryman, Auguste Severo. Of his machine during construction little
could be gathered, and still less seen, from the fact that the various
parts were being manufactured at different workshops, but it was known
to be of large size and to be fitted with powerful motors. This was an
ill-fated vessel. At an early hour on May 12th of this year, 1902, all
Paris was startled by a report that M. Severo and his assistant, M.
Sachet had been killed while making a trial excursion. It appears that
at daybreak it had been decided that the favourable moment for trial
had arrived. The machinery was got ready, and with little delay the air
vessel was dismissed and rose quietly and steadily into the calm sky.
The Daily Mail gives the following account of what ensued:--

"For the first few minutes all went well, and the motor seemed to be
working satisfactorily. The air ship answered the helm readily, and
admiring exclamations rose from the crowd.... But as the vessel rose
higher she was seen to fall off from the wind, while the aeronauts
could be seen vainly endeavouring to keep her head on. Then M. Severo
commenced throwing out ballast.... All this time the ship was gradually
soaring higher and higher until, just as it was over the Montparnasse
Cemetery, at the height of 2,000 feet, a sheet of flame was seen to
shoot up from one of the motors, and instantly the immense silk envelope
containing 9,000 cubic feet of hydrogen was enveloped in leaping tongues
of fire.... As soon as the flames came in contact with the gas a
tremendous explosion followed, and in an instant all that was left of
the air ship fell to the earth." Both aeronauts were dashed to pieces.
It was thought that the fatality was caused through faulty construction,
the escape valve for the gas being situated only about nine feet from
the motor. It was announced by Count de la Vaulx that during the summer
of 1901 he would attempt to cross the Mediterranean by a balloon,
provisioned for three weeks, maintaining communication with the
coast during his voyage by wireless telegraphy and other methods of
signalling. He was to make use of the "Herve Deviator," or steering
apparatus, which may be described as a series of cupshaped plates
dipping in the water at the end of a trail rope. By means of controlling
cords worked from