were the pilot, Captain Waterlow, and a passenger. The parachute
was suspended from the rigging of the Delta, and when a height of
about 2000 feet had been reached it was dropped over to the side
of the car. With the dirigible travelling at about 20 miles an
hour the major climbed over the car and seated himself in the
parachute. Then it became detached from the Delta and shot
downwards for about 200 feet at a terrific rate. For a moment
or two it was thought that the opening apparatus had failed to
work; but gradually the "umbrella" opened, and the gallant major
had a gentle descent for the rest of the distance.

This experiment was really made in order to prove the stability
of an air-ship after a comparatively great weight was suddenly
removed from it. Lord Edward Grosvenor, who is attached to the
Royal Flying Corps, was one of the eyewitnesses of the descent.
In speaking of it he said: "We all think highly of Major
Maitland's performance, which has shown how the difficulty of
lightening an air-ship after a long flight can be surmounted.
During a voyage of several hours a dirigible naturally loses gas,
and without some means of relieving her of weight she might have
to descend in a hostile country. Major Maitland has proved the
practicability of members of an air-ship's crew dropping to the
ground if the necessity arises."

A descent in a parachute has also been made from an aeroplane by
M. Pegoud, the daring French airman, of whom we speak later. A
certain Frenchman, M. Bonnet, had constructed a parachute which
was intended to be used by the pilot of an aeroplane if on any
occasion he got into difficulties. It had been tried in many
ways, but, unfortunately for the inventor, he could get no pilot