The sun., 1903-12-09
AERODROME DID A FLIPFLOP.
LANGLEY'S FLYING MACHINE
AGAIN IN THE MUD.
Flew Horizontally for Twenty Yards.
Then Turned Its Nose Up. Turned
Over Completely and Went into the PO-
tOmac-Mr. Manley Had Bath with 1t.

tOniac-Mr. Manley Had Bath with 1t
WASHINGTON, Dec. s.-Prof. Langley 3
si1ty-foot man carrying aerodrome received
it's second test at 5 o'clock this afternoon
in the channel Of the Potomac River of
Arsenal Point. When propelled from the
launching carriage, with Mr.. Manley. Prof,
Langleys assistant, at the helm, the big
machine went on bee line for twenty
yards, then pointed it's nose upward, turned
completely over and dived head first into
the river.
Prof. Manley was rescued. The machine
is complete wreck, and two tugs tried
until dark to pull the remnants out of the
soft mud of the river bed, without success
The inventor says that an accident to the
launching gear was responsible for the
failure.
Ever since Prof. Langley learned from
the officials Of the Board Of Ordnance and
Eortifications Of the War Department that
another appropriation. in addition to that
of $4,000 already allotted for the con-
struction Of the machine, would not be
made until 1t was demonstrated that the
aerodrome could fly, the members Of the
expedition which spent last summer at
Whitewater, Va, where the machine went in
swimming and was wrecked, have been
making preparations for q test.
Yesterday everything was in readiness
for a trial, but Prof Manley, who was to
make the ascent in the machine, decided
that there was too much floating ice in the
river and that the wind was too cold. To-
day there was less ice and no wind. Owing
to the fact that the tugs did not appear on
h,,,r ha
what delayed in starting from the Eighth
street wharf, where the houseboat Buzzard
is tied up when not engaged in shooting
the aerodrome into space and the river
At o'clock, however, start was made,
the houseboat being towed by two tugs
and being conveyed by an assorted hot,lia
swift launch for ambulance purposes.
Among the invited guests were Gen. Wallace
F. Randolph, Chief of Artillery Major
McComb OF the Bureau Of Ordnance and
other Government officials. Two Govern,
ment Photographic. experts accompanied
the expedition to take pictures OF the aero
drome in flight
The aerodrome was assembled on the
way down the river. Prof. langley was
very sanguine OF successful test. just
before the launch of his invention he said
that the apparatus that had caused tho
unsuccessful test last summer. after three
months OF preparation, had been hxed'
and that everything was shipshape.
1t was nearly dark when Prof Manley
stepped into the avigator's car Of the
aerodrome. He was also sanguine OF sue
cess. but was without shoes and wore q
bulanoe boat were provided with blankets
and black bottle without q label. Another
launch contained several scientific men
and an assortment Of grappling irons;
Mr.. Manley shook hands with Prof.
langley, nodded his head to the man in
charge of the launching apparatus, and
pulled the lever controlling the propellers.
The motors struck fire in the semi-dark-
ness, the springs were released with "phud
that could be heard across the Potomac,
and the machine shot on the houseboat.
For twenty yards it went straight as
die and then its nose turned upward: The
spectators and scientists yelled with de-
light, assured that the flight would be
success, as in its former brief test the ma
chine showed no inclination to ascend
Then the aerodrome turned completely
over and dived for the river bed
Mr.. Maniey clung to the apparatus and
went down with the machine, but managed
TO climb through the wreckage to the sur
face Of the water without losing anything
except his breath. He was pulled into
the ambulance boat, wrapped in blankets
and restored with the contents of the black
bottle. Then he was rushed to the house
boat, where he changed his clothes, and in
few minutes was experimenting the re-
moval of the wreck.
The aerodrome was evidently successful
in it's attempt to reach the river bed, for
up to a late hour the two tugs had been
unable to do more than bring up a few
detached sections They did not bear any
resemblance to the parts of an aerodro1ne
either, but the scientists carried them to the
houseboat and stored them away.
An effort will be made tomorrow TO
recover the wreck and tow the BuzZard
to Washington
Prof. Langley explained that the launch
ing apparatus had again proved defective,
but he would not explain in what particular.
1t is not believed that there will be another
test this year.