Evening times-Republican., 1903-12-09
Professor Langley's Machine
Given a Second Trial and Is
Again Wrecked
DIVES INTO A RIVER BED
The Spectators and Scientists had Lots
of Fun at the Trial. But the Buzzard
is Completely Done For - Rosa
Twenty Feet. Turned Over and Came
Down in the Mud.

Washington. D. c.. Dec. 9.-Profes
sors Langley's sixty foot man carry
in aerodrome received its second test
at o'clock yesterday afternoon in
the channel of the Potomac river off
Arsenal point 1t resulted in a COM
plete failure.
When propelled from the launching
carriage with Mr. Manley, Professor
Langley's assistant, at the helm the
big machine went on bee line for
twenty yards. then pointed its nose up
ward, turned completely over and
dived head first into the river. Pro-
fessor Manley was rescued.
The machine is a complete wreck and
two tugs tried until dark to pull the
remnants out of the soft mud OF the
river bed, but without success. The
inventor, says that an accident to the
launching gear was responsible for the
failure. At the conclusion of the test
the house boat went aground in the
mud and stuck fast.
ilNGT SlHGp IlolSsSOI lSdIlkitN lStIue'l
from the officials of the board of or
dinance and Notifications of the war
department that another appropriation
In addition to that of $4,000 already
allotted for the construction of the
flying machine would not be made until
1t was demonstrated that the aerodronie
could fly, the members of the flying
machine expedition, which spent the
last summer at Wide Water, Va.
where the machine went in swimming
and was wrecked, have been making
preparations for test.
Professor Langley was sanguine OF q
successful test. Just before the launch
of his invention he said the apparatus
that had caused the unsuccessful test
last summer. after three months of
had been fixed, and that
everything was shipshape
II was nearly dark when Professor
Langley stepped into the navigator's
car of the aerodrome Mr.. Manley was
also sanguine OF success, but was
without shoes and wore a life preserJ-
er. The scientists in the ambulance
boat We're provided with blankets and
a black bottle without a label. An
other launch contained several ,scien-
fists and an assortment of graphing
irons.
Professor Manley shook hands with
Professor Langley and other scientists
aboard the houseboat,, all of whon,
wore overcoats with collars turned up
around their ears, and who looked at
the floating ise in the river and eyed
Mr.. Manley with considerable respect
After the handshaking and some yells
Of encouragement to the volunteer
aeronaut Mr.. Manley nodded his heal
TO the man in charge of the launching
apparatus and pulled the lever con-
rolling the propellers
The motors struck fire in the semi |
darkness, the springs released with a |
'thud" that could be heard across the
and the machine shot of the |
edge of the houseboat. For twenty |
'ards 1t went straight as a die. and |
hen its nose turned upward.
The spectators and scientists yellei |
With delight. assured that the flight |
would be success, MS in Its former
,rief test the machine showed no in
lination to ascend. when the aerdrome
urned completely over and dived for
he river bed
Mr.. Manley clung to the apparatus
nd went down with the machine. but
managed to climb thru the wreckage to
he surface of the water without los
ng anything except his breath. He
fas pulled Into the ambulance boat,
trapped in blankets. and restored with
he contents of the black bottle. Then
e was rushed to the houseboat, where
e changed his clothes, and in a few
minutes was experimenting the re.
1oval OF the wreck.
The aerodrome was evidently suc-
essful in its attempt to reach the river
ed for up to late hour the two
ugs had been unable to do more than
ring up a few detached sections. They
id not bear any resemblance to the
ortious of an aerodrome either, but
ne scientists carried them to the
ouseboat and stored them away.
When it was decided to give up the
earch for the night and return to
a buoy was thrown over
oard to mark the place where thu
lachine went down, and the tugs start
to tow the houseboat back to Wash
lgton.
1t was then found that the Buzzarl
as fast aground In the mud and the
70 tugs could not even bulge It, Pro- :
'ssor Langley and his assistants re-
lrned to town by tugs, leaving the
ouseboat aground. An effort will b.
ade to recover the wreck and tow the +,
uzzard to Washington