Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-28
A|RSH|P TEST TODAY
Expected to Be Pulled OFF"
if Weather Gains.
LANGLEY is PRESENT
GREAT ACTIVITY AT HOUSE BOAT
THIS AFTERNOON.
At 2:45 O'clock Experts Were Proceed
ing to Make Ready for
the Launching.
LANGLEY IS PRESENT
special From a STAFF Correspondent.

Special From a Staff Correspondent.
Underwater, Va. August 2s.-If the
weather Gains before o'clock this after
noon a test of the Langley airship is ex-
pected
The wind having lulled at Is this after
neon, Prof Manley ordered the aerodrome
elevated to the superstructure for launch
ing. Within a half hour the machine was
in position on the launching carriage.
The experts then proceeded to make ready
for the start but this required long and
tedious operation with the adjustment of
the wings and giving necessary attention
to the intricate mechanism of the motor
and propelling and steering devices.
The first thing done after the machine
was gotten into position was to supply 1t
with sufficient gasoline for the approaching
voyage.
Manley Will Be the Aeronaut.
All this work was done under the imme-
date direction of Prof Manley. The sun
was too hot on top for the inventor to APP
pear there. It Is not stated officially but
1t is believed that Prof. Manley will be the
aeronaut.
At 2:45 this afternoon the men were stlll
working hard and there yet remained con-
siderable to do before the launching.
An accident with the tug Yerkes this
afternoon divided attention with the air
ship Just as the tug was about to come
alongside, her propeller caught the rope
of the attached bateau and swung it I'M
derneath.
The next moment it was high in the air.
a mass of kindling wood. Men in the stern
narrowly escaped injury.
Langley Reaches Houseboat.
Prof. Langley came to his houseboat this
morning from Clifton Beach with the
avowed hope of witnessing the flight of his
big steeI-built aerodrome before the noon
hour, but The Evening Stars statement
that nobody could say definitely when the
test would occur was forcefully exempli-
fed.
The morning passed and the aerodrome
yet remained suspended from the ceiling in
side. There was only one obstacle in the
way of a launching, and that was the old
enemy of the experts, the weather.
Blew With Disappointing Regularity.
The wind blew not hard, but with disap-
pointing regularity from the southeast
throughout the forenoon.
Despite the anxious and repeated con-
situations of the reading of the anemome-
ter, there was no favorable sign that could
be discerned by DIR. Manley, who was in
Finally he got discouraged and took the
instrument down. Then the whole force
rested on their oars.
Great Activity at the "Ark."
The morning opened with great activity
was then blowing, Prof. Langley and Chief
Assistant Manley decided to go ahead with
preparations.
The two tugs, the Key and the Yerkes,
were provided with a supply of graphing
irons and surplus floats, the first to bring
the machine up should it go under the
water, and the latter to assist in keeping
1t above until it could be returned to the
houSeboat
Some of these were placed aboard the
small row boats. Life preSerVerS were also
provided.
Launching Car in Position.
Turning their attentions to the super
structure, the experts put the launching
car into position. The twelve steel springs,
twenty feet long, designed to furnish the
motive power for the launching carriage,
were taut. Then they reached thirty feet.
The springs were strong that the work
of extending them required six men. The
secret of the release of the flying machine
by the launching carriage was revealed
by a close inspection of that apparatus
while it was being moved about.
The framework of the car is adjustable
so that it can be lowered or raised intact
at will.
By Pulling a Trigger.
1t is so arranged that by pulling trigger
when the end of the track is reached the
frame falls down fiat, releasing it's burden,
which is thus set free in the air. Standing
erect, the carriage holds the aerodrome five
feet above the platform
During most of the forenoon Prof Lang
ley remained in a hammock in as cool
position as could be found aboard. Not
withstanding this the inventor suffered
much from the intense heat, which, added
to his disappointment at the failure to get
off an early launching, made his stay here
this morning very disagreeable.
More Like Visitor.
About the same large force which arrived
yesterday on hand today. Prof Lang
ley seemed to leave everything in charge
of his chief assistant. Apart from COM
mentng and suggesting occasionally, he
appeared more in the role of an invited
spectator than the real director of a great
enterprise.
"