Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-09
had proved successful 1t would have had
free flight up three branches of the stream.
Construction o4 thu AirShin

Construction Of the Airship.
The airship itself is built of slender steel
tubing and wooden supports. 1t has four
sixtyfoot wings. two propellers and rud-
der propeller. The wings and their sup
ports are not attached to the machine until
just before the time for the flight, and the
propellers and other detachable parts are
not assembled until after the machine has
been placed on the launching car To
handle the heavy wings and canvass pro-
pellers IN strong wind is out Of the ques-
ton, according to the opinion of the ex-
perts in charge of the tests, and the pros
pect of test Saturday was dissipated by
strong wind which began in the morning
and gradually increased in velocity.
Sunday no work was done on the house
boat, but Monday the workmen were on
hand early and started in to prepare for a
test. Ice covered the river, except In the
main channel, and the weather was cold
and biting. Prof. Manly made trip down
the Potomac in a naphtha launch, exam
ined the conditions on the spot where the
test was to be made and decided that the
weather was too cold. He told a Star re-
porter on his return from this trip that he
could not handle the machine in the cold
weather, and would not make q test until
the conditions. would justify it.
yesterday dawned clear and balmy, and
At III O'Clock 1t was decided to make test.
The preparations were all made. with the
exception of testing the engines on the
machine and securing tugs to tow the
houseboat down the river The only him
drance In the entire program was caused
oy the failure to secure tugs at the proper
time. Prof Manly had not made arrange
ments with tugboat captains for yesterday
because of his discoura cement the day be-
lore and as result had difficulty In Sc
curing MS boats. After much telephoning
and consultation through the assistance Of
capt. Hedge Forsberg Of the firm of Fors-
berg & Murray, the tugs Joe Blackburn
formerly the police boat, and the Bartholdi
were secured. and at O'Clock the huge
houseboat pulled away from her moorings
ana started down the river
The First Mishap.
In turning to go down the channel the
rope by which the BarthoIdf was towing
parted and some time was lost In '1,.ssine
new line and in getting the houseboat
headed straight. After the new rope was
secured, however, everything was made fast
and the start to the proving grounds was
made, the houseboat in the center of a fleet
or small boats and yachts among which
We're the army engineers boat Pontonier
and The Evening Stars launch Olga. These
TWO were the fastest of the craft which
surrounded the boat, and reached the prov
ing grounds fifteen or twenty minutes ahead
OF the houseboat and other craft for spec
tators The Pontonier had aboard a num-.
Der of officers from the Washington bar.
racks and several ladies'
The houseboat reached the proving
grounds and came to a stop at about
O'Clock. The work of putting ND the wings
began as the boat was coming down the
river, and one wing had been adjusted and
another was being put in place by the time
the stop was made. The work of putting up
the wings progressed slowly. The air was
cold off the point Of the flats, and the sun
was obscured by clouds during almost the
entire period of waiting
Prof. Langley, who had come aboard the
houseboat just before she left the dock. was
on the roof with Prof Manly Ri
ing the fitting of the wings, and with him
were Brigadier General Wallace Randolph,
chief of artillery, u. s. A.: Major Macomb
of the board of ordnance and Notifications
OF the army Secretary Powell of this board
Or. Nash and Photographer Smyllie of the
Smithsonian Institution, as well as several
other scientists who are interested in aerial
navigation.
After everything had been made ready
and Prof Manly was ready to climb into
the car some little time was lost. in getting
the houseboat properly headed fop the test
The boat was shifted about several times
before the right position was obtained.
When the trigger holding the launching
car was released the houseboat was headed
toward the navy yard Prot. Manly climb
ed into the car at about 80 and tested all
the apparatus He fixed himself in the
proper position and turned on the engine
that worked the propellers and rudder while
he waited for the Bartholdi to get clear of
his possible course
At 4:45 exactly, Prof Manly called "I.et
her CO." and the machine was launched
The aerodrome kept a straight course as
long as 1t was on the tracks on the house
boat, but the moment the tracks dropped
the machine twisted abo0t in mysterious
fashion. From The Star boat it looked as
though the machine buckled in the middle
and at the same time the rear wing supports
snapped. 1t went almost straight down
from the houseboat, cracking and swapping
like a lot Of bunting in the wind. The rear
end plunged downward at right angles to
hn fn6n rR t14
forward part was thrown high in the air.
describing a circle over the rear end and
falling in the water upside down.
Prof Manly Submerged.
Prof. Manly was buried beneath the pile
of broken wire. wood, steel and linen
Fred Hewitt, one of the workmen. was
standing on the deck of the houseboat when
the machine struck the water and he Inn
mediately dived after 1t to rescue Prof.
Manly. ADDISON. the signal corps soldier,
was waiting in a boat. He pulled toward
the aerodrome, but Hewitt reached Manly
first and pulled him out, with the assist
ance of those on the houseboat. Both men
were hustled into the boat and wrapped In
warm blankets. They soon recovered from
the effects OF their bath and Prof Manly
went to work to get the wreck Of the flying
machine back on the houseboat. The tide
had been running out swiftly all afternoon
however, and when the attempt to raise the
partly buried in the shoals, and that the
houseboat itself was aground.
1t was dark by this time and the passen-
gers aboard the houseboat were transferred
to a tug. in which they were conveyed to
the Washington barracks, where carriages
were in waiting. Prof. Langley was seen
after the disaster. but refused to talk, ex-
cept to say that the allure Of the launch
ing apparatus to work properly was the
cause Of the f1asco
Prof. Langley's Statement.
81 could not state just what the damage
to the aerodrome is.'' said Prof. Langley
at the Smithsonian Institution this morn
ing. I'VE have not yet had time to make a
careful examination OF the machine. Some
projection caught In the car as the aero
drome was being launched and caused the
machine to break. The rear aeroplanes, or
wings. were rendered usolaSa and tbrovu