Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-15
AEROPLANE WRECKED
Wright Brothers Flying Machine
 Meets With Disaster.
sTEERED INTO THE GROUND.
Helmsman's Error Ends Successful Venture Into the Air-lnventors to Take Remnants to Ohio Home and Try Again.

Norfolk. Va, May 15.-Disaster over took the daring aeronauts, Wilbur and Oryille Wright, who have for two weeks made successful flights with their aeroplane at Kill Devil hill, North Carolina, when, after the great est flight ever made with similar machine, the aeroplane was wrecked. Wilbur Wright, the navigator, escaped unhurt except for face scratch, but the machine was smashed and is now useless for further tests.
 The aeroplane had flown eight miles tn ' minutes 40 seconds under perfect control and the disaster was due to an error on the part of the navigator, whu directed the course of the flying ma chine downward too quickly. The plan of operation is to elevate the course, but instead of touching the right lever Tor this result the opposite lever was used, and the birdlike framework dart ed downward, striking the ground with great force.
 
 The machine was wrecked behind a sand hill two miles from its starting point. After leaving the house where It is kept the aeroplane darted through the air for mile and half along the beach, when it turned westward for a flight of probably two miles. From here second turn was made directed toward the starting point, and the homeward progress was made under terrific headway until the accident oc- cured which cost the inventors their machine.
 Allowing for the long curves and angles made by the flying apparatus, the distance covered during this last and fateful flight was about eight miles, and if the machine had returned to its moorings ten mile course would have been covered and the worlds rec. ord for aeroplanes broken.
 Disappointed, but undaunted. the Wright brothers began immediately after the wreck to pack up their ef' fleets, including the remnants of the shattered prize, preparatory to its ship, ment to their home in Dayton, O. Nc more tests will be made on the bleak North Carolina coast for the present.
 Not since the Wrights have been al Kill Devil has their machine appeared so complete an instrument for aerial navigation as it did when it sailed its last flight.
 Cause of the Disaster.
 Inexperience on the part of the oper ators in the manipulation of the new steering gear resulted in the disaster This gearing had just been perfected and installed. and Wilbur Wright was evidently unfamiliar with its opera ton.
 Before the wreck short flight was made. with Orville Wright and Fur mass. the machinist, in the seats of tive machine. This covered a course of about one mile and a half and was re- markable in the light of former feats only in the fact that it's course was al all times on a curve,
 The aeroplane constructed by the Wright brothers and which was wreck ed consisted of double planes forty feet six inches wide and six feet six inches deep. The forward edge of the planes are rigid. Beginning at each lip is a flap with a fifteen foot diagonal edge extending toward the middle of the rear frame. These flaps are movable and are shifted inversely by means Of one lever. When one is depressed the other rises. thus maintaining the per feet balance of the machine at all times.
 During the flight the operator sits ir the chairlike seat with the two levers operating the rudder and wing tips be tween his legs. By means of another lever the elevation of the airship is controlled. From the tips of the fore and after rudders the machine meas ures twenty-five feet. The engine which drives the aeroplane through the afr weighs 150 pounds. is of thirty horsepower. four cylinder. four cycle.
 Tornado's Dead Number Thirty.
 Shreveport. La. May 15.-Thirty dead 000 F,,s ss tfra psff