Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-16

Capt. Baldwin was greatly pleased with
the performance. He said that during the
whole trip he had not moved from his
seat on the frame.
Engineer Curtiss was equally pleased.
He said the engine had behaved beauti-
fully.
All the Signal Service officers who
watched the flight were commendatory in
comment.
The ship is now the property of the
government, save for the mere fOrmality
of turning her over.
Mai. Squires, after the last round of the
flight had been made. said:
Nobody who saw the flight this after
noon could question the reality of aerial
the speed, as near as we can roughly
figure it, was we'll above the require
ment."
The start of the flight was made from
requirement was that the ship should
maintain 20 per cent of the maximum
speed developed the day before and be in
the air for two hours.
Washington Monument. This would have
given the people Of Washington a better
view of the flight. But the signal serv-
ice officers wanted to be sure of the dis
lance covered. So the ship was sent
back and forth over the measured course
from the parade ground toward Cherry
dale. This was 1-16 miles
One group of officers was stationed at
the outer mark and another at the turn
ing point on the edge of the drill ground.
The big gray air craft started off on
the first leg of her course under good con-
troll In just sixteen minutes she was
back. wheeling over the edge fthe fort
lines. With the regularity of a passenger
steamer she piled back and forth, MAX
ing the run sometimes in as low as thir-
teen minutes and a fraction. and averag-
ing about fifteen minutes.
Eight times she made the round trip.
The aernnauts evidently lost track of
time. 1t was too dark up aloft to see
their watches.
On the seventh lap it was getting rather
dark and Capt Baldwin shouted down
abouve the chug-chug Of the engine:
ANY more?'
1t seemed to be just a question of how
long the officers wanted the performance
kept up, for the engine was working
better and the time of each round was de-
creasng.
Last Round Made.
Make one more round,' shouted back
Lieut. Selfridge.
And the airship obediently wheeled and
chugged off into the darkening west. In
a little over thirteen minutes she was
| back. beating the air over the waiting
group.
Five minutes more" yelled the timers.
Capt. Baldwin bore away over the drill
ground, made big sweep over Arlington
and came back, circling lower and low
er. till In the middle Of the drill ground
he threw down the drag rope and shout
ed to the enlisted men to bring her in.
Down she settled like a great bird
coming to earth. With a snap. Curtiss
cut of the spark and left the propeller
standing parallel to the ground.
The soldiers. trained by many descents
before. sprang to their places on the
frame. The small crowd of spectators
cheered and whistled and crowded around
to shake Baldwin and Curtiss by the
hand.
It all seemed SO easy now it was over
and the airship had fulfilled all the con-
ditions of the government test. Capt.
Baldwin laughed like boy
AS the rudder end of the ship swung
into the balloon tent he called his warn
her:
Gently with her, boys! This is govern
ment property. She don't belong to me
any more"
There was general reunion IN the pal
| loon tent Everybody congratulated ev-
erybody else on the success OF the flight.
Then the party streamed away in auto
mobiles to the Overcrowded electric cars
| that were to take them back to WASH
| ington.
1t was really a notable occasion. Not
only had a record in distance flying been
| established, but the American army had
| made its first start In the realm Of aerial
navigation, which promises such impor-
| tant developments for the future of this
! and all other nations.
| 1t Is believed that the board Of signal
officers which will meet Monday will fig
ure the average speed attained by Capt.
Baldwin on his speed trial yesterday at
| twenty miles an hour, thus emitting the
aeronaut to the full contract price, &c.
$50.
The Signal Corps desires also to buy
| Capt Baldwin's gas-making plant, which
is now at Fort Myer. 1t also is possible
that they will purchase the 1900 cubic
fee OF gas remaining in the gas envelope
| A condition imposed was that SUFFICIENT
| fuel be carried to run the motor for two
hours and that excessive heating of the
engine should not occur. Both of these
conditions were easily fulfilled. there be-
| ing two gallons of gasoline OF the five
taken on the trip still remaining unused
when the landing was made.
| After the formalities of accepting the
airship have been gone through with
Capt. Baldwin will instruct two of the
Signal Corps officers in handling 1t. These
probably will be Lieuts. Lahm and Sell
fridge. Lieut.. Foulois, together with Lieut.
4r;,,