Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-10
WONDERFUL WORK BY
WRICHT'S AER0PLANE.
Makes Three Flights at Fort Myer,
Breaking All ReCords---hs Value Now
Conceded By Military Men.

row until we have a machine we cal
operate ourselves"
In the first flight this evening tn,
aerop.ane circled the field So times a
an estimated speed of 81 miles an hour
The power was not fully turned on il
any Of the flights. 1t is estimated tina
q distance of 3S.5 miles was covered il
the longest flight.
| To the crowd that surrounded hin
after landing from the second hight
Mr.. Wright appeared to be the coolest
man around and entirely free from
nervousness, nor did he show any signs
of fatigue.
Among the large number of officials
who saw Mr.. Wright make his ascen-
sions We're Sec. Straus of the depart
| ment of commerce and labor; Sec.
| rotary Wright of the war department
Secretary Metcalf of the navy depart
ment; Assistant Secretary Oliver Of the
war department; Lieut.. Gen. Nelson 4
Miles Cretired) and Major Fournitr OF
the French Artillery, and military at
tache of the French embassy at Wash
ington.
Wonderful! remarkable, eXtraordi-
nary" We're the words used by the Of
ficers present when they We're asked
what they thought of the flight made
today by Mr.. Wright
Secretary Wright watched the move
ments of the machine with the closest
attention and manifested the greatest
interest in everything that was going
on. He declared that it was a most
wonderful machine and added:
perhaps it may be of value for
scouting purposes and probably for
many others. I suppose this is the
beginning of the steady development
of this means of navigation"
Perhaps the most enthusiastic man
on the field was Sec. Straus, and as
soon as Mr. Wright landed his ma
chaine, he hurried to him and EXTEND
ed his congratulations, at the same
time plying him with many questions
as to his experience and feeling while
soaring in the air. Mr.. Wright in re-
ply to the secretary's questions. told
him that he was not at all nervous
but that his work was practically easy
and that after the machine had once
fairly got started the matter of it's
continuance in flight was a very easy
one.
"The problem of flight in the air
is solved was the declaration made
by General Murray, the chief of ar
tillcry of the army, as he looked sky
ward and viewed the movements of
Mr.. Wright's machine.
1t was suggested to Gen. Murray
that an experiment be made as to the
feasibility of launching a shell from
an aeroplane. The method suggested
was to have Mr.. Wright soar over an
outline of battleships which could be
reproduced on the drill grounds and
while above it drop sand bag. "That
would be worth trying" said the gen.
eral.
when the signal corps gets the ma
chine we will probably undertake some
experiments of that sort with their
cooperation
AS Capt. Fourier. the French mill
tary attache, viewed the operations of
the aeroplane he declared with much
enthusiasm:
marvellous! I have great admiration
for the work of Mr.. Wright"
Today's time and distance will be
accepted as official by the Aero Club
Of America as Augustus Post. its sec
rotary, has already approved them.
The Wright brothers next best time
was IS minutes and &c seconds. made
in flight at Dayton, made in October,
1905 This fight was made by Wilbur
Wright.