The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-10
WRIGHT FEAT MEANS
END OF BALLOONS
Heavier Than-Air Machines
Will Replace Unrespon-
Sive Gas Bags.

Orville Wright's flights over the Fort
Myer parade grounds, have. according
70 scientific eyes, given the signal which
means the death knell of tie lighter
than-air flying machine.
The day Of the spherical, tie crude
arrangements 10 make a spherical an
swer helm; even the day of the Bald
win type Of dirigible balloon is likely
TO be short. although these mora cum
bersOme machines may never be rele-
gated entirely To the junk heap
AerOplane flying has developed much
more rapidly than did balloOning: prob
ably because of the much greater in
Terest OF the warlike governments OF
Europe in any device which might prove
OF great value IN case of International
complications
1t took 200 years for the development
of the balloon, until Il was more than
toy. ana il was only within a few
years that HShter-than-air machines
were made which were dirigible. as wit
messed the interest aroused by Capt
Baldwin's flights at Fort Myer
While a number of men have been
building aerOplanes in this country and
IN France and Germany. for possibly
several years. the inventions of all Of
them seem 10 have been made known
10 the public at about the same time.
Many Build AerOplanes
The Wright brothers started several
years ago with the idea that man should
learn the principles which govern actual
flight, the gliding part of flight, be-
fore he tried TO propel his gliding ma
chine at any great rate OF speed.
Most Westinghouse remember the
ill-fated Langley airship that lies now
over in the Smithsonian Institution-a
1ailure-and remember the way its in
Nentor was made the object of ridicule
all over this country.
Langley, however, was more unfor-
1unaJe than most OF the score or more
of inventors who turned to the heavier
than-alr idea seemingly about the anne
time His fellOw-inventors were slower
than he. His idea failed, and the others
prohted by it.
Wrights Began in 1905.
While the Wrights we're flying down
in North Carolina and in Dayton as
far back as 1905, il was but a part OF
their experimental work, and the first
really official records Of aeropIape
flights began in the fall of 1907. and then
continued quite steadily until the
present.
In October. 1907, Henry Farman. the
aviator who met with such a cold re-
CeptiOn at Brighton Beach this summer
lIdNeleu 80 meters IN MS new aeTODIane.
startling the whole OF France, where he
made the flight, and making the rest
or the world sit up and take notice. On
January Is, 1908, Farman, with the con-
hdenCe Of previous test flights with him.
sailed IN circle and won the Deutsch-
ArchdeaCOn prize Of $4,000. Farman con-
Iinued in the public eve directed toward
aerial navigation for some time, and on
March 20, ne made good again by sailing
one and One-haf miles with his ma
chine.
on May 3, of This year, Mr. Wright
and one OF his mechanics. Charles W.
Eurniss, made a Night from Kill Devil
Hill in North Carolina, in which the
two kept the machine up for 3 minutes
and 90 seconds.
Delagrange Flies Ten Miles.
Deiagrange. who has recently made
sorle good flights, first appeared on the
scene as a record-breaker in May. when
on the 9th he flew ten miles. a per
Torrance hailed with delight every
where by scientists
Glen II. Curtiss, who built and operat-
ed for q time TIE engine which drove
the Baldwin dirigible, was one OF the
first Americans TO come into prOmi-
sence through public trials of an aero
plane The fame of the Wright broth
ers was in every newspaper and maya
zine, and scientists had heard Of them,
but until the summer Of this year
little was known Of them by the world
at large.
Curtis5 Goes One Mile
When CUrtiss, therefore, few for one
mile, winning the Scientific American
trophy. in his good airship the June
Bug" he jumped into the limelight quite
easily, for previously this country had
not acknowledged aeropIanists Of It's
own.
Three DAYS after Curtiss' performance,
Farman again took the center of the
scientific stage when he won the s., 900
prize offered by a OW-Frenchman, by
STAYING in the air for 20 minutes and
% seconds. Farman's next try was at
Brighton Beach on August ., when he
made 200 yards in 40 seconds.
On September .. Wilbur Wright made
about 10 miles in % minutes. while the
next day Delagrange made "A miles in
% minutes and So seconds, the record
which stood until yesterday morning