The Washington herald., 1908-09-02
Wind PREVENTS SAIL
Spherical Goes Up, but Was
Unable to Travel.
NIGHT FLIGHT IS A FAILURE
EnrIy This Morning Signal Corps
LIeutenants VIII Attempt TO Make
Trip SOmevvhere-WriEh AerOPlnne
Expected TO Be Given Trial This
Afternoon at Fort Myer.

After making two unsuccessful at
tempts last night 10 fly the big spherical
balloon filed with the gas from Capt.
BaIdwiE's dirigible. LIeuts- Lahm, Sci
fridge. and Foulols were forced 10 give
Up the attempt.
The Efforts failed principally because Of
the heavy fog that hung over the signal
station az Fort STyer and the lack OF
wind sufficiently strong 10 allow the bal
loon 20 make headway-
Another attempt by Lieuts. Foulo!s and
L.ahm viii be made at daybreak this
morning. and It is expected a long fight
viii be made
shortly before 10 O'Clock the big balloon
was brought out. and IN the presence OF
the Signal Corps officers and a small
group Of newspaper men, the first flight
was attempted At that tine there was
a bIanketlIke fog hanging over every
thing. and the air was still.
Climbed Into Basket.
The ae-onauts climbed into the basket
Il was then found there was not sufH-
cient gas TO carry the weight OF the men.
and Lieut.. Sslf-idge climbed out The
balloon was then anchored and the party
waited for slight breeze
As they waited. the fog increased The
sides Of the balloon were running with
water. and the basket looked as II it had
been left IN the rain for a week AS
time went on the officers waited in the
hope that a strong wind would spring Up
at the last moment The fight was an
innovation and the aeronauts were anI-
ious 10 make the trip.
At l0-ao O'Clock the men at the anchor
ropes were called out. and Lleuts- Lahm
and Foulois took their positions in the
basket The ropes were cast OF. and the
dripping sphere rose slowly IN the air.
For q. few moments II wheeled uncertainty
above the signal station. and once Il
struck a current Of air and started north
ward
The breeze that struck # was only a
gust OF wind that carried the balloon a
/ short distance north Of the little group
that was watching It. Like a big leaden
I ball. the army balloon hung motionless
/ and then slowly began TO descend
/ The entire tine Of the fight consumed
Z less than five minutes The two officers
! expressed themselves determined 10 make
the trip as soon as the breeze gained
! strength.
| There was no particular object IN max
I ing the "trip at night said one Of the Of
] fcers at the end Of the second attempt
Ae-opIane Housed in Tent.
/ The Wright Brothers aeroplane was
/ housed in the dirigfble balloon tent with
/ the framework Of the Baldwin machine
| last night Orville Wright, who IS at
/ Fort aIyer for the government tests, said
I he and his mechanics would begin work
! reassembIng the machine early this
1 morning. and It is within the range of
/ probability that a short fight Will be at
/ tempted this evening.
/ The large heavier-than-air machine,
with its 40-foOt main plane, was taken
/ from the balloon shed 10 the wall tent, a
! distance Of three-quarters Of a mile on
1 an army wagon Prior 10 its removal
1 from the shed. the forward steering
/ planes were detached, and the supporting
{ wires twisted around the framework Aft
! CT the plane and Tudder had been securely
/ strapped TO the army wagon. an automO-
I bile was hitched to the conveyance, and
the march TO the tent began Great care
{ was taken by the chauffeur, beside whom
Mr Wright sat. because most of the trip
was uphill. with large trees on both sides
/ of the rough road The aeroplane was
/ landed at the tent in safety.
/ It remained Oh the wagon throughout
the time consumed in debating the dirigi-
bic. and several hundred persons who
went cut TO Fort AIye- showed deep in
terest in It All were puzzled TO under
1 stand how such a queer-loozing craft
could possibly fly, but fly it will, accord
ing TO AIr. Wright
Spherical Was Inflated.
| The imitation Of the huge spherical bal
loon with the hydrogen in the dirigibIe
was a tedious and lengthy job. A large
rubber tube was attached 20 the dirigi-
bic in the tent and stretched out 10 the
parade grounds. where the spherical was
weighted down with severa! score sand
bags each containing thirty pounds OF
sand. Although the fnfation began early
in the afternoon. It vas not until after
dark that the last Of the hydrogen was
forced into the huge orange-shaped bal
loon.
Before all OF the gas was out Of the
BALDWIN balloon. Nj Wright found there
was sufficient room IN the tent for hi.
aeroplane, and the heavier-than-air ma.
lchinel was taken into its new quarters