Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-09
AEROPLANE SOARING,
Wright Brothers Machine Makes
 Successful Flight.
KEPT UNDER GOOD CONTROL.

Operator Able to Rise, Turn, Descend
 and Reascend at WilI--Airship's Mo
 tion Resembles That of Bird-High
 Speed Made.
 Maneto, N. C., May 9. = Guarding themselves against general observation, the Wright brothers made ten success ful aerial flights In their flying ma chine from Kill Devil hill. It was marvellous performance and demon strated beyond the question of doubt that they were able to direct and con trol the aeroplane they have designed at from twenty to fifty feet above the surface of the ground, something that no diriglble balloon ever has attempt ed to accomplish. The nearness to the earth was not because the machine could not go higher, but to prove that it could maintain a steady flight at an elevation that would be impossible with gas bag.
 The elder of the brothers said that if it had been desired the machine could have been driven to such a height in the heavens that it would be lost to sight. The test was simply to try out the steering gear, which does not yet work to the complete satisfaction of the inventors.
 The longest flight made was mile and half and demonstrated that the operator was able to rise at will into the air, turn, descend, ascend and de- scend again, landing at a point pre- viously agreed upon without defiec- tion of five feet. Weather conditions were favorable, with the wind blowing steadily about twenty-five miles an hour from the southwest. The machine was started head on to the wind, glid- ing along monorail track until it gained sufficient impetus to rise and soar upward on an angle of forty de- greeS.
 Can Fly In Safety.
 Observation of the experiments would lead to the conclusion that the machine can fly in perfect safety as long as the supply of gasoline for the engine might last. This, it is computed, may be enough for flight of at least 1000 miles.
 In the air the Wright machine scars very much after the manner of bird. It responds instantly to its rudder and it's elevation controller and apparently can soar over any given point, such as a man-of-war, upon which it may drop destroying explosive.
 It turns like bird either to the right or to the left and may soar five miles above the ground or a few feet The speed of the machine with which the tests are being made here is reckoned at between forty and sixty miles an hour. It probably flew the mile and half in little more than two minutes. orville Wrieht's Statement. The trip to sea over, the aeroplane descended to the point where it has been housed and where the workshops of the Wrights is situated. After the trial Orvile Wright said:
 "We are confident of success. We believe we have solved aerial naviga- tion and are going to prove it. Our past experiments have been all that we could ask for. Anything we attempt in the future will speak for itself, just as this trial did. Our aeroplane will sail in any direction, and the velocity of the wind will not materially affect it's progress"
 The Wrights have carefully preserv- ed their secrets in regard to their flights, and, while 1t has been reported from time to time that France had ob- tained their invention, the general i'm pression is that this government has the absolute rights to the machine, and it was because of contracts with the war department that the Wrights nev. CT have entered contest even where the prize has been sufficient to tempt others to show their machines.