The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1908-09-24
WRIGHT TALKS Of WRECK
SAYS HI COULD HAVE SAVED
AIR0HIP had IT BEEN
- FEET HIGHER.
SELFRIDGE is HLOGIzEO
Lieutenant 10 a Martyr to Progress.
u IL DooIarsd--ouSstlOn Of Aerial
Navigation tiss Been
solved.

Washington, Sept. ia shApslsss
mass Of sDlintered wood, twisted wire.
beat tubing and torn canvas. the
Wright brothers acceptance. which
only n few days ago was astonishing
the world with its air conquering Sx-
ploits, lies inert on the door Of the
aerial garage" at Fort Mysr,
Wright, from his bed of sickness.
saw Friday for the flrst time since the
tragedy. his first assistant c. +.
Taylor, and to Taylor he connded that
all might have been saved il the
machine had had rs or even Is feet in
which to right itself. He was getting
1t under control, he said. and had the
fall been 100 feet, instead Of the fatal
rs feet, he might have landed grace
fully. in an upright position, as he has
numbers OF times before.
Lieut.. Thomas 4. sslfridge, the
army's first sacrifice to the science OF
aeronautics is dead With fractured
ribs and thigh, bruised and helpless
though on the road to recovery, Or
Vile Wright is being tenderly cared
for at the Garrison Hospital, still
ignorant of the tragic outcome OF
Thursdays voyage.
The catastrophe came on the very
eve Of what promised to be the daring
aViator's greatest triumph. For the
first time he would have forsaken, the
circular course above the parade
grounds of the fort and sailed his
craft over the Virginia hills for i've
miles straight and return in the hope
Of meeting the Signal Corps require
ment Of 40 miles an hour.
Martyr to Progress.
Lieut. Seltridge is a martyr to
progress" said Mai. Squier. acting
chief signal officer and chief OF the
AeronauticAl board. which was to pass
upon the qualifications OF the aero
plano. Even II there should be no
more flights the question Of aerial
navigation has, to nay MIND, been
solved for all time. Tho last four per
formancea OF the Wright aeroplans
have scientifically proven its place IN
history"
MAI. Fourier, the French Military
AttachO here, who witnessed nearly
every hight made by Mr.. Wright, and
who IL an expert in aerohautical
science, was deeply shocked at the &C
cident.
AS In all branches Of science" be
said there must be q martyr, such as
Lieut.. Selfridgs. giving his life ia
history. At such time rs this l am
too deeply grieved to speculate as
to the future Of aeronAutics do not
think his heroic death will delay inter
national experimentation.
May Yet De Accepted.
Friday the suggestion was made At
the War Department that the Wright
model may be accepted by the Govern
ment.
BY direction OF Mai. Squier, an in.
VestigatiOn was begun Friday to de.
tSrmine the precise cause OF the cat
aStroph0. The entire Aeronautical
board. including Maj. Charles NICK.
OdlAmuu, OAbt' ChniAoe D WaioSo
Lieut.. Frank p LAhm, all of the
Signal Corps; Lieut. George C. Sweet.
u. 8. NJ, and Lieut.. Richard b. Creepy
u. 8. M. c.. are now at Fort Myer. in.
tsrViSwinS witnesses Of the accident
and examining what remains OF the
GeroDlAne.
According to Pref Octave Chsnute.
the UioaSsr aerOplanist, who had seen
nearly every hight made by Wright
OF Fort Mysr. II the craft had been
sailing In a straight course IL WSuld
probably have glided to the ground
without serious consequences. Prof
Chanute was keenly affected by the
accident. and there were tears In his
eyes a. he talked 20 newspaper men.