The Washington herald., 1908-09-04

Wright brothers famous aeroplane yes
terday made its first public fight in the
United States, and except for a slight
accident it was q success. demonstrating
the feasibility Of navigation in the air
with a craft that is heavier than the at
mosphere-
There was a crowd OF several hundred
Spectators at Fort 8Iyer, where the fight
was made about p n, with O-vIle
Wright at the helm
Mr. Wright made one complete circle
over the parade grounds Of the military
post, and was on the first lap Of another
when he shifted the wrong lever TO avoid
running into a house, which is being con
structed for the flying machine.
After the fight Mr. Wright was sul-
rounded by a crowd Of men and women.
Every one struggled and fought TO ascer-
tain whether he had been injured by :he
sudden descent The aviator was unhurJ,
but one Of the runners attached 10 tie
bottom Of the aeroplans was broken
Acts Like n Flash.
Mr.. Wright SAID the machine ives not 10
be blamed for the mlshap. He declared
1t would be necessary for him 70 make
several short flights and become more IA
nailiar with the new conditions before re
could hope 10 conJrol IT properly
The accident was due TO the fact that
Mr. Wright pulled the lever. twisting tie
right end Of the main plane toward the
earth. when he should have made a t1-u
toward the left Realizing ti1at If tle
machine continued sailing 10 the righ- il
would crash into the house he shut OF the
motor, which was sending the Invention
/ through the air a. a rate Of tAirJy-elslr
miles ali hour. and landed almost 5u1use-
dia5eIy in front of the Baldwin balloon
( tent.
I haven't the proper control over TIE
aeroplane yet said Nr. Wright. and
! cannot expect 20 make perfect fig1-
Z until after several more trials The dam
/ age VIII be repaired Immediately Ttc
could TX il in half an hour If we were in
/ Dayton Ohio. but ~ any ra-e We VII
have a new runner in place OF the broken
one by tomorrow afternoon
The seroplane covered about t1rae-
I quarters OF a mile The speed was PROB
ably thirty-e.sht OF forty miles an hour.
I Everything worked perfectly until made
6 the mistake
1t was my intention 10 make several
/ trips over The parade grounds. and I
wculC have done 50 had not shifted the
wrong lever and tipped the wings in the
/ opposite direction from which I wished 10
" -=- 2
and the machine started 10 curve 20 TIE
right. there was nothing 10 do but bring
/ it to earth and save it from couiding vita
I the nous-
Crowd Was JubiIant.
/ The fight vas "a pretty spectacle. aad
{ the crowd. which was composed largely
/ Of women and children. chee-ed wildly as
! the ae-oplsnc went up Men who thought
1 they were beyend the pale OF that which
I quickens the pulse. frankly admitted that
they were up II the air. with 1Ir
{ Wright.
While watching the Baldwin d.rigible
F sail at Fort Myer a few days ago. 1Ir.
4 Wright declared the balloon was q more
/ spectacular machine than his The aielt
/ yesterday was far more sensational how
ever. II was one that made spectators
put their hands 10 their heads.
! The mishap was trivial. and one OF the
things which might be reasonably expect
ed on the maiden fisht Of new and
complicated machine Nlr Wright estsb-
Iished by his handling OF the aeroplaus
during the minute and a quarter he VS.
/ in the air that he and his brother WI
bur have q solution 10 the problem. and
that he is an aviator Of ability
! A ffteen-rnile wind was sweeping over
the parade grounds in the morning. When
Z he expected TO fly. and the ascension was
delayed until shortly before 6 O'Clock in
the evening At that hour the wind had
died down TO a Jhree-miie-an-hour breeze
and Mr.. Wright decided 10 fly.
J Throughout Jhe day the crowd incres sad
( hourly until the aeroplane was csrted
out OF the tent and wheeled 70 the weight
I tower.
! The aeropiane was wheeled around and
7 placed on the little truck running On the
/ nonoraI laid at the northern boundary
/ Of the parade grounds The spectators
swarmed around the aeropIane and
crowded so closely that 1Ir Wright re-
quested the Signal Corps men TO clear
/ the field All were driven back nor
I than 100 yards from the aeropIane- No
| one was allowed in front Of it.
/ For half an hour Mr.. Wright and Ne
/ chan:cs Taylor and FIrness worked on
l the aeroplane. completing the final de-
/ tails for dropping the L410-pounG weight
and launching the machine The crowd
: became impatient. but no one left the
grounds The greater number OF the
spectators stood along the trolley tracks
F behind the weight tower There they had
good view Of al that was going on.
/ and were unmolested by. the Signal Corps
men.
Inspection Before Start.
After the ring attached to the rope sus-
7 pending the heavy weight thirty feet in
! the air had been placed over a hook on
the front Of the aeroplane. Mr. Wright
made a thorough inspection and tested
Z the levers operating the planes and ruCs-