Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-15
A|RSH|P IS WRECKED
Disaster Comes to Wright
Brothers Flying Machine
NEAR MANTEO YESTERDAY
Operator Said to Have Pulled the
Wrong Lever.
DASHED TO THE GROUND
NEAR MANTEO YESTERDAY
DASHED TO THE GROUND
Occupant Unhurt, But Inconsolable
Over Setback on Eve OF Worlds
Greatest Aerial Triumph.

MANTEO. y. C.. May 15-After scoring
a triumph in a splendid flight of more than
eight miles yesterday afternoon the
Wright brothers aeropane was suddenly
dashed to the earth and completely
| wrecked.
! Wilbur Wright the operator. was not
| injured. but the wreck of the machine
was so complete that the parts will be
| shipped back to Dayton. Ohio, where the
craft will be rebuilt and the practice work
continued probably at this point. The
cause Of the accident is not definitely
known but it is supposed that while
going at a rapid speed the OPERA or pulled
| the wrong lever and sent the machine
! pitching downward instead of upward.
as he had intended.
| Had the machine continued in the air
| for another three minutes it would have
| beaten ten miles continuous flight. AS it
| was more than eight miles had been COW
| cred in the most thrilling flight thus TAR
| made here. The machine had travelled at
about forty-five miles an hour. but was
| probably making much greater speed at
| the moment of collapse. 1t came down
| behind one of the big sand hills and in a
| spot where no one could see what had
happened.
Almost Crazed by Disappointment.
| Orvile Wright. assistant. and few
| life savers saw the machine suddenly
| pitch to the earth, and went to the as
| sistance of Wilbur Wright whom they
found unframed physically. but we'll nigh
crazed with grief and disappointment over
| so serious a setback at this time. Yester-
| days flights were undoubtedly, all things
considered. the most important achieve
| ment in the history of aerial navigation,
nd ha yx-ho q r. q g
seemed at the very threshold of one Of the
| worlds greatest triumphs 1t is under
| stood from a trustworthy source that one
| of the brothers had intended starting for
| Europe next Monday. and they were
| straining every nerve and muscle to bring
| their machine to a point of perfection be-
| fore again offering it for sale to any
| European government.
Stearing Gear Cause of Mishap.
| The accident was not wholly unexpected
| by the Wrights. They have said all along
that the steering gear was bothering
| them, and that they would not attempt
| long distances or high attitudes until they
| were perfectly familiar with the new
| steering levers and felt that there was no
| danger.
The machine was not more than thirty
| feet from the sand when it fell So pro-
| ficient had the Wrights become in sailing
| ter of a few more days when they might
| be expected to make flight of fifty miles.
| If they saw fit to do SO. In fact. several
| persons who came here in skeptical atti-
| tude week ago would not have been sur
prised at any time to see them soar
| away out of sight.
Last Flight Best Of All.
They came a little short of doing that
! yesterday afternoon. Starting from a
| point near the aerodrome. the machine
sailed gracefully around one of the big
| sandhills, sped on past the second and
| third. turned around that one, came back
on the opposite side, skirting along the
surf line, and then. instead of coming to
the ground. the machine, after completing
this circle of about six miles, continued
on the same journey until it was dashed
to the ground.
!. In this long flight there was but one
operator in the machine, but prior to that
they had made three other remarkable
| flights, in one of which Orville Wright
steered the craft and took Mr.. Furness,
| their assistant, along as passenger. In
that flight they made an almost perfect
| circle about one Of the sand mountains.
covering about two miles in minutes and
3S seconds. They came down within few
! yards of the starting point and seemed to
do 1t all with as much ease as skillful
| chauffeur would stop an automobile in
| front Of building.
! Wednesday afternoon the ma chine
made two long flights up the coast and
| back again, going and returning almost
on the same time. On the second trip II
landed within thirty feet of the spot from
which it started. On each OF these flights
1t covered four miles or more. 1t went SO
| far, in fact, that it almost disappeared
| from view.