Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-22
Delay Till Afternoon.

Mr. ana MIS-. mart ". befS lHNileu ALI
bassador White and his party to breakfast
at the Hotel Dauphin. But Wright, who
was also invited, preferred to remain near
his machine and rest for the afternoons
effort
After breakfast the ambassador visited
the cathedral and the interesting features
in town At half past o'clock he went
out to the camp, where crowd, esti-
mated at more than ten thousand, had
gathered to the trials. The entire field
was surrounded by the multitude which
had arrived in automobiles, on bicycles
afoot and in all sorts of conveyances i'm
aginable.
At 4 o'clock. when Wright took his
place in the machine, the spectacle was
pared to great race meeting at Long
champs.
There were three false starts. and at
each the aeroplane refused to rise. 1t
glided along the rail and, instead OF
mounting swiftly as usual. continued
along the ground.
Feared the Motor.
Groans of disappointment were uttered
by the crowd as 1t looked as though the
motor was at it's old tricks again and
refusing to do what was asked Of 1t. But
this was not the case, for it appears that
the roller. wherein the machine runs
down the rail, was damaged and when. on
the third attempt. Wright failed to rise,
he looked at this and saw where the trou-
BILE lay.
At the fourth attempt, with the start
ing rail slowed round to normal posi-
ton, the machine rose easily and was on
on it's record breaking career.
The wind had fallen to negligible
point and everything was in favor OF a
long, steady flight, save that the sun was
rapidly sinking behind the range Of hills
that guard the camp on the west
The flight went on all the same at an
average height of twenty-five feet. The
aviator kept the machine upon its cir
cular path and never did 1t falter.
Once or twice. as If impelled by that
spirit of daring which has made him and
his brother two of the most remarkable
aeronauts of the time. he rose high into
the air above the heads of the people. 1t
was a fascinating spectacle though last
ing SO long as to be almost fatisuing.
Flight Becomes Enhancing.
When dusk crept on and the little breeze
which had been blowing died away the
flight became more and more enhancing.
From time to time the machine would
disappear in the cleaning so that 1t al
most seemed to have followed the ex-
ample of the birds and gone to rOost In
the woods at the far end of the ground.
Then would come the whirling sound of
the propellers and the cracking of the
motor, and out of the evening haze there
appeared slender streak OF white.
From time to time the crowd was I'M
able to restrain it's enthusiasm and when
he hour was signaled there came
frantic cheer, and when Orville Wright
record went and the machine still new
on in the darkness a yell went up which
| defies description.
| Wright did not heed it. but with face
| set hard, compressed lips and hands light
| ly playing with the levers he bore along.
| His attitude, at once easy and full of de-
| termination, seemed to indicate his wish
to esta blish not only record which would
| have little chance OF being broken but also
| an ardent desire to show that the accident
| to his brother in America was merely a
mishap and in nowise due to any defect
| in the principles upon which his apparatus
| is built
| He succeeded, and there was not a man
present, not even his former relentless
| critics, who did not recognize the mar
velous stability and security with which
| the machine swept through the air.
Showered With Praise.
When he descended, as he did in the
darkness with an easy, gliding movement
he received in addition to the congratula-
tons of the American ambassador, those
of every man who could get within speak
ing distance
When he came to the ground the crowd
broke the bounds and surrounded the
apparatus in few moments. The police
and soldiers in the darkness could do moth
| ing to stem the rush, and for a moment
| 1t looked though the machine would
get damaged.
Wright. who was talking with Ambas-
| sador White, looked alarmed, but the
crowd held back almost respectfully and
| formed a circle around Wright, who had
both arms almost frozen by the chill night
| air for he was only lightly dressed
| When he heard the official time he
| showed his pleasure by a happy SMILE
Il thought of Orville all the time" he
| said afterward. Il was determined to
| show that the invention is not a play
| thing. incapable of nothing more than
| leaps and falls. as some people seem to