Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-12
FIRES FURY GROWING WRIGHT 'SNEWRECORD
Duluth Is Now in Great Wings Couple of "Figure
Smoke Pail. Eights,' Just as Easy.
TOWNS GIVE UP ALL HOPE LONGER IN AIR THAN EVER
Steamers Dispatched Destitute Aeropane Stays Ao Min
Inhabitants Twenty Seconds.
RAILROADS AID IN FIGHT MAKES 1856 MILES PER HOUR
by Nigh-Bonfre Possibilities n Warfare
Miles Long.
LONGER IN AIR THAN EVER
Aeroplane Stays Aloft Seventy Min
utes Twenty-Four Seconds.
MAKES 1856 MILES PER HOUR
Speed Record Disappoints Aeronaut.
Possibilities in Warfare Discussed
With Naval Officers.

His daily occupation of making history
and smashing aeroplane records was con-
tinued yesterday by Orville Wright
He stayed in the air seventy minutes
the newest longest flight that has ever
been made by an aeroplane. He cut figure
eights in the air while he was flying. This
is the first time he has cut this dido at
Fort Myer.
He also made record of the speed at
tanned He found he was doing 1855
miles an hour
This Is not up to his own expectations.
But the mere fact that it is little under
the calculated speed. while II appealed to
Wright as defect. was entirely lost sight
of by the spectators.
"Oh. this is too bad" said one OF the
signal officers. with a laugh. when the
flight was over. Another record gone
Pretty soon, if Wright goes up without
breaking a worlds record they will be-
saying the flight was not success.
Wrights Not Competing.
There seems no doubt that the quality
of the operator has a good deal to do
with the flight Also. it had been thought
that as soon as Orville Wright had es-
tablished a new record on this side that
his brother, Wilbur Wright. now in
France. would cut loose and do some
competitive record breaking This has
not happened.
The conditions possibly are not so good
in France as they are here. Wilbur
Wright is handicapped by being farther
from his base of operations and in having
little English-speaking mechanical aid.
Wilbur Wright is said by those who
know him to be a solemn appearing
quizzcal individual. He said at one time:
"Oh. yes. know Orville makes better
flights than I do. But then that is be-
cause / watch him and give him such
sound scientific advice. 1 don't have any
body to do that for me-"
The comparatively low speed made yes
terday led to some alterations in the ma
chine this morning. The old driving
sprockets were removed and q set put
on that would speed up the propellers a
good many revolutions. There probably
will be another time flight made this
afternoon.
The engine has been run only on three
quarter speed so far. 1t will probably be
let out today to full working power.
This will increase the speed even on
the circular course and give fair idea
of what the machine will do IA the speed
test. 1t will be in the straightaway flight.
however. that the actual high speed will
be made.
If the machine makes a speed of forty
four miles, as the designer hopes, this
will net the makers a bonus of $1,000.
making the cost of the machine to the
government $4,000.
Motor Stands Tests.
So far the motor has never failed. Dur
ing the longest flights 1t has neither pc
come overheated nor shown any indica-
ton Of skipping to any serious extent.
On one or two flights after it had been
running for over an hour, the motor skip
ped one cylinder out of the four in every
ten seconds or more. This made no ap-
parent difference in the speed of the
aeroplane. Wright considers it of no sig
nificance.
1t has been suggested to Wright by
several officers that he put rim around
his propellers, thus securing gyroscopic
effect.
That would be a great disadvantage"
was Wright's comment The machine
would then travel in a straight line, and
that is just what we don't want. We want
to have its control absolutely in our pow
err"
He explained that having the two pro-
pellers turn in opposite directions was not
for any particular utility. but was nee
essary because the rudder and the wires
which control 1t are in the center of the
draft. thus preventing the use of one pro-
peller.
We will try only one propeller later
on he said
Orville Wright has shown considerable
Wilbur Wright, who is making flights at
LeMans. France. He has heard that Will
bur has been suffering slightly from fe-
yer
Wright is being overwhelmed with re-
quests from enthusiasts to accompany
him on one of his flights.
Wright After Prize.
Wright has said that he is going to
Europe Immediately after his official
flights at Fort Myer, and. while he is
non-committal. he does not deny that his
object is to make an effort to capture
the prize of el0,OO0 offered by the Lon
don Daily Mail to the aviator making
the first flight from London to Manchester,
England
The distance is 1G0 miles. AS two stops
are allowed for replenishing the fuel sup
ply, 1t would consist of three flights OF
ffty-three miles each.
Wright feels confident he can fulfill the
conditions with the same type of machine
he is using at Fort Myer
Wright arrived at the testing grounds AFT
Fort Myer at o'clock yesterday Imme-
diately afterward he prepared to make a
flight.
He had been in conference with Lieut.
sweet, the representative OF the navy at
the aeronautical trials. in connection with
the plans of the naval branch of the serv-
ice for adopting aeroplanes.
Weather conditions were ideal. Wright
on the starting track. Before making the
first flight Wright said:
4 want to make flight of about ten
minutes in order to see how my present
speed compares with what l made at
Kitty Hawk, n. c.
Il have a time and distance apparatus
attached to the aeroplane. AS it registers
only ten kilometers without repeating I
have to make a short flight in order to
determine the speed at which the machine
travels through the air.
1885 Miles Per Hour.
Starting at 4:41, the aeroplane made
nine rounds of the drill grounds. Then,
landing within a few feet of the thousand
or more spectators, Wright computed the
speed of his record breaking flights.
THE annemometer registers 11.44 kilo-
meters" said Wright, making the speed
a little over thirtynine miles an hour.
We made forty-four miles an hour at
Kitty Hawk with a little less power.
..Of course the turns there were much
longer Therefore. they did not impair
the speed as much the turns / made
here But 1 had no idea there was such
a great difference"
Later Wright found he had miscalcve