The Washington herald., 1908-05-24

Z It
one kilometer in closed circuit. thereby
winning the Deutch-Archdeacon Prize OF
SlO.O00. on April Il. 1905 Leon Delagrange,
with similar machine, also In France.
covered a distance Of more than l-2
kilometers.
From day to day. new reports have
been coming from North Carolina. where
the Wright Brothers. of Dayton. Ohio.
were making practice flights with one Of
their new machines. For more than ten
years these men have seriously devoted
themselves 10 the science Of aviation. AS
a result Of their long-continued study
and practice, they are now making his
tory. They first achieved success in
motor-flght IN 1903. The longest flight
made with one Of their earlier machines
was in October. 1906. This was more than
tweHty-four miles in length. and about
thirty-eight minutes duration. In some
quarters the accuracy Of these statements
has been called in question. but It has
never been doubted by those who have
visited Dayton for the purpose Of making
careful investigation.
Brothers 10 hy is no longer questionable.
Equally true is Il that these navigators
OF the air have accomplished marvellous
things IN their experiments OF the last
few wcoi's They. Americans, are by far,
IL would seem, the leading aviationists in
the world, although they are yet making
no claims to anything based on their late
achievements II would seem that they
have advanced the science Of aerial navi-
CATION at least 100 per cent within two
weeks.
1t is also a fact that the brothers
claim that all their fights here so fa-
are merely preliminary 10 greater efforts
soon 70 follow. The machine has already
flown three miles in an angular course.
turning twice, and has made several
flights OF about two miles In length Many
shorter ones have been made.
Undoubtedly the eight-mne flight over
the angular course Is the most remark
able flight ever made by a flying ma
chine, not alone for the distance which
II covered so much as from the fact that
It carried two people or the trip. both
the Wright brothers being comfortably
seated in the machine. Never before have
two men been carried in such a machine
for anything like that distance. the best
The trip is astonishing TO the followers Of
aerOnautics all over the world. Measure
ments CT distances flown are not exact.
owing TO the irregular course pursued
by the machine In its flights. but they
are practically correct.
The machine is absolutely helpless after
once lighting until IL has been towed
back TO the starting point. This opera
tion, a rather awkward one, is accom-
plished By placing the machine on two
wheels after which the engine is started
and the propellers force the machine
along on wheels, as they do IL through
the air It is then only necessary to
direct the course OF the machine. and
hold II in check. as the engine furnishes
plenty OF motive power
The starting Of the machine for
fight is quite an interesting process. Bal
anced and resting on a roller on a single
rail about 200 feet long. those who are 10
make the flight pla"e themselves in the
seats, Of which thc.e are two. The en-
gine is then started. and the machine.
balanced by a man at either end OF IL,
moves of. Its speed increases rapidly.
When II has moved forty feet, il is prob
ably moving al the rate OF twenty miles
an hour. and when It has moved along
the rail for a distance OF seventy or
seventy-fve feet 1t is probably moving
at the rate Of thirty miles an hour,
which is sufficient speed for the machine
20 glide above ground. The machine is
noisy, too. when il is in action, resem-
bling somewhat a cackling fowl in its
fight through the air. and making noise
in proportion TO its size
In selecting Kill Devil Hill as the base
Of their operations, the Wrights did il
for two reasons. They wanted seclusion,
and the miles Of sand there made t an
admirable place for the conduct OF their
tests. The place is secluded enough. Ten
miles from Manteo. a town Of 500 popu-
lation, Il is hard to reach, and there is
but a sparse population living In the vi
cinity Of the hlll TO concern them.