Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-09-04
EXPERIMENTS At FORT ErER, Va.
While Making a Trip Around the
Drill Grounds the Machine Suddenly
Swerved and Then Came to the
Ground With a 1hump-Wrisht Was
Not Injured.
(By Associated Press).

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Sept. g.
Orville Wright made a flight in his
acroplane at Fort Myer. Virginia. this
evening. While making the second
circle OF the drill grounds. Mr.. Wrigh,
pulled tn lever which controls the
planes in the wrong direction and he
was compelled to descend in order To
avoid running into some wires. The
machine enc.rcled tn. grounds once
and was half way around the field
when the mishap occurred
The asroplane was n the air for
one minute and fifteen .Conds. Orville
Wright was AT work all day preparing
for today's flight, The starting ap,
paratus was thoroughly testei, and
shortly before five o'clock. the aero
plane was wheel d across the drill
grounds to the starting track. Over
an hour was consumed in testing the
motor and arranging details
Starting back from the aerOpiane. n
crowd OF several hundred people. in
Guiding distinguished officers ant
ssien!ists u, farmgd a semtclrcle. The
the motor was first started, hut the
trouble soon was remedied and the
motor was started 10y the second tine.
Made Gradual Ascent.
At 5:55 O'Clock the aeroplane shot
out along the single track and reach
ing the end, continued 10 travel aions
the ground on its runners Tor about
twenty. feet when. Mr.. Wright turned
the forward planes upward and tine
machine gradually rose from the
ground. Mr.. Wright directed 1t to,
ward the other end Of the field. where
a graceful turn was made for the re-
turn trip. Turning directly over the
starting apparatus. Mr.. Wright con-
tinu"d on the second trip, just as the
machine started TO make the turn io'
the second return trip. it was seen III
dart down to the earth in front OF the
tent. There was no one at that END
of the field and the crowd ran pell
nell for the aeroplane. cheering wild
,iy.
The genera! Impression was that
Mr.. Wright had descended purPoselS
directly in front Cfthe tent where the
aeroplana is housed. IL was found
though. that the forward part Of the
right hand runner nad been broker
of in two places. Mr.. Wright was
uninjnrcd and calmly told the crowd
how the acciden; happened. He SAID
Pulled Lever Wrong Way.
II pulled the lever the wrong wa
| and the machine turned in the direc
ton of those wires and that wood pole
| 7 therefore had to bring the machine
down 10 the earth rather suddenly
The mistake was due 10 the chang'
We have made in the position OF th'
operator on the mac11ine. with whic'
have become thoroughly familiar
, The damage could be repaired wifhii
few hours if We had the materia
here " had not made the mistake
in turning I would probably have mad
several more circles around the neih.
Mr. Wright expressed his ebtF'
satisfaction with the machine Which
was built for the signal corps OF IN
army Throughout the short fiigh
the aeropiane made numerous unduia
lions. coming very clos TO the Srouht
at times. TIT never rising higher tha'
| - feet from the earth. Mr.. WriEh
isaid the unduiating movement was dn'
TO The fact that he paid little att
,ion to the small planes in front which
controls the ascent and descent ~ TN
machine. Il was giving all my ut
l;en,iun 10 making the curves" he said
Mr.. Wright said he was h:t'c ner
vous because u was his first hght "
tho rev machine. He said. however
that tho future flights will 30 easier
! Mr. Wright estimated today's spec
NJ IS niI~s an hour. covering over
distance of about three quarters cf
mile