The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1908-06-19
On this side Of the Atlantic. Prof.

On this side Of the Atlantic. Prof.
8. p. Langley conducted some notable
experiments, f%ashioning In 1896 a
small, steamdriven aeroplane which
made a flight Of three-Quarters of a
mile. In the same year Chanute OF
Chicago constructed a gliding ma
chine which attracted some attention.
Four years later the Wright brothers,
two young bicycle makers Of Dayton,
began experimenting.
1t was not long before their efforts
began to attract attention. But they
sedulously avoided notoriety. kept
their own counsel, and devoted them
selves to the task Of solving the prob
lem OF mechanical flight. Mr.. Turner,
however, gained their confidence, and
thus describes them: Two lean.
quiet men in a dingy, commonplace
little brick bicycle shop; pleasant, un-
assuming. most approachable, but
shy and silent under the oppression
Of the greatest secret OF the time. Or
Vile, OF the more social and
tional temperament, did the greater
share of the talking-an amiable, kind.
ly-faced man of 35. Wilbur-prema.
turely bald, about 40, with the watch.
full eyes, marked facial lines, and dry,
brief speech of a naturally reticent
man"
Their New Method.
To quote his account OF what the
brothers told him just prior to their
going abroad last year for the demon
stration of their machines before for.
eign war departments:
I'VE had worked out a new method
of practice with gliding machines"
they explained. "Lillienthal and Cha
mute had obtained their experience In
flying with the operators launching
himself from a hill and gliding down
on to lower land. This involved car
rying back their apparatus, after a
short flight, to the top of the hill
again. Because of the difficulties Of
this awkward method, although LII
lienthal had made owe 1000 flights.
we calculated that in all his five years
OF experiment he could not have been
dStuuiy piaSNiSihS hyi'6 hioi 'hoh
Ave hours-far too short for the ordi-
nary man to learn to ride a bicycle.
II was our plan to follow the example
Of soaring birds, and find a place
where we could be supported by
strong rising winds.
"A bird Is really an aeroplane. The
portions Of Its wings near the body
are used as planes of support, while
the more flexible parts outside, when
tapped, act as propellers. Some OF the
soaring birds are not much more than
animated sailing machines. A buzZard
can be safely kept in an open pen &c
feet across and ten feet high. He
from observation made by ourselves
that he cannot fly for any distance vi
a grade of n to six.
Yet these birds sailing through the
air are among the commonest sights
through a great section of the country
Every one who has been outdoors ha!
seen a buzZard or hawk soaring
every n who has been at sea ha!
seen the gulls sailing after a steam
ship for hundreds of miles with scarce
ly a movement Of the wings. All o
these birds are doing the same thinl
they are balancing on rising cur
rents of air. The buzzards and hawk,
find the currents blowing upward of
the land: the gulls that follow TIT
steamers from New York to Florida
are merely sliding down Hill a thou
sand miles on rising currents I'm tn,
wake Of the steamer in the atmos
phere, and on the hot air rising from
her smokestacks."
Think Great Speed Possible.
The brothers believe that the event
nnl anaad Of tho aarnnlana mIl "a,