The Washington herald., 1908-08-15
Continued from Page One.
% @

be accepted. Capt Baldwin VIII remain
al Fort Myer for some time. coaching
Signal Corps officers in the art OF oper-
atinE IL in the air. Lieuts- Lahm and
Selfridge probably VIII be the first officers
10 Try The machine after II Is turned over
70 the government. Lieut. SeIfridEe. who
is secretary Of the Aerial Experiment As
sociation. viii today receive a motor
cycle equipped with an engine similar %
the one on the dirigibIe made by Mr..
CUrtiss-
Because Of the failure Of the balloon
TO ly Thursday afternoon. only small
crowd Of men and women j0urneyed out
20. Fort 1Iyer yesterday evening Those
who came. however. are stsnch admirers
Of Capt Baldwin and Mr. Curtiss-
When Capt Baldwin announced 10 the
members Of the board between 3 and s
o'clock that he believed he could develop
high speed in the slight wind blowing.
LIeuts Lahm and Fou-ois went 10 Cher
rydaIe In an automobile and hOlsted a
red signal Corps flag 20 msrk the north
eu end OF the course Maj Russell
MAJ Sguier. and Capt Wallace station
ed themselves at the trolley car tracks
running through Fort Myer- This mark
ed The southern end Of the course on
Cial time was taken on the balloon as
soon az il passed over the car tracks
With weather conditions almost ideal.
perfect balance. and the engine working
al its best. Capt. Baldwin ordered the
balloon taken from The wall tent at SIS
o'clock. At 6.S5 o'clock he shouted
Everybody let 60" and the dirigible
scared into the air Capt Baldwin steer
ed due west and across the trolley tracks
about 111 feet west Of the Official timers
Passed over Clarendon.
The balloon Travelled OF an even keel
throughout the trip. and little Jacking
was necessary in order 70 follow the
course after sailing a half mile straight
ahead toward BalIstou. Capt Baldwin
steered 20 the right and was going al
top speed as he passed over Clarendon.
He followed the Falls Church car tracks
half a nile beyond Clarendon. and then
crossed the Virginia hills 20 the Old Do
uinion tracks. The balloon maintained
an altitude % about 400 feet during the
flight Capt Baldwin had little steering
10 do. as the sputtering engine pulled
the huge fabric almost straight ahead
At 6-l O'Clock the balloon passed the
northern boundary Of the course, Capt
Baldwin sailing the distance Of a city
block beyond Il 70 make sure he had
crossed il He described a semicircle in
ElE ak ana starter DrlR 10 7 iEA II e.
The roads which had TO be Travelled ia
order 20 fellow the balloon were rough.
rocky. hiIly. and the automobile wrigglej
ike a snake At the east end Of Car
end0n. Capt Baldwin could be seen stand
ing on the framework. holding to the rud-
der ropes with one hand and talking 10
Mr.. Curtiss through a megaphone, which
he held in the other
When the meEaphone was replaced in
D --T--rr -Hrw-~
machines speed increased Preceptbly.
AIr- Curtiss sat on his seat. manipulating
the several levers by which the engine
I is controlled
The automobile with which the balloon
was followed travelled At a rate Of
Z Twenty-Five OF thirty miles an hour Not
withstandinE this speed Capt. Baldwin.
{ travelling az a lower rate in the air
/ reached Fort Myer a few minutes ahead
! OF the land craft. He cid not descend
I Immediately after casting out his drag
I rope. but circled over the parade ground
[ several times in order to land near the
I tent
| Fifteen Minutes of Flight
The balloon recrossed the starting
point at 6.iS o'clock. making q total Of
( fifteen minutes that Capt Baldwin was
/ adoat not CeducJing the time he took
/ TO make the broad turn at Cberrydale-
/ After the cheers Of the crowd had died
away. and a pretty young woman. whom
/ Capt. Baldwin called his mascot, had
/ shaken his hand and congratulated him,
/ Mai. SpUier suggested the final speed
[ trial be made by the aeronauts while
/ their engine was in perfect condition, and
I weather conditions in their favor
Capt Baldwin and 8Ir- Curtiss readily
/ consented TO attempt the second fight
After an auxiliary balloon filed with
/ hydrogen gas had been emptied into the
! gray silk envelope. Mr.. Curtiss gave his
/ engine a preliminary trial, and announced
I he was ready TO set sail
/ The balloon rose from the earth for the
! second time at 5-09 o'clock. At 40 o'clock
II crossed the Official starting point for the
/ last speed trial Capt. Baldwin kept di-
! rectly over Fort Myer. and did rot Teer
! out Of his course more than a few feet
/ at any time. he sailed over the Fort
! Myer courthouse. east Of Clarendon.
| and reached the Old Dominion car tracks
[ at more southerIy point than on the
]