The Honesdale citizen. [volume] (Honesdale, Pa.) 1873-1908, 1908-09-24
new RECORD OF
Wilbur WRIGHT
He Makes His AerOplane Fly
Sixty-One Miles.
Up An HOUR AND A HALF

Beats Az Previous Records In Presence
u 10000 Spectators Who Had In
Mind the Disaster Which Recently
Cost the Life Of Lieutenant Selfridss.
Gould Have Remained Aioft For
Longer Period-Maehins Acted Mag
nifiesntiy.
lie Mans, Sept. 22.-In the presence
OF the officials Of the French Aero
club. General Bazaine- Haytsr. COM
mander Of the Fourth army corps:
large numler Of French and foreign
officers and acroplane experts and
wildly cheering crowd numbering TO-
600 Wilbur Wright. the American aero
naut, accomplished signal triumph,
capturing the worlds record from his
brother, Orville Wright with mar
vslously impressive flight In his pow
erful machine Of hour 81 minutes II
seconds covering In that time an ac-
tual distance Of ninety eight kilome-
tsrs, or nearly slxty-one miles.
Owing to the recent accident at Fort
Myer the trial for the Mlchelin cup for
the greatest distance covered by an
aeroplane In 1908 and the Aero club
prize OF $1,000 for the longest flight
over an incloscd ground attracted in
tense interest. although the spectators
displayed the utmost Difference and
sympathy.
Could Have Sailed Farther.
Mr.. Wright stated that he had de-
sccndcd only because Of darkness. He
still had sufficient essence In the tank
10 last an hour.
Mr.. Wright at first appeared nervous,
and III luck seemed to he pursuing
him. The wind was too high In the
morning to permit OF a flight, and
when II fell at 4 O'Clock in the after
noon Wright made three false starts
owing to the oblique direction Of the
breeze and trouble experienced with
the cradle
Finally at 5:15, after the direction
Or INC starting rail had been changed
to point In the teeth of the breeze,
which was then blowing gently at
about four miles an hour, the aviator
got away nicely, sailing majestically
up the field amid laundering cheers.
Red flags were posted at regular inter
walls, which permitted the spectators
to estimate the distance as the flight
proceeded.
Railroad Train Steadiness.
After rounding the upper turn
Wright swept back to where the thou
sands were gathered and began de-
scribing ellipses. Round and round he
vent with the regularity Of clockwork
aha~the steadiness Of a railroad train
The great crowd was at once delighted
and amazed at the remarkable stability
shown bS>tha-AssUrfafc. Wright at
first manifested extraordinary pru-
dence, flying so low that he seemed
almost to skim the earth, but on the
thirteenth round he rose to sixty feet.
In the gathering darkness the spec
tacle became thrilling. The aeroplane
could no longer be seen at the farther
end Of the field It appeared and dis
appeared in the gloom like white
phantom, but the sound OF the cease
less churn Of the propeilers told the
multitude, which had now grown fran
tic, that Wright still was in the air.
Matches were lighted to keep watch
on the fieeting minutes, and night had
fallen when at the end Of the thirty
third round Wright shut of his motor
and came lightly to the ground In
front OF the derrick.
With a mad cheer the crowd broke
through the lines and rushed forward,
only being prevented from holsting the
American in triumph on their shOul-
ders by charging cavalry.
Ambassador White said he believed
the American people should present a
testimonial to the Wright brothers.