The Nevada County picayune., 1908-09-24
WRIGHT TALKS 0F WRECK
SAYS HE COULD HAVE SAVED AIRSHIP HAD IT BEEN
 25 FEET HIGHER.
SELFRlDGE IS EULOGlZED
Lieutenant Is a Martyr to Progress, 1t Is Deciared-Gueston of Aerial Navigation Has Been
 Solved.

Washington. Sept 19.-A shapeless mass of splintered wood, twisted Wlre, bent tubing and torn canvas, the Wright brothers aeroplane, which only a few days ago was astonishing the world with its air conquering eX- ploits, lies inert on the floor of the aerial garage" at Fort Myer.
 Wright. from his bed of sickness, saw Friday for the first time since the tragedy, his first assistant C. E. Taylor, and to Taylor he contided that all might have been saved II the machine had had % or even 10 feet Ill which to right itself. He was getting it under control, he said, and had the fall been 100 feet, instead of the fatal 75 feet. he might have landed grace fully. in an upright position, as he has numbers of times before.
 Lieut.. Thomas F. Selfridge, the army's first sacrifice to the science of aeronautics is dead. With fractured ribs and thigh, bruised and helpless though on the road to recovery, Or vile Wright is being tenderly cared tor at the Garrison Hospital still ignorant of the tragic outcome Of Thursdays voyage.
 The catastrophe came on the very eye of what promised to be the daring aviators greatest triumph. For the first time he would have forsaken the circular course above the parade grounds of the fort and sailed his craft over the Virginia hills for tve miles straight and return in the hope of meeting the Signal Corps require ment of 10 miles an hour.
 Martyr to Progress.
 Lieut.. Seltridge is martyr to progress" said Maj. Squier, acting chief signal officer and chief of the Aeronautical board, which was to pass upon the qualifications of the aero plane. Even if there should be no more flights the question of aerial navigation has. to my mind, been solved for all time The last four per formances of the Wright aeroplane have scientifically proven it's place i'll history.
 Maj. Fournier, the French Military Attache here. who witnessed nearly every flight made by MT Wright, and who is an expert in aeronautical science, was deeply shocked al the ac- cident
 As in all branches of science" he said there must be a martyr. such as Lieut.. Sefridge, giving his life to history. At such a time as this l am too deeply grieyed to speculate as to the future of aeronautics. I do not think his heroic death will delay inter- national experimentation.
 May Yet Be Accepted.
 Friday the suggestion was made at the War Department that the Wright model may be accepted by the Govern ment.
 By direction of Maj Squier. an in- yestgation was begun Friday to de tprmine the precise cause of the cat astrophe. The entire Aeronautical board, including Maj Charles Nick. Sal2man, Capt Charles $. Wallace Lieut.. Frank P Lahm, all of the Signal Corps; Lieut.. George C. Sweet, |. s. Na and Lieut. Richard B Creeey, [. s. NJ. C., are now at Fort Myer in- reviewing witnesses of the accident and examining what remains of the aeroplane.
 According 10 Prof octave Chanute, the pioneer aeroplanist, who had seen nearly every flight made by Wright at Fort Myer, if the craft had been sailing in a straight course it would probably have glided to the ground without serious consequences. Prof. Chanute was keenly affected by the accident, and there were tears in his eyes as he talked to newspaper men. JURY SAYS JAMES MUST HANG.