Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-05
WRIGHT FLIES AGAIN
Not a Hitch in Operation This
Time.
LANDS AS EASILY AS BIRD
A Big Crowd at Fort Myer Cheers
Justify.
HE STAYS UP MUCH LONGER
Damage Caused by First Flight Is
Easily Alphabetically
Patrol Handles Crowd. .
ANDS AS EASILY AS BIRD
[E STAYS UP MUCH LONGER

before crowd of about 300. He was
four minutes and fifteen seconds in the
air and made four and one-half complete
circles OF the cavalry drill grounds. 1t
was expected that he would fly again this
morning, but although there were num-
Der of newspaper men on hand at s
o'clock. Mr.. Wright took a late breakfast
in town and did not appear on the grounds
until after 10 o'clock.
He went over the machine carefully and
made preparations for an early flight
this afternoon.
There was brisk eight-mile breeze
blowing, but 1t was from the south, which
was the right direction for the aviator,
so this did not interfere with him.
The fight this afternoon probably will
be made earlier than usual, and if the
engine is running as we'll as in the pre-
vious performances, the time in the
air will probably be increased. Mr..
Wright is not yet entirely familiar with
the new system of levers controlling the
flight of the machine, and probably will
make several more short trials before go
ing higher in the air and leaving the limit
of the drill ground.
Wright last evening made the sec
his aeroplane at Fort Myer. 1t was an
improvement On the first flight, lasted
nearly four times as long. and. though
the speed was lower, it was accomplished
without a hitch on about half the full
engine power and ended with as fine a
landing as it is possible for an aero
plane to make.
The damage to the machine on the first
W. bn had
been expected. Some lumber of the right
sort was found in this city. 1t was
hustled to the saw mill and quickly ripped
into the right shape and fitted to the
machine. At $50 o'clock the plane was
brought out to the starting track. looking
as though it never had met with an ac-
cident. Aboiit half an hour was spent
as usual in trying out the engine and in
making adjustments. Then the weights
were dropped and the plane glided down
the track and took the air without hest
tation.
1t was great fight from a mechanical
standpoint. but not spectacular because
of it's smoothness. On the run down
had the customary undulating movement,
due as Mr.. Wright said afterward, to his
paying all attention to the turning planes
and hardly any to the lifting rudder. He
cut in sharp at the lower end of the field
and gave the balloon tent wide mar
gin. 1t was this tent that had caused
the untimely ending of the first fight.
Thirty-Five Miles an Hour.
He was not travelling over thirtyfive
miles an hour. Soaring as easily as
bird, he turned and went back up the
opposite side of the field to the starting
point. The crowd had recovered it's breath
since the first flight and cheered him
heartily. Round he swept on the second
Urn In
He was feeling out the machine and prac-
ticing handling the double steering lever,
which is the essential in the control of
the whole machine.
Standing directly in front of him it was
almost impossible to see the distortion Of
the wings as the turn was made but even
at that Mr.. Wright said afterward that
he had distorted them more than was nee
essary. Mr.. Wright said he reached a
height of thirty feet, but it looked higher
to the spectators.
The succeeding rounds were much like
the first. 1t was only d question of how
long the aviator wanted to keep going.
At the end of the fourth round of the
field he Strengthened out and when half
way down the field 1t was evident that he
intended to land. The side planes were
neglected for once and the machine came
on a straight course. dropping gently a
hundred feet away from the balloon tent
and straight in front of the entrance
There was little curl of dust where the
runners slid along the EARTH but the jar
of the machine would hardly have broken
an egg. Fifty feet away the sound of the
impact was not to be heard.
No Respecter of Persons.
The cavalry patrol that had been sta
toned around the field charged down on
the crowd and announced CURLY that
nobody was allowed near the machine.
There was some protest from a number
of the correspondents who had press
badges but this did not avail The
riders edged their horses at the various
groups and forced them off the ground.
Mr. Wright was talking in one of these
punches, and he turned with indiffer
ent shrug of his shoulders and allowed
himself to be driven away from his own
machine. continuing his conversation with
some of the reporters who were question
ing him.
Further up the field Gen. Allen. the
chief signal officer. had no better luck.
The mounted artillsrymen did not know
him from any other spectator. and chased
him off the field with as little ceremony.
Gen. Allen went. too.
Actuated by the death of Charles Oliver
Jones at Waterville, Me-. Wednesday by
falling from his airship. the Boone
rang leading aeronauts gathered at
Fort Myer to witness the aeroplane tests.
seriously discussing the adVisa bility of
the enactment of IL law which would tend
to prevent accidents of this character.
1t is proposed to make 1t illegal for any
one not holding an aeronauts license from
a recognized aero club to make an ascen
sion.
Aero clubs have been formed in nearly
twenty cities and nearly all balloon as
tensions by recognized aeronauts are
made under the auspices of the Aero
Club of America. In order to upheld the
dignity of aeronautics as science and to
insure it's progress along correct lines 1t
is proposed that these clubs be given
power to issue license to aeronautS.
Accidents Too Frequent
There have been numerous accidents in
connection with aerial navigation, nota-
bly, the collapse of a large dirigible in
California last winter, in which several
persons were injured. These accidents,
it is claimed have been due to the in
experience of the aeronauts Charles
Oliver Jones has long been known as a
daring balloonist, and although he was,
a member of the Aero Club of America
he had never been granted pilots Ii
cense by that organization. 1t Is the con-
tention Of those most interested in aerial
navigation that these accidents have done
much toward thwarting the progress of
the science.
The accident which caused Jones
death was probably due to the exhaust of
his engine being thrown up against the
gas bag and igniting the gas through a
leak. Jones made his headquarters in
Hammondsport, the home of the Aerial
Experiment Association. There is a
movement on foot there to raise a fund