The San Francisco call., 1908-08-09
WRIGHT AFROPIANE
MAKES FIRST FLIGHT
Ohio Man Proves Master OF
Airship and Experts Pro-
nounce 1t a Success
Machine Circles Twice Around
Field and Descends at COM
mand of Operator

LIE MANS France. Aug s--Wilbur
l Wright OF Dayton. O.. made flight
variously computed ar from ~ 10 I
kflometers with his aer0pIane here this
afternoon The official time OF the
/ flight was / minute and IS seconds
No attempt was made for distance
record the only object OF the flight
being 20 try out the aeropIane. While
( flying through the air Wright demon
strated, or il so appeared 10 the spec
I tators- that he was absolute master OF
the airshfp. first soaring and then
+ shooting downward and then mounting
again at viii, until finally. after COM
pIeting two circles, he came down
easily 70 earth
The performance was greeted with q
burst Of cheers from small number Of
E people invited 20 view the experiment.
f Wright was warmly congratulated By
all the experts. who style the flight &
wonderful exhibition
DIsPELs EUROPEAN DOUBTS
/ This flight puts an end TO the long.
/ anxious wait in~ America and Europe
10 see what the Wright brothers were
capable Of accomplishing In Europe
{ the mysterious Wrights" have been an
/ absorbing problem FOR aviation en-
thusiasts ard they have interested the
representatives OF various govern
ments.
I The long postponenent OF q public
/ exhibition OF what the Americans had
70 show the world aroused the liveliest
comment and from some quarters q
touch OF skepticism. a Paris news
paper only last night referring 10 the
BLUR Wright brothers" OF whom
everybody has been talking for many
E years. but who as yet have not made
good"
Nevertheless the silent wright pre-
pared long. patiently and carefully for
the great occasion when he was 70
dispel these doubts and uphold the
name OF America Though disabled as
I Wright labored steadily He put his
machine together in q shed. on a field
T just outside OF lie Mans, sleeping By
/ night beside the invention
WEATHER CONDITIONS GOOD
Weather conditions for the test were
i splendid The sky was blue and with
out 2 cloud and q gentle northwest
breeze was blowing
ShortIy before O'Clock this after
noon the seroplane. which IS the same
as that used IN the United States. was
i brought out Of its shed and mounted
+ on a small. single wheeled chariot. which
in turn was resting OF g single rail on
the ground After a preliminary test
OF the apparatus Wright declared all
was ready and took g position beside
I the motor BY means OF q falling
weight rfgged on beam erected in the
/ ground and connecting with cords run
! ming 70 IL. the chariot was started
/ running over the rail ard the aero
plane, thus having been given 4 for
ward motion. suddenly left the chariot
and aScended like a bird 10 3 height
OF about 40 feet Then II swerve6 and
/ turned in its course and sailed up the
field II dipped gracefully up and
down. attaining & height Of sixty feet.
and then descended 10 between so and
80 feet
CIRCLES FIELD TWICE
Wright thus twice circIed the field
and then. stopping the motor. brought
/ improvised grand stand. which was
/ filed with wildly cheering spectators.
i The descent was sure and easy and
was carried out with great nicety.
1 without causing shock 70 either the
machine or its operator. Wright said
I an perfectly satisfied with my
first flight I made one or two little
mistakes. but ! am confident that I
VIII be able 10 Go AL I hope for in
later trials. possibly next week
i Estimates vary as 10 the distance
/ average was three kilometers. about
! Is miles Hart O. Berg. European
representative OF the Wright brothers.
gave the official tine as 1.4s
The people OF lie Mans are enthusi-
j sstic over the experiment Many
youngsters who had not been hidden
70 witness it were perched in trees
/ surrounding the course and betrayed
their presence by spontaneous yelIs as
II