The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-05-14
OBEYS HELM IN AIR.


Secret Machine to Soar
Through the Air From Testing
Station Fifteen Miles and Back,
And Do the Distance Within an
Hour.
Manteo Special to The Washington Post sth.
With their flying machine un-
der perfect control, the Wright
brothers to-day scared over
the sand dunes at Kill-Devil
Hill with the ease of a bird. They
made as many as ten assertions,
and, although all we're of
short duration and distance, for
the purpose of continuing the
experiments with the new de
sign of steering gear, the ma
chine at all times responded to
it's pilots will.
Not once was there serious
trouble in launchidg the machine
andits alighting, heretofore one of
the serious problems in 9ronau
tics, was always accomplished
with ease and without accident.
Not once did the machine de-
scend before it was so directed
by the skillful hand of the navi
gator.
The two Wrights took turns
about in making ascents. They
showed equal skill in handling
the machine. At no time did it
appear necessary to direct the
machine to the ground. Appar-
eutly, it could have continued
It's fight for many miles.
1t was the intention of the aero
nauts to have made long flight
today, to Oregon inlet, Is miles
to the south and return, but the
experiments with the steering
gear consumed most of the day,
and it was too late 10 undertake
when they were tinshished
They expect to fly to the inlet
and return within an hour. Thai
flight or one of equal distance
will probably be undertaken to-
morrow.
The Wrights fully expect tt
break all worlds records for dis
lance and maneuvering will
machine heavier than air befor,
they leave here.
The longest flight to-day wa
for a distance of mile and hall
1t took about two minutes
make that flight. The speed @
the machine is calculated a
between 40 and 90 miles an hour
AS to the distance it is capable {
flying that would be governed b
it's fuel capacity. The capacity {
the present machine is easil
great enough to carry it for sew
eral hundred miles.
Weather conditions were favo
able for the fights today. TT
air was clear, and a light breez
with a velocity from 20 to
miles an hour, was blowing fro
the southwest. The start of tt
machine is made from a mon
rail $50 feet long. Along that
glides until it has gained nome
tum sufficient to ascend. TIL
it usually does after it has ira
eled about 100 feet, when it
moving at the rate of about
miles an hour. The weight
the machine probably does u
exceed $50 pounds. The engi
which drives it weighs only
pounds, and is capable of dev,
oping 30 horsepower.
It's manner of acting in t
air is very much like that o
bird in flight, 1t can be turn
to the right or to the left, ma
to soar high or low at the will
the navigator and can be direct
over any point.
1t is the firm belief of the
ventors that they now have
machine that is far more pract
able than any other heavier-th
air machine made. The WrigI
positively refuse to talk abb
themselves or their machine, a
all that can be learned alb,
either is by observation.
their experiments have so
been conducted in the vicinity
Kill-Devil Hill. They are S
rounded by miles of desert S;
hills. The Kill-Devil Hill
saving station, with it's crew
half dozen men, is few m
from them. Captain Ward, cI
of the life savers, and his Z
help the inventors in handl
their machine, and these and
or two others were the sole
servers of the experiments.