Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-09
FRENCH AVIATORS APPLAUD
Nearly Two Miles Covered Near
Lemans, France.
HE HAS PERFECT CONTROL
Expects to Do Greater Things Next
Week in His Second Trial
Abroad

| LEMANS. France. August S.-Wilbur
Wright of Dayton. Ohio made a fight es-
tmated at three kilometers (about is
miles, in I minute and IS seconds with his
aeroplane he-c this afternoon. This speed
was little greater than a mile minute
Throughout the flight Mr.. Wright had
perfect control of the machine.
Afterward Mr.. Wright said to the AS
socia ted Press:
Il am perfectly satisfied with my first
| flight. l made one or two little mistakes,
but l am confident that 1 will be able to
| do all I hope for in later trials probably
next week
| Estimates vary to the distance COW
cred by the aeroplane, but the average
was three kilOmeters. about los miles.
Hart o. Berg. European representative of
the Wright brothers. gave the official time
as ! minute As seconds.
The populace of Lemans is enthusiastic
over the experiment. Many youngsters
who had not been hidden to witness it
were perched in trees surrounding the
! course and betrayed their presence by
spontaneous yells as Mr.. Wright sailed
by them.
No Attempt for Distance.
No attempt was made for n distance
record. the only object Of the flight being
to try out the aeroplane. While flying
through the air Wright demonstrated, or
so it appeared to the spectators. that he
was absolute master of the airship, first
soaring. then shooting gracefully down.
ward. and then mounting again at Will,
until finally. after completing two circles.
he came down easily to the, earth.
The performance was greeted with a
burst of cheers from small number of
people invited to view the experiment.
Wright was warmly congratulated by all
the spectators. including a few French
aeronauts. two Russian army officers and
a number of other experts, who styled the
flight wonderful exhibition of aviation.
The successful flight made by Wilbur
Wright with his aerOplane today puts an
end to the long. anxious waitirs fA u,faE3 .i,sEE33
lea and Europe TO ace what fne wright
brothers were capable of accomplishing.
In Europe th.-z. .Sns1sterteff. S*'rfssfS rave
been an abso! ding problem for aviation
enthusiasts and they have interested the
representatives of various governments
Claims Justified.
The long postponement Of public exhi-
bition Of what the Americans had to show
the world aroused the liveliest comment,
and from some quarters touch OF skep-
ticism, a Paris newspaper only last night
referring to the bluff Wright brothers,
of whom everybody has been talking for
many years, but who as yet nave not
made good =.
Nevertheless the silent Wright prepared
long patiently and carefully Tor the great
occasion when he was to dispel these
doubts and uphold the name of America
Though disabled as the result Of an ex-
plosion of a tube. Wright labored steadily.
He put his machine together In shed on
a field Just outside Lemans, sleeping by
night beside the invention.
Weather conditions for the test were
splendid The sky was blue and without
cloud and a gentle northwest breeze
was blowing.
It was shortly before 3 o'clock this
afternoon when the aeroplane: which Is
the same as that used in the United
States was brought out of its shed and
mounted on a small single-wheeled char
lot. which, in turn, was resting on
single rail on the ground. After pre-
Wright declared all was ready and took
a position beside the motor.
Graceful Start.
By means of a falling weight rugged on
a beam erected in the ground and con-
Meeting with cords running to 1t the
chariot was started running over the rail
and the aeroplane, thus having been
given forward motion. suddenly left
the chariot and ascended like bird to n
height of about forty feet Then ii
sverved and turned in its course and
sailed up the field.
1t dipped gracefully up and down. at
tanning a height of sixty feet, and then
descended to between thirty and forty
feet.
Mr.. Wright thus twice circled the field
and. then. stopping the motor, brought
the aeroplane directly in front of the i'm
provised grandstand. which was filled
with wildly cheering spectators. Ihe
descent was sure and easy and was car
ried out with great nicely without causing
shock to either the machine or its opera
tor.