The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-19
Accident Does Not
Prove Machine Faulty

Spencer 7. Bomar, the Washington
inventor, who is now working upon a
flying machine. which he hopes will
prove superior in some respects at least
10 either an aerOplane or a heliocOpJer,
and whose work was briefly given in
The Times recently, made a statement
today decrying the attitude of many
persons. who believe that the sorry ac-
cident 10 OrviIe Wright and Lieuten-
ant Selfridge shows with fnality that
man was not meant 10 and consequently
cannot fly. Mr.. Bomar thinks that such
misfortune, while greatly TO be regret
ted will not stop the development Of
the air-fying machine. He said
The tragedy al Fort AIyer yesterday
afternoon. when Mr.. Wrights aero
plane dived TO the ground as a result
of a broken propeller, is most deplor-
able, and the whole world. and the
people Of America in particular, is sor-
rowing. not only because of M
Wright's injuries and the fact of this
accident happening at the very moment
of his success, but because OF the death
OF that noble man, Lieutenant Selfridge,
who uied as 4 soldier would like 20
dle-at his post of duty and as a pi-
oneer IL behalf OF the advancement of
his country.
1T is reE-ettable also from the stand
point Of scientific advancement since
the ignorant and skeptic Will Wag their
heads and say 1 told you so. Man is
a fool 10 try to fly II IS I'M
safe and ImpractiCable.' Yet the
accident of yesterday was not the fault
of principle or defective workmanship,
and does not any more mean that Mr..
WTights aeUOplane IS impractical BILE
than the fact that a defective hange
on the dywheel Of a locomotive which,
after several successful trips. should
suddenly break in a race around q
curve and cause q wreck and the death
Of a number Of passengers, should
prove that railway trains were unsafe
and impra CtiCable.
L am sure that II Mr.. Wright re-
covers he Will again work on his ma
chine and make other and more sue
cessful flights with It. and I, for one.
would not be more afraid TO make a
trip With him than I was before the
accident-and i was anxious 70 try it,
However, this accident, awful and
regrettable as e was, has but demon
strated That which is now 50 apparent
and which I have always cOutended and
worked for, that a heavier-than-air ma
chine will never be entirely and com
merclally practicable until the inventor
has made a provision for safe descent
in case Of accident 10 engine or any Of
the working parts. Had Mr. Wright s
engine been shut off automatically the
instant the propeller broke. the accident,
IN my humble opinion, would never have
happened out Iue machine would nave
giided gracefully TO the ground as here
tOfOre. However, as I understand it,,
Mr. WriSht's passenger sat on his right,
that is, between him and the engine,
and made IL impossible for him TO
reach and stop the engine instantly.
Now, the weight OF both engine and
men was in the center Of the machine
as IL should be 10 eqUaliZe the weight of
The whole and preserve equilibrium with
both prOpellerS gOIng-sO that when one
propeller broke the pressure and resist
ance were not equaliZed, tn one re-
naming propeller Immediately gaining
more speed aud thereby pushing thai
side Of the plane ahead and up faster
than the side Of the broken propeller,
while the weight now being more UNI
equal and toward the crippled side
caused that side TO dip. and the planes
70 thereby assume a more perpendicular
position sideways. and so dash quickly
TO the ground. This Will, l think be
found TO be the solution of the accident
which we all so deeply regret, and
which I am certainly glad I did not
see.
THE War Department is right in not
allowing this accident 10 stop the trials.
as / am sure that a practicable machine
will be found, and that the next ten
years viii see aeromobiles as common
as automobiles now are, and infinitely
more safe and useful"