The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-09
AerOnaut in Worlds Lime
light Still Calm, Approach
able, and Confident.
KNOWS MACHINE
BETTER EACH DAY
Circles Parade Grounds in Sharp
Turns and Is Willing to Talk
to Visitors.

AAduuidtllElIE a rev DIZZY tlec IN a MOD
est way i'm Dayton, Ohio just few
years ago, has jumped into the world s
limelight out at Fort Myer, by sailing
over the fresh green of the parade
ground. the heads OF the spectators and
right into the hearts and the memories
or the thousand persons who saw him
ny.
And very likely, It wasn't because
Orvile Wright stayed in the air In a
machine which weighs 200 pounds, and
which, TO most persons. looks exceed
ingly awkward and hard to manage, but
IL was because he did il all so easily.
he looked $50 much as IL flying were the
most natural thing he does. that the
crowd was with him. And when it was
all over and he had smashed completely
al official records for heavier-than-air
flights he was just the same quiet little
man he used 10 be in Dayton, just as
courteous TO the women who crowded
about him with their emotional compIi-
ments, as lie always has been.
A Bit Tired, Too.
Perhaps he was Il bit tired. he look
ed that but evidently beneath it all he
was pleased. too. Pleased because he
has at last shown the public, which
hasn't been any too Ienient with the de-
lays incident 10 his Fort Myer flights;
happy because he has now more than
ever the conviction that he can master
the air as long as his fuel holds out.
II was just the same with him last
night when he made q fight OF II min
utes and 10 seconds
There were the same pre- 'minaries as
In the other days, when he has attempt
ed OF when he has made flight. Every
thing Went smoothly until the last min
ute, then came the usual delay. The
lever which failed d work properly on
Monday evening had been forgotten and
mad 10 be taken out at the last minute.
JtnkeTed with ana then put once more
into place
Possibly the crowd didn't understand.
but some OF those who have witnessed
other flights became instantly pessimis-
tie and began 10 comment on Wright's
1OrgettulnesS of this little detail that
had been waiting there so many hours
10 be attended 10.
And when he scared into the air. skim
ming down over his slender thread of
track, touching the ground for a few
feet, and then rising i'm a beautiful in
cline, until he seemed 10 feel that he
Was right the crowd forgot all its
disappointments and watched with
mouths open.
Best Public Flight.
This time they saw the best flight Or
vile Wright had ever made in public
up 10 that time No sharp turn seemed
TO be too difficult for him last night.
no sudden gust of wind too quick and
unexpected 10 be met. He handled the
machine with that ease and precision
with which an experienced chauffeur
looks after a 60-horsepower car.
Apparently ne did not care whether
he sailed near or far away from trees
OF buildings or other objects (which
would mean If struck. at least the de-
molition Of his machine He went closer
10 Arlington Cemetery with its rows Of
green standing sentries than he had
ever DONE sailed gayly over the shed
in which the aerOplane is wont to lie
sleeping i'm the day time and altogether,
few with an abandon which showed his
perfect control of all the operations OF
this conquerOT of the air,
Those fluctuations of the shin so no.
IiCeable on the frst flight, when the
machine rose and fell as "A sea ship does
in heavy swell, were entirely absent
last night, and ~ was over a summer
sea that Wright sailed, a sea becalmed
until even the small wavelets gave no
motion 10 his ship.
Turns Are Abrupt.
His turns were abrupt, and quite GER
tsinly made with the utmost ease. lie
at times took another tack" with
such a slanting motion Of the planes,
which look much like wings when one
IS far distant, that it seemed as If ne
might fan out
And when he came down, after that
first flight, came down gracefully, as
a bird settles on the ground, the spec
tators came rushing in to look upon this
thing of which they will probably tell |
their children or their children's chill
dren.
And while the quiet little man. with |
out even smile or sign that he was /
elated over his performance. walked the |
quarter OF a mile TO the shed for pair |
Of goggles. because the bugs. oh. nm
romantic objects. bothered his ewes. /
the thinkers were busy and the awed |
eyes Of hundreds looked upon something :
which two months ago they would /
have dertded as a dream, a myth, tn-
product Of second and more foolish |
Darius Green.
The moon came up in that interval 1
between tho first and second flights
although that interval was not long,
and when Wright once again gave his 4
signal, the weight sank down in the /
starting derrick and he swan down 4
over the track, down over the grass /
and then up into the air, and he sailed 4
up into sky where the gold OF the I
rising moon touched the silver Of his !
aeroplane with all the glamor of a sum
mer evening
Flies As Sun Sets.
From the west the sun. giving out its /
life I'm the eternal drama Of the fading /
day, tinged this white thing with a dash /
OF crimson. OF blood red. OF maroon. ard /
then OF the almost blue hue Of the dead |
day, while all the while ii circIed aboutS
the confines Of the prison its owner has
made for It. and seemed to be looking /
In vain Tor an opening; for "a way to
sail away either 10 that golden token OF /
the coming night or that sad reminder
of the GaV that had seen so much, but /
which was done at last.
When Il was al over and Wright had /
made two flights, one lasting eleven min
utes and ten seconds. the other consum-
ing seven minutes and thirty-four sec
onos; circling the parade ground more
than twenty times and going many miles:
travelling at q rate OF thirty miles or !
more, II was the same quiet, almost de-
Jnurs man who used 10 make bicycles at |
Dayton who climbed carefully out of |
the cushioned seat in the big white bat; |
took the goggles from his eyes and lis
tened 20 the scores Of sincere cOmpif- /
menfs- while ne shook hands mOdestIy