Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-10

After breaking three worlds records
yesterday, Orville Wright was content to
take things easy today. He made no
flight this morning.
A leisurely breakfast at the Cosmos
Club in the forenoon was followed by
visit to the bureau Of standards with DR..
Zahm. They called on Director Stratton
of the bureau.
The intention of the party was to return
to Washington and go out to Fort Myer
this afternoon for another fight, weather
permitting. Rain was threatening and
there was not much hope a flight could
be made.
If Wright makes a flight this afternoon
he may take Lieut.. Selfridge of the Signal
Corps with him. The pulley on the start
ing apparatus has been repaired and
everything is in readiness for further
flight
One little accident at the close of the
flights yesterday handicapped the trials.
The double block that raised the starting
weights was dropped from the top Of the
starting tower and fell on the iron
weight, breaking it. Another was sent
for from Dayton. In the meantime some
thing that will fill the gap will be utilized.
Not yet heaQy Tor rests.
Wright was asked if he had not had
almost enough practice to tit him for the
official trials. He replied that he could
not get too much experience in handling
his machine.
In the three flights yesterday, he said,
he had had actually more practice than
in the aggregate of his whole life before.
Roughly speaking, he had only minute
in 1903, about five minutes in 1904 and
thirty minutes in 1905.
His three flights yesterday totaled up
more than all his previous flights, with
the additional advantage that the flying
was not cut up into short runs.
Wright is most interested now, though
not exactly worried, over the speed that
the machine is making. The thermometer,
by which the speed OF the flights has been
measured, is set for only ten kilometers.
For long flights, such as were made yes
terday. it is no good as a guide.
Wright intends to measure off the
course over the drill ground and then
make short flight, having the ground
distance and the thermometer both to
depend on.
| In this connection he said:
1T seems to me that the machine is
dragging and not going as fast as 1t
ought. OF course this may be an illusion.
1t is hard TO tell when you are in the
| air just what speed you are making. 1t
| is easier TO judge when you are near the
| ground than when you are high in the air.
Anything said about the speed OF the
machine now is mere guess work. OF
course, there are d few things we know
from experience, but l am anxious to have
some accurate measurements so to
| know definitely.
Another Passenger, Same Speed.
when the motor is running at full
speed, which has not been done yet, it
will add about six horsepower To the pro-
pellers. AT the rate that the speed in
| creases from auded horsepower. this
ought TO make the machine carry two
passengers about as fast as it has car
/ ried one.
| Then there are the curves to be taken
| into consideration. We know that flying
in the of the fort, the curves take
| of from one to three miles from what
| would be the straightaway speed.
! But that is all We are certain of. Ana
| want to find out.
When this question of speed is settled.
the official trial flights will be fixed. I'm
| then there will be nothing decided. 1t is
| practically certain there will be no Off
cial flights this week.
| The Navy Department is much interest
ed in the subject of mechanical flight
| There is no special appropriation for the
purchase of apparatus this year Equip
| tContipued on Third Page)