Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-21
WILL BEGIN TONIGHT ST0RY WRIGHT TELLS
Great Tuberculosis Conuress Thought Propeller Was Rip
Is Actually Here. ping Aeropane to Pieces.
EXHIBITS ARE ALL READY IHE NEVER LOOKED AROUND
This Is Employees Night Says Sege Turned
at Museum Cried 'Oh Ohr'
MR. MACFARLAND WILL SPEAK PITY FOR COMPANIONS FATE
Badly
Threest Be Himself,
Drawing Cards Though Dazed
IE NEVER L0O"..ED AROUND
Says Lieut. Selfridge Turned and
Cried Out "Oh, Ohw
PITY FOR COMPANIONS FATE
Knew He Was Badly Hurt-Did Not
Lose Senses Himself,
Though Dazed. s

For the first time since the fatal aero
plane accident Thursday Orville Wright
has broken silence as to the occurrences
that afternoon. To friend who visited
him at the hospital he described vividly
the sensation of dropping from space be-
meath the wreck of the marvellous machine
with which he had broken so many
worlds records.
The doctors have not wanted Wright to
speak of the occurrence at all, believing
it would tend to impede his recovery. But
it has been the one thought uppermost in
his mind. and he seemed glad to be able
to talk about it and unbosom himself as
to the accident and its CHASTITY conse-
quences.
Wright was still fat on his back
swathed in bandages and with his In
jured leg slung in a support above the
bed. He was pale and emaciated. But
the wonderful self-control that has been
noticed in him through his stay in WASH
ington enabled him to 20 over the story
of the wreck and discuss 1t almost from
the standpoint of a disinterested spectator.
1t was explained in The Star the acci-
dent was due to the revolving propeller
striking one of the guy wires that sup
ported the rear rudder. This wrecked the
main stearing gear of the machine and
caused the operator to lose control at the
same time that the machine lost headway
from having its motor power cut off.
Wright says he did not entirely lose
consciousness either during or immediate
ly after the fall. He had no time to pass
even a word with Lieut. Sefridge. but
heard that officer call out as the machine
plunged downward.
Wright Talks of Accident.
In speaking Of the accident Wright said:
1T can never happen again.
Il know how it happened-from a GER
tain point 1 know that the propeller
struck wire guy 1t was the guy to the
rudder support rod. But 1 don't know
how the wire got to the propeller.
1--WE tried those propellerS in the house.
They did not hit anything.
Il knew 1t was dangerous having the
propellerS revolve so they would be likely
to hit anything But We tried to make
them hit before-tried to force them to
hit. They would not. They had plenty
of clearance.
Il don't know how they hit-how they
came to be there. But they did. Some
how that propeller and that wire came
together. The propeller hit the wire
twice-lightly, then hard.
Il heard It. l heard the crash. 1
Didn't look back. 1 didn't know what
was happening.
"Selfridge looked back-I saw him. l
don't know what he saw.
Il thought II was the transmission that
lad given way. l thought the propellers
We're ripping the machine to pieces.
"Then we commenced to spin around
That was the unbroken propeller urging
us onward. cut off the motor-pulled
the cortland we lost headway.
THE rudder was out of commission. IL
must have swung 20 one side-useless-
as soon as the wire got loose from the
tail.
1--WE can't stay up without headway.
So when the machine swung around in
circle and the rudder wouldn't work and
the engine was stopped-I thought ii was
grlnding 91a hanar us us Sron Sto pieces '0uiuA
Il heard selfridge say, oh. Oh like
that That's all he said
Il expected to right the machine. Ii
was falling edgewise. The only way to
get Roadway was to fall-we didn't fall
far enough.
1T started to right. Twenty feet more
and it would have righted. We didn't
have the twenty feet.
Long Time Falling.
1T seemed a long time-we fell very
fast Everything seemed TO hit me at
once l didn't lose consciousness, 1 think,
but | was dazed and things seemed dark.
| could hear what was said; people SEEM
ed to get to us very quickly.
II could see Sefridge-he seemed to
be on al fours and was moaning. He
didn't say anything that l heard. i don't
remember what / said.
"I was surprised how much | suffered
then. Generally you don't when you are
first hurt.
But it's over. 1t can't be helped. Moth
ing makes much difference except Sell
fridge. Poor Selfridge, He must hava
felt so helpless. falling that way. Poor
Sefridge,'
Later Wright went on:
Il am uncomfortable. I find it hard to
breathe-but not any more pain or dis
comfort than | can bear.
The doctors say they think my leg will
be its proper length. / am glad 1 haven't
seen my eye yet. L can feel the cut and
the stitches.
Il can't see we'll It's the shock, l sup
pose. | have bruises everywhere.
Everybody is so kind. L have many
flowers and letters and kilograms and
fruit and SO many people are SO interested
and kind and helpful. If it only wasn't
for Lieut.. Selfridge.
Have More Machines.
II have not been strong enough to
think about any plans yet" he added.
Wilbur has had messages from here.
He knows just what the trouble was and
he won't have it, 1t is hard for him
wanting to be here and having to be
there.
But it wouldn't take long to have an
other machine here We have them all
built They can be ready in a few days.
l had nice letter from Secretary OF war
Wright.
II wish / knew how that wire got in
that propeller. l don't believe In the one
shaft with two propellers just because
had an accident with two. 1t wouldn't
have made a bit of difference, having
only one propeller-and that on the side
If / had had my rudder.
..It was the rudder. 1t was the rudder
greeting put out Of commission and the
loss of way from having only one pro-
peller that caused the fall-and not being