Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-11
TESTS At FORT MYER
Flying Machines to Be Official
ly Tried in July.
ENTRY OF CAPT. BALDWIN
Will Probably Have His Dirigible
Balloon Here Next Month.
NOTICE FROM THE WRIGHTs
Their Invention May Be Given q
Flight Early in August-Hopes
Of Israel Ludlow.
NOTICE FROM THE WRIGHTS

Next month is likely to see the first
Myer. according to the latest reports re-
ceived by the signal Office. Although
there were many offers to build dirigible
balloons in response to the invitation
from the War Department last year. only
one contractor has come up to the re-
quirements of the department and an
nounced the approaching completion of
his machine. He is Capt, Baldwin Of
California. who will probably have his
machine ready for trial in July. The
government Is not trying to make any Sc
cret of the trials. and they will be open to
the inspection of the public.
Scene Of the Trials.
The grounds selected probably will be
the big cavalry drill grounds south of the
fort. This is the biggest open space in
that neighborhood, and will make good
place for the start of the flights. The
country, however. is broken and rolling
around the fort. and will take the navi-
gators over worse region than similar
contestants have ever encountered. The
flight will be five miles out and back to
the point Of starting. and the machine
must be capable of sustaining itself in the
air for two hours.
The minimum average speed of eighteen
miles an hour will be required and there
will be bonus for every additional mile
up to twenty-four miles an hour. the
maximum bonus amounting to 40 per cent
of the contract price of the machine.
The Baldwin airship Will carry only two
persons and is to be but ninety feet
long, with a diameter of about thirty
with some Of the big French and Ger
man airships. but it is really only to be
an experimental machine. The price will
be $4,000 exclusive Of any bonus that it
may earn.
Notice From the Wrights.
It is not definitely known if there will
be more than one entry among the
"heavier-than-air'' machines. The Wright
brothers. Wilbur and Orvlle, have noti-
fed the department that they will
have their machine ready for trial before
September. and it may be given a fight
early in August. OF course, there is
great deal of interest in this machine,
because it will fly without the assists nce
of a gas bag. The conditions for it's trial
are similar to those for the dirigible bal
looms. It must make five miles and back
and be capable of sustaining itself in the
air for an hour. Minimum speed will be
thirty-six miles an hour, with a bonus
running up TO nIty-nFe 10 Sixty miles.
The machine will carry two passengers.
Up to the present time the Wrights
have never flown more than Seventy-f1ve
feet high, but owing to the nature of the
country they will have to traverse from
Fort Myer they will have to go much
higher than this in the air. -
The department is not certain whether
A. M. Henning of New York will have
his ''heavier-than-air' machine ready to
enter into the trials. although he has as
sured the department that he will be on
hand. But his machine. has never &C.
tually flown as has that of the Wright
brothers. and its success is therefore
questionable.
Building the Ludlow Machine.
1t may be that there will be an unof1-
cial trial of another heavier-than-air ma
chine even before the Baldwin balloon is
ready. Israel Ludlow, who has been
building machine in Washington. hopes
to have his aeroplane ready early in July,
and although this is not one of the Off
cial contestants, 1t will add to the series
of summer spectacles at the fort.
Capt. Seifridge of the Signal Corps will
be one of the officers who will assist in
the trials and will lay out rules for the
government Of spectators and contestants
He is at present on detached service and
is working with Prof. Alexander Ora
ham Bell, also of Washington, in a series
of aeroplane trials now being conducted
at Hammondsport, n. Y.