Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-31
MAY TRY SILVER DART
Herring to Present McCurdy
Aeroplane, Perhaps.
RESULT OF COMBINATION
No Objection to Proposition Under
the Contract.
MUST REPORT THE 1ST OF MAY
Wright Brothers Will Be at Fort
Myer June / With
New Machine.
RESULT OF COMBINATION
MUST REPORT THE 1sT OF MAY

There is a possibility that the Silver
Dart. the aeroplane of j. A. D. McCurdy.
may be delivered 10 the War Department
this spring as the offering of A. NJ Her.
ring in the final demonstrations that are
to be held at Fort Myer for the accept
ance of two aeroplanes by the signal
service
This is only a posi- ility, but there Is
nothing TO prevent the presentation of the
McCurdy machine under the terms of the
Herring contract. More than a year ago
the War Department advertised for two
man carrying aeroplanes. The terms
were that they should carry two men
each. make a minimum of thirty-sx miles
an. hour. and be able to remain afioat for
at least one hour A multitude of offers
OF machines were received. and contracts
were finally made by the War Department
with the Wright brothers of Dayton,
Ohio. and A. NJ. Herring of New York.
The Wright brothers appeared with their
machine on time, and it more than full
flied the conditions OF the contract in
unofficial trials. 1t met with an accident
September IL. 1908. resulting in the death
of Lieut. Thomas Seifr dye and the ser Gus
injury of Orville Wright, who was operat-
ing the machine.
Wrights to Report June I.
Worlds records had been broken by
the War Department was thoroughly sat
isfied with the showing. Secretary Wright
would have been willing to waive for
mality and accept the machine on the
showing that had been made but the
Wright brothers said they We're not in
immediate need of the money and would
prefer to put off the official trials till
the coming spring and have the machine
accepted in the regular course of events.
This the War Department agreed to. and
the Nrights We're given until June TO
appear at Fort Myer with a second ma
chine and month later make the OFF,
cal flights.
Wilbur Wright had previously gone to
Europe. where he has been making SEN
sational flights. Orville followed him
about the first of this year. The brothers
are now in Rome where they are demon
strauing the machine to the Italian war
department. The war department here
has heard nothing officially from them.
but letters received in Washington say
that they are coming back to this coun-
try about May |. and will be at Fort
Myer with a new machine prior to the
list of June.
The course of the Herring demonstra-
lions was not SO smooth. Three times in
succession Herring appealed to the War
Department for extensions of time. and
finally, October 1, appeared at Fort Myer
with parts of an aeroplane packed in
trunk and made a technical delivery of
the machine to the War Department
This delivery was accepted but before
the month in which the official flights
were to be made had expired ii was re-
ported that Herring had injured his ma
chine in trial flight outside OF New
York, and he was then given an extern
5 on until May i of this year. He has
month after that time in which to COM
plete his flights at Fort Myer.
Silver Dart May Be offered.
In the meantime Herring has entered Q
business combination with the Curtis
Manufacturing Company of Hammonds-
port, N Y. This is the headquarters Of
DR. Alexander Graham Bell of this city.
who is the president of the Aerial Elk
pertinent Association. 1t is this associa-
ton, of which Mr.. McCurdy is a MEM
ber that built the Silver Dart, which has
just completed number of excellent
flights at DR.. Bells estate in Nova Scotia.
Thus the report comes that Herring. un-
der his contract with the War Depart
ment. will present the Silver Dart as the
machine to fulfill his contract.
Gen Allen. chief of the signal service.
said today that he had not been notified
of such a combination, but he said that
there was nothing in the way OF its being
worked If Herring and McCurdy We're
agreeable. The contract with the War
from Herring that will perform certain
work. and if Herring makes the necessary
demonstrations with the Silver Dart the
War Department is at liberty, under the
contratH to buy II.
Dr. alexander Graham Bell and Glen
Curtis, the builder of the June Bug. are
both coming TO Washington early next
month, and the final details of the trials
at Fort Myer if the Silver Dart is to
participate, will be settled then.