The Washington herald., 1909-07-25

Wilbur Wright had a smile wrapped
three times around his face yesterday
afternoon when Orvfle returned 10 the
parade ground at Fort Myer after the
speediest fight a Wright biplane has ever
made, at home or abroad
The machine tore a cash in the atmos-
phere FOR twenty minutes and twenty-six
seconds at a Observation-Disclosures
clip.
"She was going some that time said
Wilbur with an apologize grin.
He was not at all disturbed by the
fact that in making the landing OrviTe
brought the machine down with good
sized bump which broke the skid on the
left side. Orvine blamed the break 10 the
skid itself, on the ground that It was not
up 20 specifications IN strength.
Can be Mended.
Anyhow, II can be mended in an hour
or two" he said.
The accident TO the runner prevented a
second flight the brothers had planned TO
make, IN which Lieut.. Frank p. Lahm.
OF the Signal Corps. chief OF aeronauti-
cal work In the army. was 10 have been
carried as a passenger. With a cigar
In his mouth and a riding crop under
one arm. the officer stood waiting for the
trip through the air. looking very dapper
and not at all concerned He will prob
ably be taken UP n the weather allows a
flight tomorrow.
On account OF the high wind that pre-
vailed until a late hour in the afternoon.
the crowd arrived late. and was not as
large as usual Mrs. Nicholas Longworth
was there, however. dispensing tea from
thermos bottles Others who saw the
flight were Senator Bristow and Repre-
sentatives De Almond. Rodenberg. Hef-
In ollie James. Ben Johnson. and Moore
head
At o'clock the blplane was removed
from the shed 70 the starting derrick.
but was allowed to stay there nearly an
hour because the wind was stin strong.
II was blowing partly down the mono
rail. which always discourages the BIZ
plane in leaving the ground. The engine
was finally started on its preliminary
warming up run. however. and at 6:54 %
" NANNn VI AtAH ANftAAAtA MNWM anu lflthEtNi
the falling weight.
For a distance Of 800 feet the biplane
barely rose from the ground. and Il
looked as II il would not be able to make
the turn at the south end OF the field
When Orvirle touched up the forward
planes, however, the machine responded
In good shape and went up at sharT
angle. At practically the same time the
curve was started, and stnl on the rise
the biplane SCARED to the left on a SHARP
lean. Orville took it 70 an altitude OF rot
quite 100 feet and held Il there.
The Increase IN speed was noticeable
90 the spectators, who gave exclama-
tons OF delight as the machine with its
engine working perfectly sped about the
parade grounds.
Wind Currents Unsteady,
II was also evident that the wind cur
rents aloft were anything but steady.
The even keel on which the biplane has
Travelled IN some OF its flights was not
there. and the biplane dipped and rose
and cavorted Ike a butterfly admiring
itself on an aerial ramble.
Orville made the sharpest turn be has
NfNA NNANAAAhAEAAs Nltt III PARTICULAR. on
the twentieth lap. bringing a large sized
lump up In the crowds throat. At the
end Of the tenth circuit he commenced
to put the machine through its PAGES for
the benefit Of a moving picture camera
which was recording the fight for the
War Department. The biplsne was made
to cut smaller and smaller circles, until
birdlike. 1t was Swimming around on a
constant slant, in circles hardly 500 feet
In diameter.
When the camera had been regaled
with enough of that. the machine made
or down the field again. and went back
% the long course Of about three-quarters
Of mile 70 the lap.
Al the end Of the twenty-fourth cir.
cult, Wilbur waved his hat at OrvilIe Ia
come down. The landing was spectacu-
lar. with a sudden dip toward the ground
from m altitude Of forty feet that was
checked barely in time. as 1t seemed, to
prevent the machine from plunging us
nose into the parade ground Il recovered
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