The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-07-21
WRIGHT MAY MAKE
OFFICIAL TRIP TODAY
Endurance. Flight of One
Hour With Passenger Is
hrObable.

With his aeroplane perfectly
stunned up" and the bearings of the
engine thoroughly polished off by
reason of the tests of the past week,
eliminating in his last nights record
breaking flight OF / hour 20 minutes
4 seconds, Orville Wright TO day is
preparing for the official trials, &C
cording TO the specifications laid down
by the Signal Corps of the army.
These are: An endurance flight Of
ems hour, and a speed flight Of ten
miles along a straightaway course Of
Eve miles and return,
Although there is some difference
of opinion as to whether the specifica-
tions require the presence Of two
persons in the aeroplane during these
official flights, It is understood that
OrViile will not stand upon techni-
calities, and that he will take one of
the Signal Corps officers with him.
1t is possible that he may attempt
the endurance test this afternoon He
is allowed three trials on each propo-
sition.
Greeted BY Big Crowd.
More than five thousand applauding
spectators witnessed the record-breaking
flight yesterday afternoon when OrvilleI
Wright remained in the air 81 minutes
and, with the speed Of an express
train, sailed around and across the pa
rade ground at viii, sometimes at a
height of 800 feet, SO times, making a
distance of s. miles.
Every trolley car running TO Fort
Myer from o'clock until was crowded
with passengers. Hundreds more came
in carriages and automobiles. The
northwest side of the parade grounds
and the Arlington cemetery wall were
lined with conveyances Of all kinds
throughout the evening. Cheers greeted
the aviator as he circled over rhe heads
of the crowd at the tents Immediately
after making his first dash into the air.
Shouts of wonder hailed the finish of his
first figure Of eight as the big bt-plane
sailed gracefully in and out in cutting
its birdlike capers. The multitude Went
wild, however, when Orvllle finished MS
trials and brought his machine safely
70 the ground. everyone having realized
that records had been broken without
knowing just what the records were.
An early start would have been me- oe
Yesterday but for a breaking OF the
rope attached to the counter weight OF
the starting device just as Orvill5 was
about to start up the engines.
Rope is Spliced.
It was necessary to splice the rope
and the delay necessary would have
been considerably more than the half
or three-quarters OF an hour the opera
ton actually consumed, had It not been
for the presence on the field Of several
naval officers who made the splice.
Lieutenant Commander Proctor joined,
the ropes ends with Rear Admiral
Hutch / Cone and Lieutenant Sweet
standing by to boss the job
It was just $40 when Orville Wright
pulled the trigger that started his big
mechanical bird along the monoraH.
The spectators were Dreathless for a
moment or two as the machine seemed
TO dip as it left the rail and little puffs
of dust few up, where the skldS struck
the earth but with twist Of the for
ward planes the aviator shot the ma
chine swaying into the air and the
greatest Of al airship flights in this
country was commenced. The engine
worked smoothly from start to finish
and the operator had perfect control Of
his machine. AS even as a ship on a
smooth sea, the aeroplane began circling
Sometimes the circles would be OF such
diameter that the machine few beyond
the smOkestaCk of the crematOry at the
south and directly over the line OF tents
at the north. Then again, the course
would be SO narrowed that the planes
were always at an angle and always
on the arc Of curve.
Demonstrates Ability.
After he had demonstrated fully his
ability to make the machine do what
ever he wished in straight running
around a circle. OTville grew ambitious
and began TO cut capers in the air.
Changing his course at the south he
shot diagOuaIlv toward the northwest
and then suddenly turned east again.
Curving in front Of the line Of tents, as
he passed he threw the lever over and
sped toward the southwest. only TO
turn again at the center of the field and
bring up at the southeast corner, where
he turned north again. Back and forth,
across and around the figure Of eight,
nrst wide turn then d short one. the
aviator seemed able 10 do whatever he
Wiiled.
After an hour and tventy-one minutes
-elght-one minutes and fOrty-five sec
onds. to bs eXact-the machine was sent
ia narrowing circles toward the ground
il was just before he alighted that or
vile gave the prettiest exhibition of
MS control Of his aeroplane. The great
wings We're but a few feet from the
ground as he came sailing toward the
spec -atOrs on the last turn. The right
wing was just bit lower than the top
Of the starting derrick. when IL made
the last turn, and would probably have
struck the framework had not the ayia-
tor skillfully raised his machine Just
few feet, go that the wing just cleared
the top Of the frame. Then he cane
gracefully 10 the ground.
Up 500 Feet.
Three hundred feet was the altitude
reached yesterday. and this was the