New-York tribune., 1909-10-05
LOATH TO QUIT BATTERT,
Patient Thousands Hopeful Long
litter Flight Is Cancelled.

Fully twenty-five thousand persons assembled at
the Battery yesterday TO see the proposed after
noon flight 81 Wilbur Wright. which. unfortunately.
did not take place shortly after noon black
fringe was noticeable along the Battery wall. and
by degrees the vanguard augmented The
crowd came from the highways and the byways.
from the ferries the surface lines and the subway
and by 30 p m. when the signal went up that
there would be "a fight within an hour may be-"
the walks of the park the wall we-e I'm
passable.
The chains between posts along the park green
were used for seats. and for fully hour the
patient multitude Kept it's eyes rfveted on Gov
ernors Island. Business i'm tie lower part OF
Manhattan was practically suspended and nearly
every window in the big buildings facing the sea
was filed with spectators Heads that had been
turned TO the hagpOIe on Governors Island turned
lnstlnctively, after signals We're raised see IL
they tailed with the subsequent display from the
pole on the tower of the Singer Building
1here was d percePttoe movement among the
black horde along the wall when the signal that
there would be "a flight this afternoon was hauled
down and another signal run up announcing that
there would be "a flight within an hour The
crowd seemed to settle down 20 really earnest X
pectation of treat And when the premature sig
nal went Up half hour later announcing "a fight
within hfteen minutes" there was a low nulro,ar ~
appreciation tha; eoTld be heard from Pr to the
Custom House.
At $40 p H. the signal Went up announcing that
there would be nignt. and the crowd si1lrly
a mistake, and. anyway that signal did not count
Those who would see Wright fiy. whether Wright
was prepared TO ny or not refused 70 bulge Sew
er7tl wise ones, who had studied the signals since
they were nrSt issued. the lawns shout
ing 10 the multitude that there would be no fight
by deSTees the spectators moved slowly north
ward but when fresh signal. set down in
notebooks and undeCtpheTs bic the crowd. ap-
pearcd on the dagpoe Governors island there
was wild rush for deserted places along the wall
The signals which hoisted 10 recall the men
Of the signal corps from various signal stations
caused the spectators 10 believe that a ni-ht was
possible after all and long after the American en-
sign had been hOisted the signal pcies the
curious, who had come 10 see Wright saw wrouS.
aud held their places. Darkness alone forced the
persistent sightseeUs homeward
The fact that Wright was unable to repeat his
airship flight OF the morning disappointed ehoyI-
sands collected at different vantage points sionz the
course leading tTOm the Battery TO Grants toulb
The largest number of people naturally coul.ge-
gated al the Battery and along Riverside Drive
but the Jersey shore also lined with men
women and children anNiousIy gazing toward th,
battery and watching for the appearance of the
airship. Those on the Pennsylvania and Wesr
Shore ferries remained out the decks hopeful
that during the trip the river they nlsht he
fortunate enough 10 catch sght OF Wright and his
machine ON top of the tall buildinzs of lower
New York 1t appeared that sentries had been post
ed. FOR every minute or lone figure could be
seen through the haze scanning the Bay and river
ready to give warning those in the buiIGinss 50
that they, too. misht have time To reach The roof
and see the flight.