The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-07-27
The Wrlehts.

-!
WASHINGTON, July FL While
Orville Wright did make q two-and-a-
haIf.minute flight under very adverse
conditions with his aeroplane at Fort
! Myer last evening, the occasion. by
reason Of the presence OF President
TAFT and brilliant assemblage Of
Washington official life and an Inn
mense crowd Of mere people, "ulti-
mate consumers, as one witty con-
fressrnan described them bore an air.
more socially than aeronautic.
Everybody had expected Wright to
make the first OF his ohlciAi tests OF
the aeroplane the so-called endur.
auce test Of an hour in the air with
/ j passenger and nobody had forgot
I. teu. shst the last time NJ attempted
This feat. only ten months ago, It cost
tie lie o. Lieutenant Selfridge Of the
sInal corps and 4 broken thigh and
ibis for Wright himself. That was the
main reason for tha vast crowd, and.
beneath the gayety and the brilliancy
d the occasion lay q universal under
tone Of apprehension, grim and tense.
A atlff wind. blowing In puffs and at
4 velocity as high at times as twenty
miles an hour. caused the postpon.i
nent Of the expected trial and all
that Wright attempted was brief
flight without a passenger, in order to
show the President that the aeroplane
really could ny and to avoid disap-
pointment for the great crowd.
President Taft, fianked on either
SIDE BY Speaker Cannon and Senator
Aldrich, looked on from tent whicn
had been erected for him. The fye
thousand spectators broke into long
cheer as the white bird-like structure
rose slowly into the air and again as
y swerved and tip-tilted at an angle
OF nearly forty-five degrees at the.
north end OF the field. Three times
the machine was taken around the
neld, the planes seemingly assuming
more dangerous angle at each turn
and with sharp swerve was brought
INTO the wind and carefully landed.
Orville Wright expressed the hope
q being able to undergo the govern
Hent lest for both endurance and
s1peed today. The time limit for the
oihcial tests expires on Wednesday
Lathan1's Big Promise.
& CALAIS, July ~. Disappointed
because he was not the first to Cross
me channel. Latham intimated today
mat ne would try to cross the channel
and continue to London. He Is con-
Ident he can make the longer journey.
Motor cars are being posted along the
route to aid in case of accident
May Fly This Evening.
4 WASHINGTON, July Eft the
Neatner is favorable Orvtlle Wright
WI attempt the official tests both for
insurance and speed late today. There
out one day more to meet the re-
suremen.s. although an extension un.
" s,ledly would be granted II asked.
LAST nights flight was the most SEN
ss.lonal he has done. probably as re-
I 'al' q President TAFT being present.
Lambert Falls.
CALAIS. July 27.-Lambert attempt
3 Q cross the channel today in a
wrlgnt !. aeroplane but got a bad start.
sIus machine struck the ground before
4 Z Z reached the waters edge. The ma
! saslhe was damaged considerably and
||8hs =. VIII probably wait until tomorrow
s0slore attempting another flight.
Latham Gets Wet.
lover July 27.1-Latham Just fell
city. a inl'ss iionn 'n'a y
Z ], sAsAIS, July 81. ,atham left here
Isss. p. m. in his effor.. to cross the
,alne and fly to London. Thousands
Is,s tSsered him as the machine shot over
81 = water. Boats were strung along
~, - course to rescue him In case Of
n,,, Here's 1 New One.
wa,E wD,ETRolT. Mich. July 27.- a.. Il.
"s'cn, inventor Of an auto aeroplane