The Washington herald., 1909-07-04
Noted AviatOrS Discuss
the Dangers of Aerial
Navigation in Heavier
than-air Machines.
Wing Tips Key to the
Success of their Model.
Br JULIAN D. SARGENT.


You may be going along at a fair rate OF
speed in an automobile. The steering
gear may break and you may be thrown
into a ditch and killed.
you may be sleeping IN a Pullman
coach. protected by all the safety appli-
ances known IN the railroad business.
But from the fact that the human hand
enters into every artificial thing that IS
made, the train may run into an open
switch and scores of persons may lose
their lives.
NO. indeed. I do not feel that I take
my life In my hand every time I so up In
an aeropIane. do not think there is any
more danger in it than there is in tray
cling along an ordinary road at the speed
OF an aeroplanes flight. If I did, L
wouldn't be flying in aeroplanes.
Cool in Time OF Danger.
For all the world as II danger 10 life
were no more emotional a thing than a
spark plug. Orville Wright, who has
hardly more than recovered from a sheer
plunge Of seventy-nve feet, in which he
was severely injured and Lieut.. Selfridge
was killed answered my question and ate
ice cream.
I had asked him if ne did not feel the
possibility when he started on a fight
that death might claim him as result or
g. He and Wilbur were finishing their
evening meal in the dinlng-room Of the
Raleigh. The dishes had been cleared
away, and they were both toying with
plates Of chocolate ice cream
I had asked them a number of things.
but with the question as to the danger Of
what they were doing felt that I was
getting at the root OF a very large fund
Of curiosity. Also. IN Orville's answer
hoped to get a light on the question OF
the pose the two aviators have been
charged with assuminS-the attitude OF
self-suficiency that has been laid al their
door. The answer was as unaffected as
any statement could be.
Accident a disappointment.
OrvHIe spoke with entire simplicity,
but as Il he were discussing a matter he
had thought out for himself long before
and would a little rather not go into
again. He and Wilbur seemed trife
disappointed over the accident Of Friday
afternoon, in which the shids were
smashed and the lower right wing tip
badly torn IN landing after the engine
had stopped at an altitude Of eighty-fve
feet
1T was simply a case of hard luck. 20
said Wilbur "If OrviUe had noticed the
size Of the tree soon enough the landing
would have been made without a jar and
without injury Of any kind. The stop
ping Of the engine is nothing TO worry
about"
Turning 10 Orville. 1 asked:
And do you mean 70 say that II you
were 500 feet in the air you would be per-
fectlv willing 10 shut of the engine OF
your own accord Just for the fun of Gid
ms TO the ground?"
Easy 10 Land.
Certainly" answered the younger
brother. II for any reason 1 wanted 10
shut off the motor. I shouldn't give it a
second thought There is absolutely no
way the machine can get into trouble
through the stopping Of the propeIlers
A series Of dips and glides would bring
me 10 the ground as easily as If I were
moving under full power. IN place OF the
engine. the speed would be gotten by
Elanting the forward planes downward a
little until the machine accumulated speed
from the slanting descent Then the
planes could be set level again, and the
aeroplane would glide until the slacken-
ing Of its velocity necessitated another
downward dip. Successive repetitions OF
this process is all that is necessary to a
safe landing.
Wouldn't the nature Of the ground you
were over have a great deal to do with
the safety OF the landing?'' I asked
lit would be hard to imagine a sltua-
ton in which a landing could not be
made without danger TO the aviator al
least said Orville. In extreme cases
the machine might be damaged but they
would be very rare. The control OF the
aerOplane allows a wide latitude in the
selection of the place of landing The
angle at which the machine would glide
smoothly to the earth is nine or ten de-
grees with the horizontal In other words
II I dropped one foot, I should move for
ward about six. But II is possible to DIP
down very sharply and recover with the
forward planes; then dip again and re-
cover again. BY this time the forward
travel would be greatly diminished.
Landing In a Forest.
A statement showing a unique attitude
Of the brothers with regard TO their owl
safety and that Of their machine came
from Wilbur. He was answering a ques-
ton as TO what could be done If the ma.
chine were travelling at a height. say. OF
1C0 feet above a solid forest miles in ex.
tent. when the engine refused TO work
Even If you have TO come down OF
tree tops, there is no danger to speak
Of to the aviator" he answered. Sup
pose you could find no opening, and came
down in the foliage There are lots
harder things in the world than foliage
II your wing tip hit The side OF a tree
throwing the machine over and pitching
Il 10 the ground, the aeroplane itself
would be damaged. but the operator
would be saved by the framework con
Meeting the planes"
Right here is one OF the novel ideas
held by the Wright brothers-that the
framework is a great element OF safety
In extreme emergencies. / had asked
If the fact that the aviator was surround
ed by wooden braces and taut wires did
not mean ne was trapped beyond all hope
Of saving himself
Safe In the Machine.
The Wright brothers hold. on the other
hand. that it is the best thing in the
world for the operator to stay with the
machine-to oe trapped, as I had ex-
pressed It.
The man is in the center OF the whole
thing, Wilbur explained. Nothing can
hit him. Any blow, any jar. is expended
on the frame. or on the wings. and loses
its force there. IL the blow is heavy
enough. il might wreck the machine. but
II could not injure the operator
In connection with this point It will be
remembered that when the bodies Of
Lieut.. Selfridge and Orville Wright were
taken out from under the aeroplane last
September on the parade ground at Fort