The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-07-03
WRIGHTS GET BUSY
TO REPAIR DAMAGE
Brothers Declare Accident
VIII Not Interfere With
Completion of Tests.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, bit dis
appointed, but still philosophical and
determined as ever, went to TT Myer
early this morning, looked over more
carefully than was possible in the semi
darkness the injuries of last nights ac-
cident and then set to work with Gus
tomary vigor to repair the damage. and
make the aeroplane ready for flight
again. One of the sl-.ds was broken,
and the other bent beneath the machine,
while large hole was torn in the
canvas covering Of the lower main
plane, when the engine stopped on the
ninth round Of OrviIle's second flight
last night and the good ship came to
the ground bit abruptly.
Cause of Trouble
A little scrub oak tree and some en-
CINE trouble lay at the bottom of the
accident, which occurred not a great
distance from the one last year when
Lieut. Thomas f. Selfridge, riding with
OrvilIe Wright. was killed.
7 was over 100 feet in the air. said
Orville, in explaining the trouble, wi en-
the engine stopped for some reason. l
picked out the spot on which to laLo.
From my height in the air thu tree
loohed like weed. When 1 got close
I
have momentum enough TO clear il.
The aeroplane Travelled fully 200 feet
in the air before it landed It undulated
gracefully, just like a bird uncertain of
place TO land. and sank slowly ana
gracefully. Enere was no sudden drop
until the tee swung the aeroplane
around fOrcib bly, Then the sDlintering
Of the skiGs vas plainly audible all oyer
the field. Nc more perfect illustration
Of the repeated claim Of both the Wriglat
brothers thai the machine couldn't fan
unless the planes were injured. was ever
given than, the incident last night,
one further fact demonstrated by the
occurrence of last evening IS that the
aviator can take his time about land
ing IN the event Of the engine stopping,
and, up to certain limit, pick ou- his
landing place. Apparently, when the
motor stops and the aeroplane lOse} its
impetus forward. It merely glides down
ward at the will Of the aviator
Wright went up in his first fight Of
the day shortly after O'Clock. He
stayed in the air about twelve minutes
and manipulated with ease. Spectators
who had seen the flights last year MOTTO
ed the absence of the Undulating motion
and the large deviation from the no Il
Zontal which characterized the turns
After the twelfth lap Wright descend
ed, talked with q newSpa peTman a few
minutes and then got ready for the sec
Oud fight. He made the prettiest rise
from the monorail that has Eaen seen
at Fl Myer this year. He took the
machine up TO height of 125 feet, and
kept it there for several laps. When
he came over the heads of the specta-
tors at the north end Of the field on the
completion Of the eight lap observers
noticed that the engine was missing
fire. The misses became more and more
noticeable. and finally the engine
stopped altogether. In a couple of big
arcs. much like that which d shoot
the-chutcs car makes when IL takes
a sudden dip the big aeropiane came
menbering the accident OF last year,
waited with DATED" breath.
Hit With Crash.
The seroplane lit with a heavy crash.
not with the sickening rending sound OF
last year, but with noise enough and
with dust enough accompanying it to
scare many friend OF Orville's in the
crowd. Before anyone could get past
the restless line Of cavalrymen, how
ever. Orvine came out from the dust
cloud
The machine. the newspapermen found
had lit upon a little scrub oak. which
Mr.. Wright has believed TO be unworthy
OF notice when he was seventy-hve feet
up, but which he misjudged sadly. The
tree caught the machine, tore a big
hole in the lower plane, slowed it
around, breaking one skid, and bending
the other, and loosing many Of the guy
wires completely.
when 7 struck the tree I was travel
ing about thirty miles an hour" said
OrViIle. MY momentum carried me
past, but the skids hit at an angle and
couldn't stand the strain.
THE damage isn't hard to repair. al
though / haven't looked Il over closely
enough 20 say exactly how much viii
have TO be done.
Wilbur didn't like the looks Of pho
tographer who tried 10 take a picture
Of the aeroplane after the fall, so he
started 10 remove him. The picture
taker who didn't enjoy the prospect.
said he was photographing foT the War
Department. and Wilbur, the puglistic,
changed his mind, and told him 10 come
on in and take ali the pictures he Want
ed.