Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-21


the drill field at Fort AIyer for 1 hour
evening 1t was the longest flight tina,
has ever been made on the American
continent in a heavier-than-air machine
and exceeded the record of last year by
& minutes Wilbur Wright estimated the
greatest height during the flight at nearly
600 feet and the distance covered at
about % miles. The average speed was
a tritle more than 40 miles hour.
Tie machine circled the drill field s.
times. and during the entire fight it
seemed to be under perfect control. obey
ing every direction of the aviator. Not
a single untoward incident marred the
success of the unofficial trial, in which a
new American record for time, distance
and height was established, and those
who have seen most of the flights de-
clared the exhibition of yesterday even
ing including the landing, was the best
they had ever seen.
The weather conditions were ideal
Hardly breath Of wind crossed the field
the sky was nearly cloudless and the
the evening. That there could not have
been better day for a flight was the
general opinion Of all concerned.
Left Shed at 5 O'Clock
1t was about o'clock when the ma
chine was taken from its shed at the
far end OF the field and wheeled up to
the monorail by half a dozen soldiers of
the Signal Corps of the army.
The news OF the success Monday
brought a large crowd to the fort, many
of whom saw the machine tor the first
time. The flight was scheduled to start
at $50. Just as everything was in readi-
ness the guide rope of the starting tower
broke and the fifteen hundred and fifty
five pound weight dropped to the ground
with thud.
thrill of disappointment spread
through the crowd OF spectators. who
knew that something unexpected had
would not take place. Many were heard
to say that the '. rights seemed to have
bad luck on the Fort Myer field.
Officers Mend Rope.
Rear Admiral Cone. chief of the bu-
reau of steam engineering, and Lieut..
Commander Proctor. L. S. n. were on
the field and volunteered their services to
splice the rope. After a time. while the
crowd of spectators grew larger, the
starting apparatus was gotten ready
once again. At $40 O'Clock. after he
and his brother had examined the ma
chine carefully, Orville Wright took his
seat. Wilbur started the propellers. and
at a signal from Orville the weight was
dropped.
A cheer rose from the spectators as the
machine rushed along the gu de rail. 1t
took just tour seconds to reach the end
OF the rail- and then it started to rise
slowly, TO a height of nearly fifty feet
when it made its first turn at the far
end of the field.
From the start, the engine ran well
and it was evident to everybody that
/ 81 r l,a1 hic chi inc aIco
lutte control. At some of the turns 1t
leaned at a sharp angle. and for a few
seconds it would move up and down.
Ike boat in a choppy sea. but the
flight in general was steady and
graceful as has ever been made with a
heavier than air machine.
5000 Persons See Flight.
About 5000 people watched the aero
plane as it circled the field. For q few
moments on the third round It seemed
little unsteady, and some began to fear
that Orvile Wright was going to land.
but it recovered itself very quickly. and
as the number of circles increased the
| enthusiasm of the spectators grew greater
and greater.
Orvilie was applauded time and again.
although he could hear nothing because
of the noise of the propellerS. Only by
the commotIon and waving OF hats could
he tell that the crowd WAS cheering him
as he passed his ha.f hour record of the
day before. After he had been up fifty
three minutes another furry among the
spectators indicated their congratulations
Ut hts having beaten the record OF Glenn
fl. curtiss of few days before. The
next cheering came when he passed the
hour mark. and the most enthu sias'ic of
all, when he exceeded his own time Of
last fall. and IL was known to everybody
that he was establishing new record
for America.
GA the twentieth time around the field
Orviilc was seen TO signal to his brother.
who watched the flight. most of the time
seated at the foot of the wooden starting
Irower The spectators tried to guess what
the signal meant some believing that the
aviator was coming down, and others
chat he was merely telling his brother
that everything was all right for a good
flight
Described Figure Fights.
,ft.r ne had conc around the field fifty
,,c times. ard remained up longer than
,b, rrcord established by Curtis Oryille
Wri-l, began 70 describe figure Fights,