The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-27
TAFT SAW 1T FLY.
The President Witnessed an Ex-
hibition of the Wright Machine.

Washington, July 27-WhiIe Or
vile Wright did make a two and a
half mile flight under very adverse
conditions. with his aeroDlane at
sion, by reason of the presence of
President Taft and a brilliant as
mblage of Washington official life,
bore an air more social than
aeronautic.
Everybody had expected Wright to
make the first of his official tests of
the aeroplane-the so-called 'endur-
ance test" of an hour in the air with
a passenger-and nobody had for
gotten that the last time he attempted
this feat only ten months ago. it cost
the life of Lieutenant Selfridge of the
signal corps and a broken thigh and
ribs for Wilbur himself. That was
the main reason for the vast crowd,
and beneath the gaiety and the bril-
liancy of the occasion was an under
tone Of apprehension A stiff wind
caused postpOnement of the expected
trial and all that Wright attempted
was brief fight without pas
senger, in order to show the president
the aeroplane really could fly and to
avoid disappointing the great crowd
With President Taft fanked on either
side by Speaker Cannon and senator
Aldrich looking on from a tent which
had been erected for him. the ma
chine was trundled to the foot of the
starting derrick in the center of the
drill field and poised on the monorall'
preparatory to the start.
Heretofore it has been the un-
VARYING practice of Orville Wright
when giving exhibition or test flights
at Fort Myer to use 30-foot derrick
and weights to project his aeroplane
into the air. Last night, however, he
discarded this artificial means OF
gaining his initial impetus and scared
easily and gracefully from the mono
rail by aid of the motors own power
Ii n
flight was that it embodied the. first
deviation from the Wrights' hitherto
unvarying rule of obeying their own
judgment rather than anybody
curiosity or pleading. What was re-
fused notwithstanding the request OF
King Edward of England, and King
Alphonso of Spain, was done without
special request for the pleasure OIL
the president of the United states
The 500 spectators broke into a
long cheer as the aeroplane rose
slowly into the air and again as II
swerved. top tilted at an angle OF
nearly As degrees at the north end
of the field. Three times the ma
planes seemingly assuming more
dangerous angle at each turn. and
with a sharp swerVe was proushI
into the wind and carefully LANDED.
1t was not until I o'clock that the
Wright brothers abandoned hope of
undergoing the endurance test OF one
hours duration with a passenger.
From early in the afternoon until
besieged in their sheds by cabinet
members, diplomats and representa-
tives who had come to the reserva-
ton to witness the expected fight.
President Taft was among the
first to visit the Wrights in their
workshop. Shortly afterwards Am
bassador and Madame Jusserand
joined them.
The two brothers made known to
the French ambassador their satsfac-
ton at having been decorated by the
French government with the cross of
the Legion of Honor. After the flight
Orville Wright expressed the hope or
being able to undergo the government
test for both endurance and speed
today. The time limit for the official
tests, expires Wednesday.