New-York tribune., 1909-07-22
WRIGHT FLIES TWICE.
4ttains Speed Estimated at Forty
fUe Miles an Hour.
from The Tribune Bureau.

From The ITbGbe buEedu.I
Washington. July H.-Speed rather than length OF
night was the object of the Wright brothers in their
aeropIane trials at Fort Myer to-day In the sec
ond flight which lasted eleven minutes and forty
two seconds. OrYilIe Wright attained speed esu-
mated at forty-fve miles an hour In the first trial
Of the afternoon the gear wheel on the magneio
fell off and the fight brought 10 sudden
terminal ton at the end of minute and thirty
rire seconds on the third circle around the feid
The machine, landed safely. and OTville Wright,
undaunted by a drop of about seventy-eve feet,
prepared il for a second attempt Within three
quarters of an hour the aeFoplane slid once more
from the monorail. mounted gradually to height
of about hundred feet and few around the field
at rate OF speed percepubiy greater than that OF
yesterday. The gear wheel had been altered SO
that the motor made about 400 revolutions
minute instead Of 200 In a short time the de-
sired speed of about fortv-fve miles attained
and OrvilIe brought the machine slowly 10 the
ground.
The fact that several members of the Cabinet
the diplomatic corps and the Senate, many ofceTs
OF the army and other well known persons were
among the several thousand spectators did not
tempt Wrights to give unusual demonstTa-
tion. They out for speed. and rather than run
risk heating their engines machinery they
limited the fight to about minutes.
The first fight began at 800 without lncldehC
On the second turn around the field jt evident
TO all that the machine was going a. greater speed
than heretofore The spectators had just settled
themselves TO observe good long fight. when
suddenly the roar Of the propelIers stopped and
the machine started toward the earth For
fully twelve seconds Orville. by skiifully man!pu-
lating the forward planes, defed the law OF gravi-
tation while he searched for a soft spot TO land
When about twenty feet from the ground the
machine dipped and rose again half dozen times,
and after going about forty yards struck on It's
skids and Slid along for about eight yards. 4
cheer rose from the crowd Orvle was 70
step from the machine calmly II he were
aIighting from touring 1t discovered
that the gear wheel OF the magnetic had fallen Of.
In a few minutes another was brazed on. and the
machine was wheeled up the field for another
trial
While waiting for the wind to die down Little,
orviIe Wright was taken up o. the tent reserved
for the President TO meet the Secretary Of War
and 5he French Ambassador The Secretary and
the ambassador accompanied by Mrs. Dickinson
and Nine. Jusserand, walked down to the machine
and Inspected II before the cond flight.
At IS the machine went UP a second time. and
after attaining the speed desired descended in less
than twelve minutes. During the speed test Wilbur
Wright moved about the field making calcuIa lions
which convinced him the acroplane travelled the
rate Of about f0rty-fve miles hour
Among those VINO witnessed the flights were the
Secretary % State who OF a basket party
entertained by Mrs, Nicholas Longworth. Senator's
NeW-laHds. Of Nevada; Dick Of Ohio, and Dolliver.
Of Iowa General J. Warren Keifer. ex-Secretary
Bacon. Lieutenant General Young ,retiretj and
Brigadier General Wotherspoon. acting chief OF
stan
In speaking Of the change in the motor gearing
which caused the increase or speed. Wilbur Wright
said sprocker wheels Of different sizes had been
placed the motor and propeller shafts. The
speed of The motor had been increased from ap-
proNinstely 200 volutions a minute I,405.
This change they had calculated would increase the
speed 10 about forty-four miles hour the previ-
speed having been about forty miles The
change. however worked better than the brothers
had calculated
The wrishts to-day signIhed that they would
finish their work Fort Myer by next Wednes-
day. when The time limit expires They do not
think any extension Of time viii be necessary.