The Washington times., 1909-10-09
RECORD SMASHING
BEGUN BY WRIGHT
Sets New Speed Mark and
AScendS Without Use
of Weights.
Continued from First Page.)

/ on which the biplane giides over the
mOnoTaiL ana instead Of making q
/ sharp ascent at the end Of the track
| he dragged along the ground for 150 feet
or moro. He shut Of the motor, climb
/ ed out Of his seat. and laughing at him
self. walked back 70 the derrick.
In fifteen minutes he was ready to 80
| up again. He let the weight drop al
| 9.1GiA according TO the unofficial timers
| present. This time the biplane rose
/ with a sharp jump from the end of
! The rail and fiuttered away gracefully
! towards the northeast Mr. Wright
never got very high in the air, but
SKINNED along in a fashion quite start
ling to those who remembered how Or
| vile used TO go up over tho rough
! country around Fort Myer.
on this trip Mr.. Wright made about
three circles, and attained a speed,
which he and Lieutenant Lahm figured
was approximately forty-siX miles ar
hour He flew over a course measured
by the Signal Corps for SEQ meters. He
made the distance Up the field, toward
the west, in p 10 seconds and CO ne
back in "A 3-5. the wind accounting for
the difference. He and Lieutenant Lahm
struck an average of a 2-3 for each leg.
and figured out the tine per hour.
Exceeds Speed Limit.
MI Wright afterward said: That
while this machine was not built to
make more than forty-two or forty
three miles an hour il seemed to aim
that this morning it was making more
than fOrty-siX, which he figured it
made.
The second flight began at 9:SS. and
lasted three minutes. II was on this
trip that Mr.. Wright say7 he broke the
worlds record for the closed course Of
500 meters The third trip, taken only
for the purpose of ascertaining whether
or not he could 90 up without the
weights, lasted only a few seconds moro
than minute on all his fights Mr.
Wright exhibited great control. and flew
otten tor hundreds OF yards at a height
of but a few feet from the ground.
While the machine dipped a little, he
expects to overcome this in a few days.
There were only few people present
this morning, outside Of the newspaper
men and the soldiers. Conditions were
almost ideal. The wind was scarcely
noticeable and the sun was Just warm
enough 10 make flying comfortable. AZ
ter he came down the last time Mr..
Wright said that probably he would not
fly again today.
There is only one set of control lew
ers on the machine; so he is unable to
do any instTucting until he gets anoth-
er set from cut at Fort MyeT. which
seem to have disappeared About 10
O clock he figured out his speed with
Lieutenant Lahm, talked a few minutes
20 the newspaper men, and then went
mp TO his temporary home. Most prob
y
as he never does any work on Sunday.
Five flights. all of comparatively short
duration. were made by Mr. Wright late
yesterday afternoon. He carried ND
Humphreys, OF the Signal Corps, by
turns The highest speed attained was
about forty miles with an. average
height Of perhaps 125 feet
It was Lieutenant Humphries' first
trip in the air. Wilbur Wright tried the
machine out himself for three fiighs be
fore taking a passenger. These flights
were OF three minutes. five minutes and
twenty seconds and four minutes and
fcrty-fve seconds, respectively.
Lahm's Flight.
Lieutenant Lahm was taken up short
ly after o'clock. the machine gradually
rising until a height OF $50 feet was
reached. Its descent was graceful.
Lieutenant Iahm and his instructor re-
NAMED in the air five minutes and fif-
teen seconds. The former said it was
fine" on alighting. Wright took time
enough to venture that he was well
satisfied with his pupH"
For four minutes and twenty seconds
the skillful Dayton aviator carried
Lieutenant Humphre Us through the air
on the latters initial aerial voyage.
The lieutenant was enthusiastic over
the experience when he touched earth
a bit frightened. IT'S fine business.
bully" he exclaimed
After the fifth fight Wright ordered
the Government aeroplane back into
the shed.
Committee at Flights.
The joint aviation committee. which
is trying 10 obtain the 1910 international
aviation meet for Washington. Witness
ed the fights, and at the same time
made an examination Of the College
Park grounds and adjoining fields They
expressed entire satisfaction with the
field prospects for the big meet. and
requested land owners 10 forward maps
and rental figures 10 them. It is the
intention Of the committee 10 bring over
members Of the Aero Club Of America
from New York for tour Of inspection.
II was announced that the Pennsyl-
vania railroad. If the meet IS secured
for Washington, is willing to extend a
siding from its track, four miles away,
90 the College Park aviation grounds.
The members Of the joint committee
were George Oatley Totten, jr. A. Left
wich Sinclair. Judge James r. O'NeHI.
Gen. Clinton l. Riggs, Charles J. Bell
and Col. Jerome j. Joyce, of the Balt-
more Aero Club.