The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-10-06
Ills AeropIane Disabled and
Flights Ended.
ENGINE PISTON ROD BLEW Off.
Before the Accident the Dayton
Aviator Flew Up the Hudson
Over the Warships For
Half an Hour.

New York, Oct. 5.--Just as Wilbur
Wright and his mechanician, Robert
Tailor, were cranking up Wright's
aeroplane on Governors island for a
second flight the head Of the piston
rod in the first Of the four cylinders In
the engine blew of.
The head, which is about six inches
long and four inches wide, few like
cannon ball not twenty inches from
Wright's head and went through the
upper plane Of the machine, tearing
hole about three feet in diameter.
Wright, who had been on his hands
and knees giving the airship final
oiling up before his purposed fight
around Manhattan island, threw his
cap to the ground.
After Wright discovered that the
wooden frame of the upper planes had
also been damaged he made sign of
despair. and Captain Dorey ordered
his soldiers to drag the MANNED flier
back to it's shed.
"Pm sorry" he said, "but luck got
me-"
He was asked if the accident could
have happened while the machine was
up in the air. Eyes, 1t could have" he
said. Anything can happen in the
air." He was conscious. however, that
even in such a perilous contingency he
could have brought his biplane to earth
on an even keel and without harm to
himself.
Wright flew up the Hudson river
and back earlier in the day. He start
ed from Governors island, swept due
west for a mile, turned north, kept
well to the center Of the river and, fly
ing at a speed Of forty-two miles an
hour and at a height varying from Il
to 300 feet, went to Grants tomb and
returned over the course he had come.
Over the masts of warships, from
whose decks the hoarse cheers Of the
sailors were borne up to him in his
elevated seat, he flew for twenty miles
ten miles up and ten miles back-re
naming in the air for thirty-three min
utes and thirty-three seconds ant
alighting at the aerodrome withou
mishap.
Almost indistinguishable against thu
gray banked clouds, the machine soar
ed past old Castle William and soor
entered the canyon made by the gian
skyscrapers of Manhattan Island ant
the Jersey hills. At this point thu
aeroplane was flying at a height O.
nearly 200 feet, but unexpected ali
currents, caused by the great build
ings, moved the aviator to bring hi
craft closer to the water. Tilting th'
elevating rudder, he slowly brough
the machine down, sloping gradual.
until he was but bare hundred fee
above the footing ferryboats and tn,
busy river traffic. His motor wa
churning as regularly as a clock, and
settling himself in his seat, he spec
onward up the river.
When the air vessel reached tn,
British cruiser Argyll, anchored al
eighth of a mile above Grants tomb
Wright brought his direction rudder
into play and, describing an easy ant
graceful curve started on his return
journey down the river. The wint
conditions, which had bothered hin
on the journey up, were now more ia
vorable, and 1t was here that tn,
speed possibilities of the machine wer,
demonstrated. While the ten mile
up stream occupied nearly twenty min
utes, the return fight was made in lit
tie more than thirteen minutes.