The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-07-28

applauded heartily others in the assem-
blage who joined IN the tribute were Sec
rotary OF War Dickinson. Secretary OF the
Treasury MacVeagh. Secretary of Com
merce and Labor N9gle. Postmaster Cen
eral Hitchcock. Senator Root. former
Secretary OF state Bacon. and Repre-
sentative and Mrs Nicholas LOngwOrth.
In a group beside the starting derrick
stood Wilbur Wright and the members OF
the board OF judges. Maj. George O.
| Squier. Of the Signal Corps, chairman;
Maj. Saltzmar, Lieuts. Lahn and Foulois.
Of the Signal Corps; Lieut. Humphreys,
OF the Engineer Corps. temporarily de-
tailed 70 duty with the Signal Corps, ana
Lieut. Sweet, OF the navy.
Wilbur Was UncOncerned.
Wilbur. throughout the sixty minutes
preceding. had shown no signs Of appre-
hension as 20 the outcome OF the test.
Now and then ne had glanced at his
watch to mark the passage Of time. But
most Of the time he stood with one foot
resting on a brace on the derrick. talk
ing idly with the men about him
Nor did the group show especial inter
est when the hour mark was passed. In
that respect, the men out on the field
differed from the rest OF the spectators
Evidently Wilbur had told them Orviile
would keep on going. And soon the crowd
found out the same thing.
Up in the machine a silence had fallen
between the men IN the hard, narrow
seats The few remarks that had passed
between them early in the flight had given
way 10 silent concentration on Orville's
mart and watchfuI interest on the part Of
I NJ % hn
minute was shown by the little clock hung
on an upright brace beside the aviators
seats Lieut. Lahm shouted:
There's your hour"
When the clock showed the end Of the
hour. Lieut.. Lahm again shouted;
! There's your hour"
/ Orvnle die not glance at the waving
arms Of the crowd, although he was con-
/ scious Of them
without moving a hand on the levers,
/ he shouted back 10 Lieut.. Lahm;
Wen 90 on fora record
Time for n Demonstration.
The time for the demonstration by the
! group OF men on the field came when one
/ hour and ten minutes had been finished,
/ for that meant the smashing OF Wilbur's
/ record and the establishing OF a new
worlds mark AS the machine swept
past the starting derrick the men, with
| the exception Of Wilbur. who continued
to stand quietly spread out with up
/ turned faces. waved their hands IN the
/ air and shouted long and loud.
At the far end OF the field. in the open
door Of the aeroplane shed, were two
/ female fgures-those of Miss Katherine
/ Wright. sister Of the aviato-s. and a
/ friend. These figures, too. suddeny
! sprung into lie. and two arms we're
/ lifted in the air, waving tiny handker-
chiefs al the men in the biplane.
| A few seconds later IL became evident
that Orville was preparing TO land He
/ drew In his circles. descended gradually.
and looked for a safe place 70 land. Near
/ the north end Of the field he seemed
about 10 come down, but with an up
shoot he kept on down the field toward
/ the aeroplane shed. and slightly toward
the right. II was evident he was making
for a gentle rise OF ground beyond the
shed
Finally the sklds OF the machine
| scraped the earth. The engine was still
/ going, and with a bound the winged sled
took 10 the air again. II scared 100 feet
| farther. and with gentle slide rested on
the ground unframed.
Wilbur said afterward that Orville was
| so interested I'm telling Lieut. Lahm how
10 retard the spark that he did not notice
how hear he was 70 the earth, and struck
/ before he intended
Wilbur estimated the speed Of the ma
chine at forty miles an hour. at which
rate II Travelled about forty-seven miles. or
twice the width OF the English Channel
Wibur's world record for a two-man
flight was made at lie Mans. France. Oc-
/ tober 10 last. The passenger was Prof
| Painlave. OF the French Institute. and
! the time was one hour and nine minutes
Orville's two-man flights at Fort Nyer
/ last fall were all short.
Lnhm Enthusiastfc-
! Lieut.. Lahm was enthusiastic about the
"Trip. and about the biplane. and about
/ the Wright brothers.
Aren't you pretty proud 70 be the first
| passenger In a record-breaking flight Ike
this?" he was asked.
"Of course. I was very glad to 60 up.
/ he replied. But the men who have a
right TO be proud are the Wright broth
ers They are the men who have done