The bee., 1909-07-29
IN ENDURANCE TEST AERoPLANE
FLIES FIFTY MILES WITH
ONE PASSENGER.
CONGRATULATED BY PRESIDENT
Remains In Air one Hour and Twelve
Minutes, Defeating Wilbur Wrisht's
Record Flight in France
Last Year.

neroplane record for two men. as TO
both time and distance was broken In
a beautiful flight Of one hour, twelve
minutes and forty seconds-upwards
of nifty miles and at a speed averaging
forty miles an hour by Orville Wright
at Fort Myer. with Lieutenant Frank
p. Lahm. Of the army signal corps, as
passenger.
The former record was made last
year by his brother Wilbur, joint in
ventor with him Of the machine in
which both achievements we're pr
formed at lie Mans, France, with
Professor Painlevo, Of the French In
stitute, as passenger. That flight was
one hour. nine minutes and thirty-one
seconds.
Wilbur was an eager spectator Of
today's fight. by his brother
you Just scotched your brothers
record. without really damaging IT,"
remarked a newspaper man TO orville
after the fight.
That's all we meant to do" replied
Orville, with a smile. which his big
brother approximately duplicated.
Cheers For New Record.
The cheering which followed the
setting OF a new mark in the conquest
Of the air was led by President Taft
In PRISON. who had been an intensely
Interested spectator throughout the
fight. and who insisted at its conclu-
sion upon personally congratulating
the brothers upon their success.
Their success was all important to
the Wrights in that IT completed the
FIRST OF two crucial tests OF their ma
chine, imposed on them by the United
States government-the so-called Zen
DURANGO" test which required them TO
remain enc hour continuously in the
air. with one passenger.
Orville did nearly thirteen minutes
better than that, and could have kept
on indehnitely-three hours and half,
the limit imposed by the gasoline ca
pacity OF the supply tank.
The other test, that for speed, will
be- compiled with tomorrow, weather
permitting. when Orville is to take
Lieutenant BENJAMIN Foulcis. Of the
signal corps, on a cross country flight
TO Alexandria and return, total Of
ten miles over a measured course, and
at speed required to average forty
miles an hour. Orville could have
made that flight this evening, but
when It was almost dark when he at
last alighted, after a fight which
would have carried him almost twice
across the English channel.
"Bully For You,p Says Sister.
Poignancy was added to the days
achievement of Oryille Wright by the
realization by everybody present upon
his last attempt 10 navigate the air
with his passenger, that passenger,
Lieutenant selfridge. was killed and
be himself was terribly injured. His
devoted sister. Miss Katherine Wright,
who nursed him through the period
of his recovery from that disaster,
anxiously watched him today. from the
doorway Of the shed where the aero-
plane is kept, and when he returned
unhurt from his fight, gripped him
eagerly by the arm, nestled her face
against his breast and said
Bully for you, brother, il was beau
tiful."
President Greets Aviator
Il is a question whether this word
Of praise was not more to him than
those which came a few moments
later when the President Of the United
States. who had waited for him at the
other end Of the great parade ground,
took him warmly by the hand and said,
with the other grasping that Of his
brother, Wilbur: Il congratulate you
heartily, sir. 1t was a great exhibit
ton You came down as easily and
gracefully as you went up. You-beat
the worlds record"
YES, sir" replied Orville, evil
IDENTIFY embarrassed. Il beat my
brothers record"
The President and everybody in
the crowd about Joined in the laugh
ter at this sally
How did your passenger conduct
himself; did he talk to the motor
MANI" asked the President.
HE behaved very WE'LL" replied the
aviator.
"Well, / congratulate both of you,
and / thank you for the privilege OF
Witnessing such a flight" added the
President and again shaking hands
with the brothers. he enterd his tuto-
mobile and rode away amid cheers.
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