The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-18

The official trials of the Wright aero
plane at Fort Myer, Va. which are about
TO begin, will work a renewal Of intense
popular interest in airships. The flights
OF OrYille Wright at Fort Myer last fall,
which terminated in the death OF Lieut..
Selfridge, the injury OF Wright and the
wreck OF the aerOplane. were only tests.
The fulfillment Of the contract e the
Wright brothers with the government
VIII yield them $4,000 with a liberal
bonus for extra speed.
The Wright brothers proved in the
United States their claims as pioneers in
the realm Of the birds, and then pro-
ceeded TO astonish Europe They are
selling aerOplanes in France and Italy,
the French government having paid then
100000 for their patent rights in that
country \ company has been organized
IN Germany for the construction of
Wright aeroplanes The brothers will re-
turn TO Europe later this year and give
demonstrations in England Germany and
perhaps other countries. The machines
which they are now building will carry
two passengers, but they say the aero
plane eventually mdr~be capable of car
rylng fourteen or sixteen passengers
sixty Wright machines are being built
in France, at a cost of $500 each. The
Wrights have already eliminated She
awkward starting device which was a
feature of their aeroplane, and are said
to have evolved great improvements in
the steering apparatus.
designated as the sister of those crazy
Wright boys" She participated in part
or their European triumphs, and the
three received a royal welcome when they
returned to America The city of Day
ton. o., the home of the aviators, broke
all records for a real Homecoming
celebration, at which nothing was left
undone which would show the pride
which their fellow citizens and neighbOrs
took in the achievements of the inven-
tors The brothers received medals from
their state and city, from the Aero Club
OF America, and, finally from the United
states government. President Taft him
self, in the historic east room of the
White house, pinned upon the bOsoms of
the champion navigators of the air the
beautiful gold medals awarded them by
congress.
The records of the patent office show
that over 400 patents on flying machines
Of various kinds and their parts have
been granted, of which fifty or more We're
issued during the last six months Two
OF these were granted to the Wrights for
improvements on their aeroplane. Rep
resentative Butler Ames of Massachu-
sets, grandson of General B. F. Butler,
has applied for a patent on a machine,
the principal feature of which is that the
planes revolve on horizontal axes. The
inventor is said to have obtained the idea
for this scheme by watching flutter to
the ground bent paste board card, which
he had thrown into the air.
The AerOnautical Experiment assOcia-
lOn, or which the moving spirits were
Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the
telephone, and G.. g. Curtiss, has been
dissolved. It was organized to perfect
a successful heavier-than-air flying ma
chine After a long series of experiments
at Hammondsport, y. Y and in Nova
Scotia, this was accomplished The as
ISOLATION built and operated the June
Bug" the Red Wing and the Silver
Dart all successful aeroplanes. The
= haF n
air machine TO fly in Canada. A factory
for making similar machines has been
in that country.
Dr. Bell recently sailed for Europe on a
vacation. but while there he may get
some new ideas for improving his terra
hedral kite. "Cygnet II" This was sue
cessfully flown in Canada last winter
and DR.. Bell is satisfied that it can COM
pete with the aeroplane as soon as he
obtains a suitable engine for his machine.
Instead Of having large planes, "Cygnet
IL Is made up OF number Of small
triangular cells, which afford a larger
surface for lifting than mere planes. but
which, at the same time, confine the air
pressure to a small area of each cell, so
that the apparatus is said to be very
steady in gusty weather.
A. N. Herring of Philadelphia has con-
struCted for the war department. under
4 5000 contract an aeroplane to be tested
AZ Fort Myer. He claims that the chief
features Of his machine are automatic
CONTROL ana an engine OF eNIIaOrQlnary
small size and light weight. Walter
Nellman is in Paris, and is due to start
or the pole from Spitzbergen in an air
hip in August. His ship is said 10 be
he second largest in existence. Emile |
3erliner and J. n. Williams are expert |
nenting with a helicOpter near Washing
on, which is the type of flying machine |
avOred by Thomas A. Edison.
AerOnautics is becoming a practical |
cience. Flying machines are no longer
Oys. Military experts say their utility |
n time of war for scout work, for the |
.uick transportation Of dispatches, and. |
,ossibly for transporting troops and /
forts and ships. cannot be /
Questioned. In France, scientists are l
hiding an entirely peaceful use for the 4
lallOon On the approach Of a hailstOrm i
explosives are sent up in one of the big 4
hips of the air. and when at a great ele- /
alton. are touched off for the purpose 4
# dissipating the storm which threatens |
he vineyards. The United States weather /
bureau uses captive or free balloons and /
-ites in its station at Mt Weather, Va,
o ascertain the temperature. barOmetTiC 1
,ressure. wind velocity and humidity in /
Ugh attitudes
Professor Todd. a noted astronomer. !