The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-31
WRIGHT BROKE
ALL RECORDS
IN FINAL TEST
Ten-miIe Cr0SS-G0untry Flight
at Speed of az Miles
an Hour.
PRESIDENT TAFT ON
THE PARADE GROUND
OF PEOPLE Ac-
CLAIMED AVIATOR WHEN HE
DESCENDED WITH PASSENGER.

Washington, July 30.-Orville Wright
this evening attained the zenith of hard
earned success. In ten-mile cross
fight in the famous aeroplane
built by himself and his elder brother,
Wilbur, and accompanied by Lieutenant
D. Foulers of the Army Signal
CORPS. he not only surpassed the speed
of his contract with the
but accomplished the most
difficult and daring flight ever planned
for a heavier-than-air flying machine,
Incidentally, he broke all speed records
over a measured course. His speed was
more than forty-two miles an hour. He
made the ten-mile flight in IA minutes
and AZ seconds. He went up nearly 900
feet in his crossing of the valley OF
Four-mile run, and his average altl-
tude was about 200 feet.
President Taft Present.
President Taft arrived upon the pa
rade ground at Fort Myer just in time
to see the aerOplane land and TO partlc-
ipate in the wild demonstration when
welcomed the triumphant aviatOrs.
A great crowd watched while Orville
Wright had the machine placed on the
starting rail and gave the motor final
test.
The engine worked perfectly, and the
people seemed to realize hat an epOcn-
making moment was at hand. They
pressed forward against the lines which
held them back, breathless, intense, ca
gerly watching every movement Of the
aviator and his machine.
Lieutenant FOulers climbed into the
passenger seat beside the motor Will
bur took his place at the right tip OF
the planes and Orville clambered into
his seat beside Foulers.
He gripped the levers and slipped the
cable which released the starting weight
The aeroplane shot down the track. rose
before il reached the end, and SKINNED
over the ground for one hundred feet OF
more.
Wild Cheers of Crowd.
AS if drawn by invisible powers, il
rose higher and higher, reached the enc
Of the field, turned at slight angle
and came about, facing the madly'
cheering multitude.
Hats and handkeTchiefs were waving
automobile horns were footing, some
overwrought spectators even wept as
the great white creature turned again
southwark at the starting tower.
Then, with a short turn. Orville SWEEP
about almost over the heads Of tbs
closely banked spectators and started
straight southwark, over the center Of
the drill field.
''They are on" shouted a thousand
voices.
Like a giant bird the aeroplane sweep
unswervingly down its course. 1t KEEP
straight to the south and seemed to b.
rising ever higher as it passed over thu
diverse and heavily-wOoded country II
the distance.
Machine Lost to View.
Those who had glasses saw the aero
plane turn, first to the left, then to tn
right, above Shutter hill. Then it wa
! lost to view, and as the seconds passed
a silence grew upon the crowd.
As the delay in the aeroplane again
rising above the skyline became seem
ing1y alarming. great beads OF perspira
/ ton stood upon Wilbur Wright's brow
and his agitation was evident.
! Suddenly the speck came in sight
over the distant hill
There it is" everybody said, and tn
| sigh of relief was plainly audible.
Soon the aerial navigators were hom
again over the drill grounds, flying yer,
/ low. OrNllle SIeeFeQ SLrdlgnt across IN
| field and at a height Of about twent,
| feet swung around again to the south
ward and landed easily far down tn
/ field. The task was done, and he wa
! greeted with deafening cheers.
Despite the notice that nobody woul
! be allowed upon the field, there was
rush of the crowd, which almost elude
! the Gordon of mounted men on guard
/ Galloping horses brushed the peOpl
/ back, however, and the lines were re
/ formed
Rate of Speed.
Wilbur at once began calculating tn
speed of the trip, which, afte- he ha
/ consulted with Lieutenant FoUlers. h
/ figured at forty-twO and a half miles a
lhour.
We were making eighty miles a
hour coming back" said Foulers.
Orville said:
IT'S easier to fly across country tina
round a field"
He seemed more impressed by the les
/ son that the unusual fight had laugh
him than by any sense Of his achieve
| ment. We were forced off our cours
by several counter-currents," he added
"and in turning at the lower end
/ down-trend of air took me lower than
Continued on Pane