The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-07-31

Washington. July 2s.-A persistent
wind and a suddenly discovered stop
page In the gasoline feed-pipe of his
motor prevented Orville Wright from
making this evening his final cross
country two-man test of the aero
plane. After he had waited in sup
posed readiness for the start for an
hour. with the aeroplane on the mo-
| norail at Fort Meyer, the wind died
down at least to little more than a
whisper. and then ii was discovered
that the fuel-feed was obstructed BY
that time 1t was dusk. and the flight
was declared off for the day, the
army officials granting him three
days additional time for the test. The
| time limit under the original contract
expired today. The failure of the
trial disappointed an immense crowd,
including President Taft and practi-
| cally all OF the most prominent gov
ernment officials. All along the
course laid out for the trial people
were gathered, on foot and on horse
back and In vehicles Of every conceiv-
able character. At Shutter hill. just
outside the city of Alexandria, where
the turning; point was located, was
assembled what must have been O
fair quorum of the people of that
community.
| The crowd at Shutter Hill was Sc
rious embarrassment to the officers in
charge of the trial; they had with
them only small cavalry detail and
| they found 1t impossible to keep the
people off the great space which they
intended to reserve as landing
place for the aeroplane in case 1t was
necessary for the aviators to alight
In addition to the aspect of the un-
precedented flight as spectacle,
there was well understood to be an
element of very real peril. In order to
rspiriain .aa.,evei course jt would be
necessary for Wright to maintain an
altitude of from so to $50 feet above
the sharply rolling country. Ofticers
OF the signal corps have been over this
ground repeatedly in balloons, but no
one. not even either of the Wrights,
has ever been over ii in heavier-than-
ar machine. and the air currents
which will affect such a flight are
practically unknown. Wright has dis
covered in his circuits of the parade
ground at Fcrt Meyer that trees and
buildings and even the contour of the
ground profoundly influence the cur
rents of air: he has no chart to show
with what whirlpools and eddies OF
atmosphere Re will have to contend
or this thrilling Journey.
The course was marked by bright
yellow cylindrical captive ballons
The only real excitement OF the day
was when one of them near For,
Meyer escaped and dspalyed dispo-
sition to beat Wright to shutter hlll.'
for there 1t was captured somewhat
damaged.
| All along the road between Fort
Meyer and the turning point. a relay
series of mounted soldiers in KHAKI
sat their horses. 1t was to be their
duty, I'm case OF accident, to hasten tc
the fallen machine, and then bear
word post haste back TO the fort.
Along the course there was no 9TH
er means of communication. and the
moon was riding in night sky before
the people along the way realized that
there was TO be- no spectacle tonight
The farmers. whites and negroes
down the way, view the whole affair
With mingled emotions. Many of them
are chiefly afraid that Wright viii
drop I'm through their humble roofs
or what they feel would be more Sc
rious. work havoc in field and gar
dens. They were anything bu,
pleased tonight when informed that
they had still another day in which
10 dread the new bird OF the air.
III was quite dark when the signal
corps details pulled down the mark
,rs and towed them back to Fort
Meyer III weather conditions promise
flight tomorrow. they Will be re-
placed In the same positions in the
morning.
Seven thousand people surged In
accompaniment as the aeroplane was
wheeled across the field to the start
ing line shortly before Z O'Clock. The
only ones In that vast assemblage who
displayed no agitation were the two