Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-26
LIEUT.. LAHM WITH HIM
Endurance Trial of One Hour. With
One Passenger.
BOARD OF JUDGES TO WITNESS
Formal Announcement Made by
Chief Signal of1icer-Wrights
Praise Frenchman.

= "a AAASAA sAAAAASOAANSAAASAAS "SAo AAAoA~
today by Chief Signal Officer Al
len of the army that the official
test of the Wright aeroplane will
be begun this evening on the
Fort Myer drill grounds.
Today's trial is to be an en-
durance flight of one hour and
with one passenger aboard in ad
dition to the aviator. The War
Department has designated Lieut..
F. p. Lahn to accompany Or
vile Wright in the flight. which
is to be witnessed by an official
board consisting of Maj. George
O. Squier, Maj. c. NICK. Saltz-
man. Capt. c. de F. Chandler.
Lieut.. Benjamin D. Foulois,
Lieut.. Humphrey and Lieut..
Commander Sweet of the navy.
While the people of two continents are
enthusiastically discussing the daring
flight of Bleriot the Frenchman, who
stole march on his rivals and glided
across the English channel last Saturday.
Wilbur and Orville Wright quietly left
their hotel this morning and proceeded
to Fort Myer, where they worked on
their machine for several hours prepara-
tory to the flights anticipated this even
ing.
TSl14
Bleriot's flight, and the fact that the
Wrights have but three days in which
to make their officials tests for the gov
ernment, without asking for an extern
sion of time, WILL it is expected, at
tract record-breaking crowd to Fort
Myer late this afternoon. Thousands of
persons in Washington today are PLAN
ming to go to Fort Myer. as the opinion
is general that there will be some inter
esting developments in the trials this
evening or tomorrow.
The Wright brothers, however will not
deviate from their policy of systematic
and progressive flights. and although time
Is short for the government tests, and
they are anxious to leave for Germany
and other European countries where they
Will negotiate for the sale of their rights,
they will not take any unnecessary risks
at Fort Myer. Neither will they attempt
to break any records at Fort Myer Their
with the government as soon as it can
be done without unnecessary risks.
Records Now Held.
OF the twenty-three longest fights
with heavier-than-air machines the
Wright brothers hold fifteen. including
the four highest and the remaining eight
are divided up between six competitors,
Farman. Latham. Paulham. Tissanlier,
longest fight was a few seconds more
than two hours and twenty minutes. The
next longest was that of Farman. who
remained in the air for one hour and
twenty-three minutes.
From the moment the news of Bleriots
feat was flashed across the water to this
country the Wright brothers have been
asked many times for opinions rega riding
the relative merits OF monoplanes and
bip!anes and the general significance of
the flight from a military and CONNER
cial point of view.
Both Wilbur and Orvile Wright have
talked freely on the subject. AT = O'Clock
Sunday morning, when the news frs,
reached Washington, they were called
out of bed BY telephone TO be informed of
Bleriot's feat and asked for expressions
of opinion on it. The Wright brothers are
always willing TO talk about aeroplanes
business affairs. nor their future plans
nor even what they intend to do their
next flight.
Enthusiastic in Praise.
Both the brothers were enthusiastic in
their praise of Bleriot, whom they regard
as the most daring of all aviators. They
think the flight is personal triumph for
Bleriot rather than as any indication of
the advancement in the art of flying.
They believe their coming flight in the
cross-country test. called for in the gov
ernment specifications is far more diff
cult and more risky than the crossing of
the English channel, or than any of the
cross-country flights that have been made
by Bleriot or Farman in France.
| 1t is very rough country between Fort
Myer and Shorters HILL near Alexandria.
| the course over which Orville will fly
during the test. Some of the hills are
between 80 and 300 feet high, and the
distance 10 be covered is five miles and
| return. He must carry passenger and
make forty miles an hour The difficulty
lies in flying over uneven country. the
geographical conditions of which are un-
| familiar to him. All the cross-country
flights in France have been over level
ground.
| The obstacles in the course of the flight
| which OrviIe must make-trees. houses.
| hills and gul1ies-cauSe uncertain local
currents of air which cannot be detected
| until they begin to act on the planes of
the machine.
| IF the country over which I have to
| fy" he said. were clear, with clumps
of trees and houses here and there. II
| would not be half as difficult as with
| trees and houses scattered everywhere,
| make a good landing difficult to find.
| "In an emergency ! might land on the
| top of Il thick clump of trees, but II is
| the scattered obstacles that cause me
| concern.
Endurance Flight First.
Orville will not attempt the official
speed trial until he has made the one
hour endurance flight on the field at Fort
/ Myer. II is said that Orville Wright ex-
| pected TO cross the English channel last
year. but was prevented from doing so
| by his accident at Fort Myer last Sep
| ten1ber.
| '.It was a daring feat said Wilbur
/ Wright, discussing Ricriot's flight. but
one which such as Rleriot might be ex-
| pected 10 accomplish. He y. :he most
da ring of the ayiafors, and since he has
| been fixing he has never hesitated to risk
his life unnecessar riiy, If he announces
| his intention Of acconplis hing certain
feat he makes an attempt to keep hi:;
| word REGARDLESS Of conditions. The Gle.