The Washington times., 1909-06-18
HonorS Authorized by Con-
gresS, Ohio, and Dayton
Presented to Wrights.
SHAKE HANDS WITH
5000 OF TOWNSMEN
Will Start for Fort Myer Tonight
and Get Ready for
Tests.

DAYTON. Ohio, June 1S.-Now that
the coats Of Wilbur and Orville Wright
have been pulled all out of shape by
The weight of. Government, State and
city medals presented them in the pres
ence of twenty or thirty acres of neigh
bors, friends. and fellow-countrymen
there is a growing conviction that they
still have another medal earned for
bravery and endurance in action during
the last thirty-five hours. What these
TWO endured yesterday and today the
public may never know, because neither
talks except when absolutely necessary.
The hardest part of it from the stand
point of the brothers was the handshak-
ing. They hssd counted on a few hun
dred of their friends. but when they saw
10.O00 patriots pushing and showing and
nghting with two or three companies OF
soldiers and squads of police in their
efforts TO get into the building, genuine
panic seized them. They actually shook
the hands OF more than 800 persons
who passed them on tTot. but after
that the rest had TO be satisfied with
bows and smiles.
At the fair grounds this morning Gen.
Jsnaes Allen, chief of the Army Signal
Corps, presented the medals authorized
by Congress.
Aliens Address.
General Allen said:
The history Of the relations between
the United States Government and the
Wright brothers is as follows. on De-
eember 3, 1907, specifications were is
sued and bids invited for a type of
Observation-Disclosures flying machine. Among
the awards made under these proposals
r-crI,f
of Dayton, Ohio, dated February 2S.
1915. So far as known this was the first
public contract ever made by any gov
eminent for aeronauticai appliances OF
this kind.
'"rhe general conditions under which
The Wright machine was built for the
Government were that il should develop
a speed of AT least thlrty-slX miles on
hour. and in its trial fights remain
continuously in the air for at least one
hour. tt was TO carry two persons haV-
ing a combined weight Of so pounds
and also sufficient fuel for q flight OF 10
ION September 9, 1905, Orviue Wright,
AZ Fort Myer, Va few with his aero
plane for a period of over one hour,
and the same day carried passenger
for short flight This produced a pro
found impression throughout the world.
and soon after Wilbur Wright in France
|. made longer records in an exactly sim
Jar machine.
Record to Date.
Up TO the present the Wright aero
plane in France has made a continuous
fight OF 100 miles In two hours and
twenty minutes, las risen to a height
of 900 feet. and has carried Two per
sons for more than one hour under per
feet control.
'sIt thus appears that 10 OrVile and
Wilbur Wright is due the great credit
OF first publicly demonstrating 10 the
world the practice bility OF dynamic
flight
'sThe success Of the Wright brothers
has not been due 10 chance or 10 any
accidental discovery. but to their psr-
sfsteucc daring, and intelligence IN
scientifically working out Lhc different
parts which go 10 make up their ma
chine, and practically testing the same
in fight.
profoundly impressed and ever ready
10 recognize the ability and success OF
the citizens Of the United states, the