The Washington times., 1909-07-30
EXCITEMENT HIGH
AT SHUTTERS HILL
Two Thousand Positive They
See Wright Coming
in Aeroplane,

| Two thousand persons saw Orville
/ Wright fly out to Shutters Hill yester-
day afternoon-at least, they imagined
| they saw him headed that way. They
| even heard the motor on the aeroplane
burlington a time.
After Mayor Pfans sensational flight
of the day before. there were about
1 1900 of Alexandria's population who
were willing TO risk a drenching on the
hill known as George Washington Park.
for it is bad weather. indeed. when this
/ prolific spot of Mother Nature can't af-
| ford an aeronsutic stunt OF some kind
/ or another Yesterday it made Fort
Myer look like big portion of the Sa-
| hara, or some other place, where air
/ ships are never heard of.
( Just as the rain began falling, some
I one discovered Orville Wright flying
/ across the valley in his aeroplane. not
! three miles away. This person turned in
/ a nice, young alarm in less time than Il
/ takes to tell it, and, in still less time,
! the 1000. who had taken refuge under
J the trees. poured out en- masse to see
/ if the real aviator were coming at last.
Yes, there he was. coming like a tor
nado- The big flying machine was half
| enveloped in the clouds, but she was
/ coming, just the same-high above the
/ trees and houses that dotted the way.
! and heading directly for the s,.mmit of
the hill.
! Suddenly she seemed to dart higher in
the air and momentary groan escaped
I the crowd.
Il fear he has lost control Of her."
some one shouted in the high wind that
was blowing
mo, he hasn't" said another. re-
assuringly. L caught a faint sound OF
the motor just then. and as long as you
can hear the engine working you can
bet Orville win bring her down all
right"
BY this time Major saltzman. Lieu
tenant Sweet and Lieutenant Hum
phreys, the official time-keepers for the
Government, who had pulled the rain
curtains over their machine, were in
formed that Wright was approaching.
Major SaItzman poked his head out OF
the machine and took one hurried, half
frightened glance at the object in the
sky, which now appeared TO be nearly
a mile up and was still coming in the
direction Of the hill.
Lieutenant sweet ana Lieutenant
Humphreys pozed their head out and
then all three grabbed their watches.
This viii be awful" escaped one Of
the officers in an uneasy tone. IF we
didn't get the fash when Wright left
the Fort, and haven't timed him.
Just then Lieutenant Lahm, who made
the trip with Wright in the endurance
test, came riding up at a gallop. Lahm
had been stationed in the valley, mid
way between the hill and Fort Myer
II have to report, sir said Lahm, adj
dressing Major Saltzman, that ths
elongated balloon three miles out is
adrift and moving this way. I thought
your men over here could make an at
tempt to capture it.
The officers looked at one another
and, few moments later, the big Gov
eminent automobile containing them
wound quietly down the hill and made
off without Ostentation toward Fort
Myer.
And just a very few moments later
the crowd, too, got wise and made of
toward Alexandra in the rain. Tie
balloon passed over their heads and on
toward the moon.
They had seen something, anyway.