The Washington herald., 1909-10-27

Ideuts. Frederick z. Humphreys and
Frank P. Lahm yesterday practically
finished their course of instruction in
aviation with Wilbur Wright
In three successful flights apiece at
College Park they took the biplane up
alone. without the master touch OF the
Dayton aviator. and won the distinction
Of being the first two men IN this country,
with the exception Of the Wright broth
ers, 20 operate one OF their machines.
II fell TO Lieut. Humphreys to make
the first independent flight, although
Lieut.. Lahm Is the senior officer on the
Job. But in the FIRST you. then me"
order. in which Mr.. Wright has been
taking the men up, It happened to be
the younger officers turn.
The frost still whiteucd the grass when.
at SIC o'clock in the morning, he reached
down and released the trigger that held
the suspended weight. With clean rise
from the end OF the monorall, the biplane
took the air and Crcled about the field
as smoothly as If 1t were travelling on a
pair OF invisible tracks Under inStruc-
lions from the master OF ceremonies.
Lieut.. Humphreys brought the machine
down at the end OF two circuits, when
three minutes had elapsed.
Broke Into n Cheer.
Neither Wilbur nor Orville ever made a
gentler landing. The enlisted men Of the
Signal Corps broke into a cheer as the
youthful lieutenant squirmed out from be-
hind the wire trusses.
Lieut. Lahms turn came next. After
one false start, ne took the cir at sal
o'clock, and made the rounds for thirteen
minutes. His landing. Ike the previous
one. had the hnesse Of q veterans.
At 9.22 Lieut.. Humphreys made his sec
ond ascension, and came down eight and
half minutes later. Lieut.. Lahm went
I'D again at 1881 o'clock for a flight OF
five minutes.
Both officers were immensely pleased
with the mornings developments, and
Lieut. Humphreys sad Fine business!
whenever tho subject Of flying was men
toned
Mr.. Wrights face was creased into 9
broad smile at the adeptness Of his pupils
He congratulated them. although he said
he didn't think it was necessary, because
what they had done was just what he has
expected them 20 do. Then TO show ID
was still the king bee in these parts, ID
took the blplane up himself. without q
passenger, and cut off the engine at {
height of $50 feet. The glide TO th'
ground was easily made, and the landing
was sans even q bump.
Each Of the officers made flight alon'
IN the afternoon. Lieut.. Humphrey
started at 4.45 o'clock on a "trip OF twenty
four minutes duration The cagin
missed a few explosions at the beginning
but as It warmed up 10 its work, the eX
hausts came as regularly as the tax col
lector.
Looked 10 HIS LaureIs.
Lieut. Lahm had no sooner commence
his third flight Of the day. at 5:17 O'Clock
than it began 20 seem as II he was look
ing 10 his laurels He went at Will abou
the field. sometimes taking the lon
course of a little more than a mil
around the outside edge. and at other
cutting his circles short and comm
back on reverse curve. At no tim
was there a suggestion Of wavering
the even motion OF the biplane.
One of the incidents Of the fight wa
the next best race so far betwee
the machine and a Neutrality-suspicious.
through train. The biplane ranged u
alongside al the upper end OF the field
and side by side they paced cacn othe
down the track. The train gained onl
slightly, in spite Of the fact that IN
biplane was running on three-quarteT
speed and was heading into a fve-mil
breeze.
All this time the darkness was comm
on. The sun set in a crimson horizon
out of the south came a thick valley fog
and in the north a bank Of dingy cloud
climbed up the sky. To confuse the ei
feet all the more, the moon hung abov
the trees at the east side Of the field. il
paler radiance taking the place of n
fading glow Of the sun. The outline
OF the circling machine became nothin
but a blur. Now and then the moor
light cast a flash from the aluminium
brace, but aside from that the watcher
saw nothing but a shadow appearin
here and there in the gaps of the ire,
top line.
Wilbur Showed Anxiety.
At 5.45 O'Clock Wilbur Wright said:
He will come down soon. He can
see the ground any later than this"
Lieut. Lahm sailed on Finally. N
Wright hunched his left shoulder III
easily, as he has a habit Of doing whe
he IS thinking, and muttered somethln
about better come down"
At last the machine lowered close
the ground. heading straight for II
crowd OF a few hundred persons. II
sound OF the exhausts ceased, and Il
spectators, straining their eyes into II
darkness. made out the figure Of a ma
standing silently beside the shadowy on
line OF the aeroplane.
The machine had been IN the air thirt.
nine minutes. III was next 10 the lOnt
est fight az College Park. so far. an
ended later than any OF the others.
Lieut.. Lahm said that IN making q