New-York tribune., 1909-10-28
WOMAN In AIRSHlP
FLIES WITH JTRIGHT.
MrS. paR Deman a Passenger
at College Park.
Iron The rriDuno Burean

- ~ -
from The Tribune BureauI
Washington, Oct 27.-Wilbur Wright, the
silent. broke his own record this morning
and took up a woman with him. Then he
kept up his reputation for non-communi-
eativeness with the newspapers by deny
ing that he had had any one up with him
The woman was Mrs. r. H. Van Deman
the wife of Captain Van Deman Of the 2Ist
Infantry and friend of Lieutenant Lahm.
Mrs Van Deman, who is the first woman
10 ny In an aeropiane in this country, came
TO the field early, and was in her place as
soon as the aeroplane had been taken cut
OF the shed. Wilbur Wright has taken up
several women abroad. including Miss
katherine Wright. his sister; Mrs. Berg,
the wife of Hart Berg, the foreign repre-
sentative Of Charles r Flint. of New York.
and one or two others
Women passengers in an aeroplane have
10 have their skirts tied around their
ankles. and this duty was performed by
Mr. Wright, with the assistance of Lieu
tenant Lahm. who went about the job
though he were packing a consignment OF
army goods for shipment. Mrs. Van
Deman laughed and said they should have
married men for that work, preferably
those who were used to buttoning gowns
down the back
The first start was a false one and Mr..
Wright had to order more weights put on.
As the passengers skirts were all tied mp,
she remained in the seat and was wheeled
back 10 the starting rail when the second
start was made. This time the machine
went into the air without trouble. Mr..
Wright took his passenger up higher than
he has been in the habit of carrying the
n Tc Of 70 fol
were made at an elevation of almost a
hundred feet. The average, perhaps. was
lower than this. but the fight ranks as one
OF the highest he has made at the train
ing grounds. Mrs Van Deman was
model passenger, and, while there IS no
record of any conversation between her and
her conductor in the air, she smiled
throughout the performance and sat still.
When she came down she exclaimed;
oh, that was simply splendid and her
husband. who was standing near, re-
marked: We'll, 7 am glad you took her
up anyhow for this will insure peace in
my family"
immediately after the fight with the
woman passenger M Wright ascended
alone to a height of $50 feet and, cutting
out the engine, glided gently to the
ground
Foulois for flight OF 2sla minutes, the
longest one the lieutenant mas had. It was
considerably longer than the speed trip
he made with Oryille Wright from Fort
Myer to Alexandria and return. IT was
also more hazardous, as the wind toward
the end OF the trip was blowing at twenty
miles an hour. Inc high wind. induced
Mr. Wright TO end the flight. after which
the machine was housed for the remainder
OF the morning.
WILBUR WRIGHT DEPARTS.
Wilbur Wright left College Park this
evening, presumably for New York, al
though he would not say what his ulti-
mate destination was. It is believed that
he is going to New York to meet his
brother 0rviIle when the latter returns
from Europe The principal significance in
his leaving College Park at this time is sn
indication tnat he has finished the training
of the army officers and completed his
compact with the government, He viii re-
turn to College Park some time next week.
but he would not Sc on what day or how
long he Intended 10 stay. He did say,
ho1evsr that so far as the Wrights were
concerned there was no truth in the story
of an aviation trust being engineered by
Charles r. Flint or anybody else
The army officers who are learning TO
operate the aeroplane made fight alone
this evening Lieutenant Humphreys was
in charge OF the machine, and carried
Lieutenant Lain as q passenger. They
engineered the whole arrangement OF the
aeroplane with the aid of the enlisted men
OF the signal corps. Mr.. Wright remained
in tbs shed until the officers were ready 10
start Lieutenant Humphreys 'pTimed"
the engine, and the machine was cranked
I'D by the government mechanic, Simmons,
end one Of the enlisted men The start
was made at AL and Lieutenant Hum
phreys guided the machine around the
big field at an average height Of thirty feet
for little more than half an hour. At the
end of that time one of the guy wires sup
porting the main planes snapped and the
aviators came TO earth ON the south end
Of the field at q considerable distance from
the starting point 1t was not serious
accident, but II was full time for the flight
10 end, as it was growing dark and begin
ming 70 rain.
Before the flight of these two officers Mr..
Wright took up Captain Charles de Forrest
Chandler of the signal corps, for fight
Of six minutes