Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-22
TWO To MAKE FLIGHT
Wright AeropIane May Carry
Double This Afternoon.
BROTHERS HARD AT WORK
Lieut.. Foulois May Be the First
Passenger.
SUCCESS OF YESTERDAYS TRIAL
Speed Of Forty-Five Miles an Hour
Attained-Slight Accident
Shortens First Attempt.
BROTHERS HARD AT WORK
SUCCESS OF YESTERDAYS TRIAL

1t was rather breezy at the Fort Myer
drill field early this afternoon, but if the
wind quiets down the aeroplane will fly.
The Wright brothers left the city for
the fort about 10 o'clock this morning and
have been working with the machine
more less all day.
If conditions are favorable this after
noon Orvlle Wright expects to take
passenger up with him. This is the next
step in his progressive experiments be-
fore the official test. The machine has
already exceeded the time OF flight and
the rate of speed required by the speci-
fications of the government contract.
and about all that remains to be done is
to fly with a passenger and then. If the
official test is satisfactory, to instruct
the Signal Corps officers in the use of
the machine.
The Wright brothers will not say who
the first passenger will be. Orville and
Wilbur might fly together, or Miss kath-
crime Wright might go up. as she did in
France. The chances are, however. that
the first passenger will be Lieut.. Benja-
min d. Foulois or Lieut.. Frank p
Lahm of the Signal Corps.
Lieut.. FoulOis spends much time study
ing the machine, and as he is the lightest
of the prospective passengers. he will
probably be the first to fly. He is anx-
ious to go up. but says that for the first
Aeroplane Tested for Speed.
Trying for speed rather than length of
flight, the Wright brothers tested their
machine in two trials yesterday after
noon. Again Orville made a record and
on the second flight, which lasted a little
more than eleven minutes. a speed esti-
mated by Wilbur at about forty-five miles
an hour was attained. The first flight
was brought to an abrupt termination at
the end of one minute and thirty mine
seconds by slight accident to the cog
wheel Of the magnetic. The machine came
to the ground lightly, however, and within
three-quarters of an hour 1t was started
by Orville on its second flight Of the
afternoon.
Nearly 1000 persons watched the tests
Among them were Secretary of State
ators Elkins. Newlands. Dick and Dolli-
yer, Maj. Gen. Young, retired; Brig. Gen.
Wotherspoon, acting chief of staff; Gen.
]. Warren Keifer and former Secretary
one of the guests of Mrs. Nicholas Long
worth at lunch basket party in her
electric machine.
On the day previous the long-distance
according to the Wright method" was
to try for speed. The gear wheels of the
machine had been altered, SO as to pro-
duce about 1. 400 revolutions of the engine
to the minute instead Of 1,20O. and to
increase the revolutions of the propeller
from about $50 to 80 minute. In order
not to overhead their engines or any part
of the ma chiner,, the brothers determined
to limit the flight to about ten minutes.
Slight Accident Shortens Flight.
A slight accident gave the law of CRAWL
tation an opportunity to limit the first
flight to less than two minutes. but Or
vile was not in the least perturbed by his
involuntary descent from a height Of
seventy-five feet, and on the second at
tempt. after remaining up long as he
desired and after Wilbur had had ample
opportunity to measure the speed of the
machine from different points on the
field, he descended to the ground, and in
a few minutes the brothers. with their
sister. who had just come from Dayton.
were speeding off to Washington in an
automobile. Before departing. however,
they all had a last look at the machine
after it was put away for the night.
The first flight began at $50 o'clock
without incident. The machine rose IN
the air gradually to about seventy-five
feet, and by the time the second circle
was completed the spectators realized
that the aeroplane was going at a much
greater rate of speed than on former oc-
casions. On the third turn of the field.
watch a long flight, the roar of the pro-
peller ceased and sent thrill through
the 1900 spectators. Every eye on the
field was riveted on Orville Wright.
watching him as he skillfully manipu-
lated the machine for fourteen seconds
before finally striking the ground. When
within about fifteen feet of the earth the
machine dipped and rose again several
times for nearly forty yards. while the
aviator seemed to be looking for a soft
place to land. After the skids struck
the aeroplane slid along for several yards,
raising little cloud OF dust.
Miss Wright Watches Flight.
A cheer rose from the spectators as
they saw OrviIle alight as calmly as If
he were stepping from touring car. The
first to meet him was his sister, Miss
Katherine Wright. who was watching
the flight from the shed at the far end of
the field, and who rushed toward the ma
chine the moment she detected the omi-
nous silence of the propellers, While the
aeroplane was seventy-fve feet above
the ground and eOing at a rate of nearly
forty-five miles an hour. Wilbur Wright
seemed the least concerned of all. His
trained eye showed him that the landing
was made safely, and he sauntered down
the field behind several officers OF the
Signal Corps to see what was the mat
ter.
1t was discovered that the cog wheel
of the magnetic had worked loose. In
a few minutes it was brazed on. and the
machine was wheeled up the field for an
other trial.
Great Speed Attained.
While waiting for the wind to slow
down a little Orville Wright explained
the machine to Secretary Dickinson and
Ambassador Jusserand of France. who
made a minute inspection of its mechan-
ISM The second flight was made at
6:3s For eleven minutes and thrty-two
seconds and the machine circled the field
through an eght-mile wind. which seem
ed to have little effect, except to rock
the aeroplane slightly on the turns. That
the machine was going very fast was
| evident to all. During this flight Wilbur
seemed TO have quite as strenuous
| time as his brother. He walked or ran
| to different parts of the field collecting
data with which to calculate the rate of
| speed AS a rough estimate. he placed
| II at about forty-five miles an hour, and
| lust a little slower on the turns. The
/ descent from the second flight was made
| without incident.
ECONOMY WILL RULE.
| A,nro,,r;o%iov for Aeriol E~rar;