The Washington herald., 1909-10-10
Scientific.

After having waited over n week for
favorable weather conditions for his off,
cial test flight during the Hudson-Fu
celebration in New York. Wilbur Wright
! last Monday morning made good" by
navigating his aeroplane from Governors
I Island, up the Hudson. over the tunnels
Of the war ships with their up-rushlng
currents of air, and past the air eddies
/ from the big skyscrapers, to a point op-
posite Grants Tomb and back amid the
| cheers Of multitudes OF people along the
shores and the chorus OF harbor craft
whistles. He alighted without lar only
! a few feet from the starting point. This
flight fulfilled the conditions OF the cele-
/ bratiOn contract. and made an interest
| ing scientific demonstration to navy men
} OF the capacity of the Wright machine
70 carry destructive bombs directly over
the big war ships. Later the same day,
as the aviator was about to make a
| second fight, 10 do bigger stunts in the
air about New York. the blowing out
/ Of a cylinder head put his machine out
! OF commission and narrowly missed
/ Wright This Illustrated anew the vari-
| ETY. Of dangers under which the art Of
/ flying Is. as yet practiced. Mr. Wright
| announced that this would be his last
| flight for some time, and that neither
/ he nor his brother, Orville, wished to be
regarded as showmen. They would here
| after confne their flying 70 iL -ruction
Of others under contract and to the scien-
/ tific experimentation with new improve
ments.
! At Potsdam. Germany. on October .
! Orville Wright had driven his biplane
| far above the highest point yet attained
/ by aerOplanes. namely, TO the altitude OF
LOCO feet, in the presence Of q multitude
Of people, among whom was the German
crown prince. Such was the confidence
/ felt after that demonstration that the
Emperor permitted the crown prince to
go with Wright as a passenger for a
ten-minute flight at an altitude OF sixty
feet II took the machine fifteen minutes
/ to climb to the maximum height, but
/ the descent was made at terrific speed
in five minutes.
Upon the suggestion OF President Os-
( born, Of the American Museum Of Nat
ural History. and President Huntington.
Of the American Geographical Society.
President Remsen, of Johns Hopkins.
who is also head of the National
Academy Of Sciences. wrote both Com
mander Peary and Dr. Cook that the
academy would be pleased to Judge Of
any data concerning their polar explora-
lions that they desired 10 submit This
invitation was at once accepted by Peary.
but was declined by Cook on the ground
that he had promised to submit his
! data first TO the University of Copen-
! hagen, after which they would be open
to all the scientific societies of the world.
About the same time. the National Geo
graphic Society Of Washington, invited
| both Peary and Cook to submit their
data to scientific commission. It de-
cided to print the records Of both ex-
plorers. While in Washington last Sum
day. DIR. Cook announced that he was
willing 10 submit his data 90 the Amerl-
can scientific men simultaneously with
that of the Danish university, provided
that the findings should be made public
at the same time. DR.. Cook was accord
ed most enthusiastic and official re-
ception In Washington. where he de-
| livered q lecture, the District Commits
sioners taking part IN the welcome ex-
tended. Similarly cordial receptions were
given TO DR.. Cook at Pittsburg and Bal
| timore. The Peary Arctic Club read