New-York tribune., 1909-06-30
MAKES SHORT FLIGHT
BADLY At FORT MYER.
OrUille Encircles Field, HOveUer
after Three False Starts
Ignition Causes Trouble.
From The Tribune Bureau

GFrom The Tribune BureauI
Washington, June 29-After four trials ex-
periencing more trouble than has ever been seen
in public with a Wright aeroplane Orville
Wright got the machine being built under con-
tract for the government into the air at Fort
Myer this afternoon, and made a short circuit
OF the field 1t was exciting afternoon. more
exciting probably for the spectators than for
the Wrights themselves They knew what
balky aeroplane meant and the spectators had
never seen one before. All sorts of suggestions
were hazarded as to the cause of the trouble
OrvilIe had lost his nerve" the machine had
been built wrong. it could fly. and the
brothers could not carry out their contract with
the government unless with months Of extended
time,
Then. Just il was getting dark the machine
went off into the air. and OrviIe made a short
circuit of the field. just to show what he could
do and the machine was brought to earth and
housed just as it became entirely dark The
trouble. after all. was just defective ignition.
and was remedied by driving plug a little
tighter in the sparkling apparatus. but for time
il looked to the spectators as If the brother
"'conuuerors Of the air" had met temporary de-
feat.
There was almost as big a crowd Mon
day. the day Of disappointment for the Senators
ReDreSen a
official crowd but the fed was ringed around
with carriages. automobiles and spectators on
foot. 1t was after 3 o'clock when the wind died
down sufficiently to warrant bringing out the
machine. When it was put the starting rail
there was still noticeable wind down the track
and a little time spent in making the final
adjustments and waiting for the wind TO die
PROPELLERS WORK SLOWLY.
Wilbur and the mechanic stepped to the back
of the machine and gave a twist to the big pro-
pellers. They caught the spark Of the starting
battery almost instantly. slackened their hum
trffe as the magnetic was cut in and then
picked up again. But in spite of the great size
of the propeers. it was noticeable that they
were running very slowly, and it seemed almost
impossible that they could force the big machine
into the air.
Wilbur stood at the tip of the wing and bal
anced the machine on the rail- and Orville
tripped the trigger that released the weights.
Just az 3: 81. the big white bird darted down
the track It seemed, however. to lack the life
and energy noticeable with the old machine last
year. and it went into the air sluggishly from
the end of the rail Orville threw the front
rudders UP rather sharply. and the machine
seemed to start on the rise. Then, TO the sur
prise Of every one. when the bottom OF the
frame was about ten feet from the ground and
less than fifty yards had been covered. the
aeroplane swerved to the right and one wing
tipped. dragging the ground 1t made a half
circle like a wounded bird, and brought up in
a cloud of dust about one hundred yards from
the end Of the rail.
The engine still running. but the operator
cut that OFF, and showed that he not injured
by slipping from his seat to the ground The
crowd surged forward. but was held in check
by the mounted pickets. and several officers
came up TO see what the trouble. That
was just the difficulty. Nobody could tell what
the trouble was. and the only explanation vent
ured by Mr. Wright himself was that there
too much wind at his back and that he could
not get start enough
II was found that except for rip in the canvas
the machine was unhurt The rip speedily
repaired. and the machine was put on its trucks
again and started back for the monorafL This
brought forth the demonstration of the day.
There was a general clapping of hands. and the
horns of about hundred and fifty automo-
btles "honked' encouragement to the aviator.
SECOND EFFORT AN IMPROVEMENT.
The puIIeys were all gone and oiled
afresh. The machine started again at $40
o'clock without adding 70 the fourteen hundred
hounds of iron weights that gave it impetus.
This time it flew trihe further and landed in a
direct line with the rail. but the effort was
scarcely more successful than the first.
The next effort was worse than the first two. !
as the machine failed to leave the ground. but I
slid along for fifty yards and stopped II was
, most mysterious performance. and the fourth /
trial was made with little hope among the spec /
.ators that it would be more successful than +
he others However Fhe ignition had been I
advanced and the engine. when 1t started. T
kI.aFA
lore.
of the airship went. down the track, and this !
ne she did not light The machine few low. I
out she few and there was soft cheer from /
he thinning ring of watchers about the field .
Il was not much of demonstration rather 7
general sigh of relief that the stubborn bronco 4
If the air had found master.
Even at TIE greatest dip OF the ground the /
machine was not more than fifteen feet in the
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