Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-31
1ANp1Ne On The Re TURN


to realize that he was off.
Wilbur Wright dipped the flag. Shouts
of He's gone He off, Hes start
ed" arose from all sides.
1t was new sensation to all at Fort
Myer. In previous flights the machine
had circled and scared. fitting and right
ing, rising and dipping. Now it seemed
to dart.
Straight as die. it made for the bal
loon marking the three miles course.
The first obstacle ii had to clear was the
trolley line on the southeast of the field.
Every eye on the field was riveted on
the biplane, which grew smaller and
smaller and finally passed out OF view
except to those who had occupied high
positions on the parade ground The
crowd was too excited to cheer.
Every one seemed to think aloud one
read from stop watch the minutes and
seconds the aeroplane was gone. An
other called out the different positions.
Suspense was great, when the machine
was out of sight. but its course down the
field had been SO swift. straight and
steady. that it commanded confidence.
The news of the turn around Shutters
Hill in Alexandria spread through the
crowd at Fort Myer in few seconds.
Here he isl He's coming back.
cried the crowd as the biplane became
visible once again, first as mere speck.
then growing larger and larger, until
finally it resembled a large dragon fly.
darling up the center of the field Its
speed seemed tremendous.
The moment the machine crossed the
trolley wires. on the south of the field.
Orville Wright depressed the forward
planes and flew close to the ground He
crossed the line right over his brother
head, and the great test flight was over.
Aeroplane Lands Perfectly.
One turn at the end of the field. just in
front of the spectators. and the craft
IL h.,fI h.l mi
landed perfectly.
How last did he go? was the next
question on everybody's lips.
Stop watches indicated fourteen minutes
and forty-two seconds for the elapsed
time of the flight Word was flashed
over the Signal Corps wire from Shutters
hill that the unofficial deduction for
making the turn was twenty-six seconds,
thus making the time fourteen minutes
and twelve seconds.
The speed was estimated roughly at
forty-tWo miles an hour, and the bonus
the brothers will receive at about So,OOO
After the safety of .the voyage had been
assured everybody was enthusiastic over
the high speed, and hopes that the
Wrights would receive large bonus were
on all sides.
After the flights congratulations were
showered on Orville, Wilbur and Miss
Wright and on Lieut.. Foulois.
1--WE ought TO congratulate each other,
an enthusiastic spectator who
stood near the machine. 1t S another
American record and beats Bleriot all to
pieces.
That's right. Three cheers for Amer
lean aeronautics,' cried the man next to
him.
After Miss Wright kissed her brother.
saying: I'm so glad and 50 proud of
you" she went to send the news to her
father.
Wilbur Wright made no attempt to
conceal his delight at his brothers
achievement Surrounded by group OF
newspaper men he attempted to answer
questions that flew at him four or five
at time. The speed, the height, the
broken records, the amount of the bonus
and his future plans were some of the
subjects upon which he was catechised.
Wind Impeded Speed.
AT rough estimate l should say the
speed was about forty-two and one-half
certain that it was above the forty-two
mark. wind from the west interfered
little with the speed, as once or twice
Orville got up too high and right into
it. II was a fine flight
Now get this right. Remember. it WAS
the first cross-country fight ever made in
a heavier-than-air machine over a course
that had not been picked out carefully
and with plenty of places to land in.
Then again 1t was made with a pasSen
ger. And the speed was the greatest ever
made over measured course tn two
persons
Wilbur Wright smiled as he talked
about the bonus.
We are in the money all right" he said
Asked if lie would make another at
tempt TO increase the size of his bonus,
in two trials and twentw-four hours time
left he, said:
NO. We don't want to rub it in
He estimated the greatest height at
about 400 feet above the ground.
orvilie Wright Explains.
THE wind from the west cut down the
speed somewhat Orville Wright said, II
could have made foAty-five miles an hour
except for that. / couldn't see the bal
loon at the turning point. during the be-
ginning of the flight. For that reason
l had to turn somewhat in my course.
l. lost little time in this way.
I'VE ran into a little wind furry on
the way back. 1t was then that we drop
ed from view. But we We're still 200 feet
above the tree tops. l did not feel as
if there was any more danger than in
flying over the ground out here.
have landed. From that height it was
difficult TO figure just how we could have
come down safely
Foulois Without Impressions.
Lieut. Foulois. calmly smoking a cigar,
answered all questions from his riding
weight to the number of persons he saw
at the far end of the field. Asked what
he did during the fight. he said.
81 kept watch of the time. looked out
for the balloons and had a look at the
country generally. There were about
couple of thousand persons at Shutters
Hill, and others were stationed on tops of
houses and barns. They all waved to
u.s."
What were your personal impressions,
or your sensations?" he was asked
II was too busy keeping time and
watching the flight to have any personal
Impressions he said. The fight was
glorious. 1t was my first. But it is only
a starter.
Brig Gen. Allen. chief signal officer of
the army, went to the balloon shed after
the fight to congratulate the Wrights
He said that everything was over for the
present at Fort Myer. and that the m
struction of officers in the use of the
machine will be conducted on a more