The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-08-12

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Goes Five TILES and Return Cross
Country, at a Speed of AZ Miles an
Hour Attaining Height of 500 Feet.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Washington. d. e.. July Both, says:
Orville Wright Friday evening at
tanned the zenith OF hard-earned sue
cess. In a ten-miIe crOss-country
fight in the famous aeroplane, buIlt
bv himself and his elder brother,
Wilbur. and ACCOMPANIED by Lleuten-
ant BENJAMIN ID. FOulOis, an lntrep-
id officer Of the army signal corps,
be not only surpassed the speed re-
Guirements Of his contract with tn"
United States government, but he
accomplished the most dIfflcuit ana
daring flight ever planned Tor a
beavier-than-air flying machine. In
cidentaIly he broke all speed records
over Il measured course. And he eS-
tabIi-hed beyond dispute the practI-
cabiitv Of an aerOplane Ill time OF
peace and in time Of war.
His speed was over forty-two miles
an hour: he made the ten mile hight
from Fort Myer and back in II min
utes and forty seconds, including the
more than twenty seconds required
for the turn beyond the line at Shut
or Ilill.the southern end OF the course
He attaind d height in crossing the
valley OF -Four Mile Run, Of nearly
five hundred feet and the average
altitude Of his practically level course
was about two hundred feet above
the ground.
Everything being ready for the
flight. Lieutenant FOulois, 1.-THE and
brown as berry, in his khaki uni
form and lrggings, at sign from
OrviIIe climbed into the passenger
seat beside the motor. Wilbur and
Charley Taylor, the mechanician, took
their places at the propeliers. OrvIlle
turned on the sparker OF the motor
and that whirled the blades around.
The motor picked up the impetus.
OrviIle turned on the speed, and the
propellers of the Wright aerOpIane
went whirring at their maximum
capacity.
The smooth and even sing OF the
engine aroused the crowd to excited
cheering. Orvilie clambered into his
seat and gripped the levers. Wilbur
at a nod from his brother slipped
the cable which released the weight,
the aerOpIane shot down the track,
rose before it reached the end, and
SKINNED over the surface OF the
ground for hundred feet or more.
As if drawn by an invisible power,
the white-winged man-bird rose,
higher and higher, reached the end
of the field, turned ut Il slight angle
and faced about.
Climbing up as it were on the
air, higher and yet higher, OrvilIe
brought the machine 1t great speed
once again fully round the field. Then
with short turn he swept about and
started southwark over the center OF
the drill field.
Like giant bird, circling the sky
until it marks its prey this man-bird
then darted OF toward Shutter Hill
five miles to the south.
Unwavering it kept it's straight
course, and seemed to be rising even
higher us it passed over the diverse
and heavily wooded country i'll the
distance. Soon it was Il mere speck
against the pearl sky above the hori-
ZOn.
Suddenly the speck was lost to
view and as the seconds passed Il
silence grew upon the crowd, Il silence
that spoke of deep concern. Pres
emily he speck came in sight again,
over the distant hill. On it came,
growing with the seconds. 1t grew
and grew, until at last almost every
detail was visible Before you knew
it. they were home again over the
drill ground flying low. At IL height
OF perhaps twenty feet it swunground
again to the southwark. and landed
easily far down the field. The tas!;
was done and i'll triumph.
President Taft who has taken much
interest i'll the Wright Brothers ae-
roplane, being a frequent attendant
during the trial tests at Fort Myer
was an enthusiastic witness of the
record breaking flight last evening