Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-07-28
PRESIDENT TAFT
LED CHEERING
.Orville Wrig h t
Meets Test
Successfully
THRILLING RIDE OF 50 MILES
Breaks Record Trip Made
by His Brother in
France

| Washington, July 2S.-The worlds
, aeroplane record for two men, as to
both time and distance, was broken
| last evening, in beautiful flight of
one hour, twelve minutes and forty
| seconds-upward of fifty miles and at
speed averaging about forty miles
an hour, by Orville Wright at Fort
Myer, with Lieutenant Frank p,
Lahm, of the army signal corps as
passenger The former record was
made last year by his brother, Will
bur, joint inventor with him of the
machine in which both achievements
were performed, at Lemans, France,
with Professor Hainlove of the
French institute, as passenger. That
fight was one hour, nine minutes and
thirty-one seconds. Wilbur was an
eager spectator of todays fight.
The cheering which heralded the
setting of new mark in the con-
quest of the air, was led by President
| Taft in person, who had sat an in
tensely interested spectator through
out the flight. This success was all
| important to the Wrights in that it
! completed the first of two crucial tests
of their machine imposed upon them
by the United States government-the
so-called endurance test, which re-
quired them to remain one hour con-
tlnuously in the air with one passen.
ger. Orville did nearly thirteen min
utes better than that and could have
kept on ndefintely--three hours and
a half, the limit imposed by the gaso-
line capacity of the supply tank.
The other test that for speed will
| be complied with tomorrow, weather
permitting, when Orville is to take
| Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois of the
signal corps on cross country flight
to Alexandria, Va, and return.
Orville could have made that flight
this evening, but it was almost dark
when at last he alighted after
flight which would have carried him
almost twice across the English chan
mel.
Poignancy was added to Orville
Wright's achievement by the realiza-
tion that upon his previous attempt
to navigate the air, with a passenger,
Lieutenant Selfridge was killed and
he himself was terribly injured.
President Taft took him warmly by
the hand, saying:
Il congratulate you heartily, sir. 1t
was a great exhibition You came
down as easily and gracefully as you
went up. You beat the worlds re1.
ord" .., ~ S,
Yes, sir" replied Orville, evidently
embarrassed, Il beat my brothers
record"
How did your passenger conduct
himself? Did he talk to the motor.
man." asked the President.
He behaved very well," replied the
aviator.
We'll, | congratulate both Of you
and thank you for the privilege OF
witnessing such flight" added the
President.
Until o'clock the prospect of
flight appeared very slim. A high
wind had prevailed all the afternoon
and the apparently adverse conditions
undoubtedly kept away many hun
dreds of people who otherwise would
have journeyed to Fort Myer. AS it
was, at least $500 people were pres
ent.
Orville Wright signalled for the
aeroplane to be trundled to the start
ing derrick. Lieutenant Lahm GIN
gerly took his seat in the center of the
machine, next to the purring motor.
1t was the place Selfridge took ten
months ago. Orville Wright then
took his place. The aeroplane scared
gracefully into the air, leaving the
ground at 6.36:4O.
There was an evident sluggishness
IN the rise OF the aeroplane as COM
pared with its ascent when Wright
flew alone, but she rose smoothly and
gracefully nevertheless. Never was
there any possible question over buoy
ancy and equipoise. Round and
round she went, seventy-four times
about the great drill grounds 900
feet in circumference-som in
shorter circles. The machine kent
nearly sixty feet high, save where
some stray current air rocked her up
and down. AS the hour drew to its
close, excitement became intense. A
thousand watches were out and Gag
close excitement became intense. A
erly scanned After the seventieth
turn. a great shout went up, automo-
bile horns were footed and a deafen-
/