Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-28
WRIGHT MAKES
NEW RECORD IN
Ills AEROPLANE
BEATS TIME AND DISTANCE IN
HIS FLIGHT
PRESIDENT TAFT WITNESSES
FEAT OF AVIATOR
Two Crucial Tests Required by Cow
eminent Completed by Successful
American ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Now Try for Speed

W. ASHINGTON, July y. - The
w worlds aeroplane record for two
" men, as to both time and dis
tance was broken this evening in a
beautiful flight of l hour, II minutes
and forty seconds-upward of fifty
miles and at a speed averaging about
forty miles an hourly Orville
Wright, a Fort Myer, with Lieutenant
Frank P. Lahm of the army signal
corps, s a passenger.
The former record was made last
year by his brother, Wilbur joint in
ventor with him of the machine in
which both achievements were per-
formed at lie Mans, France, with Prof.
Paintoye Of the French institute IS a
| passenger.
That fight was 1 hour, minutes and
/ 81 seconds. Wilbur was an eager spec
! tator of tOdays fight.
The cheering that heralded the set
ting of a new mark in the conquest of
the air was led by President Taft who
was an intensely interested spectator
! throughout the fight. This success
was all-important to the Wrights in
that 1t completed the first of two
/ crucial tests of their machine imposed
on them by the United States govern
ment-the sO-called endurance test,
which required them to remain one
! hour continuously in the air with one
! passenger.
Smashes Record
Orville did nearly thirteen minutes
| better than that, and could have kept
on indefnitely-thre hours and half
the limit imposed by the gasoline ca
pacity of the supply tank.
The other test, that for speed, VIII
be compiled with tomorrow, weather
/ SC n ia l-e
/ Lieutenant Benjamin Foulers of the
signal corps on a cross country flight to
Alexandria, Va, and return.
! OrVilIe could have made that flight
! this evening, but it was almost dark
when at last he alighted after flight
that would have carried him almost
twice across the English channel.
Poignancy was added to OrVille s
achievement by the realization that oil
/ his previous attempt to navigate the
air with a passenger, Lieutenant Self
ridge was killed and he himself was
! terribly injured.
His sister Miss Katherine Wright
anyiously watched him and when he
returned unhurt from his flight sht
/ gripped him eagerly and said
! ''Bully for you, brother; it was beau
! tiful."
A few minutes later President Taft
took him warmly by the hand. saying
| Il congratulate you heartily, sir. II
was a great exhibition You came
down as easily and gracefully $ you
went up. You beat the worlds rec
ord"
Beats Brothers Record
eyes. sir" replied Orville, evidently
embarrassed. Il beat my brother
record"
"How did your passenger conduct
| bi,ose1fo Did he talk to the motor
MANI" asked the president
He behaved very we'll, replied the
aviator.
"Wel. | congratulate both of you,
! and / thank you for the privilege OF
witnessing such flight added the
president.
Until O'Clock the prospect of a
flight appeared very slight. high
wind had prevailed all the afternoon
and the apparently adverse conditions
undoubtedly kept away many hundreds
of people.
Round and round the aeroplane went,
seventy-four times about the great
drill ground-400O feet in circumference
sometimes in shorter circles. The
machine kept nearly sixty feet hlgh,
save where some stray currents OF air
rocked her up or down.
After the SEVENTEEN turn a great
shout went up, automobile horns were
footed i'm a deafening chorus and hand
/ capping and cheers and waving OF
| hats and handkerChiefs told the men
in the flying craft that their task was
accomplished.
The crowd expected Orville to come