The Washington times., 1909-07-30
CONDITIONS UNFIT
FOR SPEED TEST

It was a wholly unsatisfactory Occa-
sion for the Wright brothers, the Se00
spectators who wanted to see the speed
test, the cavalryTden who perspired and
cursed IN the heat and dust and humid
ity, the aerOPlane, the captive balloons,
the sun, the dark clouds that tried TO
rain but couldn't. the correspondents
who prayed for something TO write
about but didn't ind II, the street car
men who had TO ill their cars TO twice
normal, the people who stayed at home
and went up on the roof, and probably,
only probably. it was unsatisfactory 90
the weather man, who seems to have
been responsible for IL all.
Chevalier Wilbur figured it out that
Fort AIyer was the center of atmos-
pheric trouble, which was disturbing
around the hills TO the west AMI south.
and possibly over in the east also.
Whatever else was centering there.
some Of our best humidity, our blacksst
clouds. puffiest, unknowable winds. and
other UNPLEASANT manifestations of ma
lure were certainly on hand contributing
10 the discomfort Of the $500
There wasn't even President or a
Senate boss or a House car 10 vary
fhe rronotonv Of the parade ground
white True, a few members OF the
House Of Representatives strayed out,
but there are so many OF them lyihg
loose during a tariff session that they
didn't cause even a m0mentary ripple.
ChevaHer Wilbur ordered the machine
taken out OF the shed shortly after o
O'Clock He and Orville and LleuJen-
ant FOui0is, with newspaper man,
Ssalked up the held. BeIoEe lLeS Ia a
gone more than a hundred yards the
clouds of ink up above sprung small
leak. and a minutes worth or water
In medIum-stZed drops came LusLllLiS
down 10 look at the aeroplane. Inc
signal Corps men GlduI wait 10 see
more. they took the aero back % the
Ehed There she stood for twenty min
utes waiJinE-waltlng Tor rate ana the
weather man 10 determine her future
actions AT the end OF twenty minutes
The bovs i'm kaN again put their shout
5ers 10 the planes and pushed the aero
up toward the derrick.
on me raHs they stood her Wilbur
walked down che tieid. a horse mar
came up Wilbur stopped ana tdihea
with the man on horseoack. MAJ
S0uier came up. Wilbur talked with
sim A cloud came up. Wilbur Winked
al IT, A rain came up wilbur sinlied
at il. r+t,r,
"a and ratified and clacked away IN the
same old tune until IL reached the HlEh
ulaces in the music us puLuef WF5LS LOT
and then IL WllliFA alDAE Oh VIC
same halfway Of sound that so many
thousands Of Washingtonlans could dis
1fnguish even when half asleep.
After a while somebody stopped the
engine Somebody who's running the
winds down South gave them a rude
push. The winds up around Fort Myer
consequently were pushed by those 3e-
hind down South. They had 10 get
away so they pushed into the crowd.
Pretty soon they began 10 push harder
Chevklier Wilbur looked at the sky,
lOORatf al the assembled army officers,
leoRsh at the machine, ar Chevalier Or
Vile logged for the ride-and then he
said. Nothing doing just Ike that.
nothing doing
And lust 20 show that he knew what
he was talking about and that there
was nothing doing, the Signal Corps
men put the trucks under the aero and
wheeled her down 70 bed.
There was some talk about an early
flight this morning. but. after some dis
cusslou By the aerOnautical board aud
the two CheVaHers. it was decided that
dying al dawn isn't what it's cracked up
10 be, especially for the board. IT Things
are not done tonight. however, Old Solus
HOtruE is very likely TO wake up tomOT-
row morning and find a Wright aero
plane pTe-empting part Of his special
preserves over on the dunes OF Dixie.