Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-03

orville Wright, Carrying An Ar
my Officer as Passenger, Flies
Ten Miles and Returns, in Of
fetal Test.

WASHINGTON, July s1.-Orville Wright
| Travelled 7.431 miles an hour in his flight
yesterday In returning from the Alexan-
dria end of the course to Fort Myer.
This was the official report made by the
| trial board at the war department today.
His speed to Alexandria from Fort Myer
end of the course was 37.735 miles an hour,
making his average 42.5S3. The Wright
brothers will receive $4,000 for the aero
plane, 5000 of which is the bonus for ex-
cess in speed over the contract require
ment.
HERRING WITHDRAWS.
A. H. Herring, the Hammondsport. N.
Y, inventor who is under contract to
furnish an aeroplane to the government
has written to Gen. James Allen, chief
signal officer, that he will not be able to
deliver the machine until September 1.
His contract expired today. The signal
Office officials are opposed to any further
| extension of time to Mr.. Herring unless
! some good reason is advanced for
changing their present attitude.
| Orvine Wright and Miss Katherine
Wright contemplate going to Dayton,
Ohio, today, while Wilbur expects to fol-
! low them tomorrow.
WRIGHT BREAKS RECORD.
| Orville Wrights great flight last evening
in which he took Lieut. Benjamin d.
Foulois over the ten-mile course from
J Fort Myer to Alexandria and return at
a speed of more than AZ miles an hour,
has made a deep impression on the army
| and navy officials. They contend that
| the accomplishment of the cross-country
flight demonstrated the availability of
the aeroplane for use in warfare.
Orville Wright attained the zenith Of
hard-earned success. In a ten-mile cross
| Iohf In for aarOptanA
built by himself and his elder brother,
| Wilbur, and accompanied by Lieut. Ben
| jamin d. Foulois, of the signal corps. he
not only surpassed the speed requirements
| of his contract with the United States
| government. but accomplished the most
| difficult and daring flight ever planned
| for a heavier-than-air flying machine.
| Incidentally, he broke all speed records
| over a measured course. And he estab-
lished, beyond dispute, the practica bility
Of an aeroplane in time of peace and In
| time of war.
His speed was over AZ miles an hour; he
made the ten-mile fight from Fort Myer
| and back in IA minutes and AZ seconds,
| including the more than 20 seconds re-
| quired for the turn beyond the line at
| Shutter Hill. the southern end of the
course. He attained height in cross
| ing the valley or Four Mile Run of nearly
500 feet, and the average altitude of his
| practically level course was about 200
feet above the ground.
TAFT IS PLEASED.
President Taft. who has become an en-
| thusiastic spectator of the aeroplane
| trials, although two years ago, when sec
rotary of war, he is said to have ex-
pressed to officers profound skepticism as
| to the accomplishment Of such a feat as
that OF which yesterday he saw the COM
| pletion, arrived upon the parade grounds
| at RW4 Myer just in time to see the
| aeroplGne land and to participate in the
wild demonstration which welcomed the
triumphant aviators. He sent an officer
to bear his congratulations to the victors.
Although they were there for the pur-
pose of timing the aeroplane as it cross
| ed and recrossed the mark, the officers
stationed at Shutters Hill, the southern
end of the course. were taken by sur
prise when the aeroplane was discovered
| flying in their direction. The manner in
| which the flying machine was lost to
view from Fort Myer and then the ra-
pidity with which 1t returned there after
1t was sighted above the crest of a hill.
was another hint of the possibilities Of
| the practical use of the aeroplane by the
army or navy.
THE great advantage of an aeroplane
| over a balloon for use in warfare is that
II can fly low over a rough country"
said Wilbur Wright today, thus having
| objects on the ground In plain view. Or
/ Vile demonstrated that yesterday. The
| speed at which he was travelling with the
small exposed surface of the aeroplane
would have made him practically safe
| from the fire of the enemy"
| TELEGRAPHs FATHER.
| After Orville had completed his SIC
cessful speed trial Miss Katherine
| Wright, his sister, telegraphed the news
to Bishop Wright, the father, who lives
! in Dayton, and to Reuchlin Wright, an
bother brother. who resides in Kansas.
Miss Wright was flushed with excite
ment as she ran across the drill grounds
to greet her brother after he had landed
and could hardly contain herself because
of the pleasure Orville's success gave her.
| IT Just knew he would do It," she said.
Il was determined that Orville should
| finish these trials here. IL he broke his
leg a dozen times doing It, / was never
! so determined about anything in my life.
| He is Just as good an operator as Wilbur.
1 and 1 was determined that he should fin
ish the job"
achievement in flying across a broken
country through which a height at times
over $50 feet had to be maintained, was
| inclined today to minimize the magni-
| tude OF his performance. He was chiefly
concerned with what he might have done
had he not miscalculated the elevation at
which he had to round the stake balloon
at the Alexandria end of the course.
'I feel sour" said he today, that had
| I continued at the height at which
crossed the halfway hill, or continued
climbing instead Of gradually descend
ing, 1 would have gained at least two
miles per hour in my speed average.
turned Shutters hill too close to the
ground. and this compelled me to climb