The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-29
WRIGHT SCORES
Great Triumph with His Wonder
full AeropIaRe.
MAKES LONG FLIGHT
Flying Machine He Sue

I'm His Flying Machine He Sue
cessfully Meets the Government
Endurance Test and Breaks the
Worlds Aeroplane Record for
Two Men as to Time and Distance.
A dispatch from Washington says
the worlds areoplane record Tor
two men as to both time and dis
tance was broken Tuesday evening
In a beautiful fight Of one hour,
twelve minutes and forty seconds
upwards of fifty miles and at speed
averaging about forty miles an hour,
by Orville Wright at Fort Myer,
with Lieut. Frank P. Lahm, Of the
army signal corps, as a passenger.
The former record was made last
year, by his brother, Wilbur, joint
inventor, with him of the machine
in which both achievements were
performed at LeMans, France, with
Prof. Painleve, of the French In
stitute, as passenger. That flight
was one hour, nine minutes and
thirty-one seconds. Wilbur was
an eager spectator of the flight BY
his brother.
The cheering which heralded the
setting of a 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, and who insisted
at its conclusion upon personally
congratulating the brothers upon
their success.
This success was all-important u
the N1rights, in that it completed
the FIRST Of two crucial tess of tnr!-
machine imposed upon them by The
United States Governmenr-che So
called endurance test, WHEN ie-
uuired them to remain one hour con-
tinuouly in the air with one passeng-
er. Orville did nearly thirteen min
utes better than that, and could have
kept on indefnitely-three hours
and q half, the limit imposed by the
gasoline capacity of the supply tank.
Poignancy was added to Mondays
achievement of Oryille Wright by
the realization by everybody pres
ent that upon his last attempt to
navigate the air with passenger,
that passenger, Lieut.. Selfridge, was
killed and he himself terribly in
jured. His devoted sister, Miss
Katherine Wright, who nursed him
through the period of his recovery
from that disaster anxiously watched
him Monday from the doorway of the
shed where the aeroplane is kept,
and when he returned unhurt from
his fight, gripped him eagerly by
the arm, nestled her face against
his breast and said:
Bully for you, brother, it was
beautiful"
It is a question whether this word
of praise was not more to him tnan
that which came a few minutes lat
er, when the President of the United
States, who had waited for him at
the other end Of the great parade
grounds, took him warmly by the
hand, and with the other grasping
that of his brother, Wilbur, said:
81 congratulate you heartily, sir.
1t was a great exhibition. You beat
the worlds record"
Eyes, sir" replied Orville, evil
dently embarrassed. II beat my
brothers record"
The President and everybody in
the crowd about joined in the laugh
ter at this sally.
How did your passenger conduct
himself? Did he talk to the motor
MANI" asked the President.
"He behaved very WELL" replied
the aviator.
well, l congratulate both of you,
and | thank you for the privilege
of witnessing such flight" added
the President, and again shaking
hands with the brothers, he entered
his automobile and rode away, amid
cheers.
Il was nervous at first" said Or
vile after the flight. You know
this was my first attempt with pas
senger since-since last year. Grad
ually the machine found herself,
however. and | felt as sure as If
I had been swung at the end of a
string, with no such problem as di-
rection or elevation or speed. 70
solve. I could hear Lieut.. Lahm at
first, but the terrible racket Of the
motor soon deadened my ears, and
we abandoned all attempts at con-
versaticn. I did not intend to land
as abruptly as did, and was try
ing some low flying. l misjudged
the elevation and before I knew it
we struck the ground. I could have
remained up another hour or so,
but there was no necessity. | am
satisfied with the flight and with
having surpassed my brothers rec
ord