Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-01
Wrights to Make AeropIanes
for the Market Now.
ORVILLE LEAVES FOR HOME
Wilbur Stays Behind to Instruct
Army Officers.
THEY ARE ALL ENTHUSIASTIC
eff We Don't Break Our Necks
Well Break Some Wright Rec
ords," They Say.

Orviiie Wright left here yesterday even
ing for Dayton. Ohio Within twenty
four hours after his famous flight he
started quietly for home, accompanied by
his sister Katherine.
Now that the contract with the United
States government is practically fulfilled.
the next task before the Wright brothers
is to get several machines in readiness
for negotiations with a large aeroplane
manufacturing company in Germany with
which they have already come to par
tial agreement.
AS soon as the machines for several
foreign companies or governments are
ready the brothers will start manufactur-
ing aeroolanes for sale in this country.
The exact price at which they will offer
them to the public has not yet been de-
termined, although it will be considerably
less than the amount paid by the govern
Elent for the present machine
AS the brothers have an absolute mo-
nopoly, protected by patents, of their par
ticular brand OF biplane. they will be able
TO demand their own price, but as shrewd
business men. it is said. they will offer
them at a moderate figure in order to in
duce large sale.
Wilbur Will Teach Officers.
Wilbur Wright remains in Washington
and upon him devolves the duty of in
structing two officers of the Signal Corps
in handling aeroplane No. l. Until this is
done the Wright brothers contract with
the government will not be completed.
But as they have successfully fulfilled
both the endurance and the speed tests
called for in the government Specifca-
tons, the machine has been formally
turned over to the officers of the Signal
Corps and accepted by Gen. Allen. After
the contracts are drawn up and the two
signal officers are deemed proficient
$4,000 will be paid to the Wright broth
ers.
Gen. Allen said last evening that the
field in which the instruction will be
given has not yet been selected, bu:
that he does not anticipate any diff !
Guilty in finding suitable place within
ten miles of Washington. easily access
sible by steam or trolley line. The 10
cation. he said. would probably be
somewhere along the BladenSburg road.
A temporary shed will be erected for
the machine. and it is expected that ali
will be in readiness for the lessons By
week from tomorrow. Lieuts. Lahin
and Foulois will be the first pupils.
With the exception of Maj. Squier who
made one flight. and Lieut.. Selfridge.
who lost his life in the accident last
September, they are the only officers in
the American army who have been up
III ill Lieut.. humphreys OF
the engineer corps, who was a member
of the board of judges. and who has
spent much time al the balloon shed
at Fort Myer studying the aeroplane.
will be the next officer to be instructed.
Wilbur Wright will be given all the
time he requires in teaching the Off
GERS.
They'll Take It Easy.
The flights at first will be short, and
undertaken only when the most favor
able atmospheric conditions prevail.
After the officers become accustomed to
handling the biplane more extensive
flights will be undertaken. Wilbur
Wright will be cautious. in order that
no serious accident can befall the ma
chine. It is expected that there will be
rev broken runners, but Wilbur, as
Well as the Signal Corps officers, does
not anticipate any further damage. AS
soon as his pupils have graduated
Wilbur will join his brother in Dayton.
to complete the preparations for the
German trip of himself or Orville.
1t is not positively decided which of the
probably be Orville. II necessary he will
leave before Wilbur has completed his in
structon of the Signal Corps officers.
Although the instruction is not to be
given at Fort Myer, Gen. Allen said that it
is his intention to keep the aeroplane
permanently at that post. After the
officers have become quite familiar with
the machine, 1t is said that they will
make extensive trips around the National
Capital. SO as to become well informed on
the geographical conditions from the
aeroplanist's point of view.
Going After Wright Records.
Army and naval officers are enthusiastic
over the possibilities of the aeroplane as
an instrument of war, and as one of
them expressed it, IF we don't break our
necks we will soon break some of the
Wrights' records" Lieuts. Lahm and
Foulois have had much experience in
aerial navigation in free and dirigible bal
looms and it is generally thought that
they will not only be apt pupils of Will
bur Wright, but will soon earn as much
of a reputation as aerOplanists as they
now have as balloonists.
1t is said that the Wrights will soon
begin to instruct several civilians i'm the
handling of the machines, so that they
will have a force of men ready TO demon
strate the biplaneS as soon as they are
put upon the market. and to handle them
in the numerous exhibitions. where a
large demand for them is anticipated
The managers of the AlaskaYukon eX-
position at Seattle have already tried To
get a Wright machine, and wished TO
hold al the exposition some sort of a
contest between biplane and mono
plane of the Bleriot type. The Wright
brothers themselves will not participate
in any of these exhibitions, but expect
soon to have corps of assistants who
will attend to the matters for them.
Big Demand for Biplanes.
There is said to be a general demand
all over the country for aeroplane exhi-
billions. and it is thought that they will
be well paying investments.
The Wright brothers are under contract
to have a machine in Berlin by Septem-
Der 30, and they are anxious that one
of the brothers shall go to Germany as
soon as possible. 4 representative OF the
German company, who was at Fort Myei
to witness the recent tests, said that
the Germans are preparing to arrange a
great aeronautical exposition at Potsdam
near Berlin. when the Wright machines
arrive. Count Zeppelin will be there with
his dirigible. and the relative merits OF
the two forms of aircraft will be thor
oughly tested.
German Concern Wants Rights.
A German aeroplane manufacturing
company is negotiating with the Wrights