Evening star., 1909-06-24
TRY OUT THE ENGINE.
Wright Brothers Are Busy at
Fort Myer Today.
PREPARING FOR A FLIGHT
May Operate Their Aeroplanes Late
Today or Tomorrow.
TWO ARMY OFFICERS PRESENT
Lieuts. Lahm and Foulois to Be
Trained IN Handling of
the Machine.
TWO ARMY OFFICERS PRESENT

The engine of the Wright aeroplane
| was tried out at Fort Myer this morning
The run was only q short one. but it was
| satisfactory as far as 1t went. hTe rail-
roads. it is explained, are apt to ship
| gasoline motors upside down in spite of
warning labels, and it results in oil get
| ting on the valves and in the tops of the
cylinders and other places where it does
| not belong. Therefore in spite of the
fact that the engine ran all right at Day
| ton before it was shipped it will have to
| be cleaned and put in shape again be-
| fore it is ready to go up with the ma
chine There is a bare possibility that
a trial flight may be made late this even
| ing. but the chances are against it. A
portion of the magnetic was broken in
transit, and 1t will have to be replaced
The starting rail had not been Installed
up to early this afternoon. but that is a
matter of only an hours work. The rail
| probably will be put at the north end
| of the field just as was the case last
| year.
Two Officers in Training.
1t has been decided by the War Depart
| ment that the two officers to be trained in
| handling the machine will be Lieut..
Frank P. Lahm and Lieut.. Benjamin d.
| Fouois. They were both ordered here
| from Fort Omaha and are daily at the
| fort observing the assembling of the
machine.
The Wright brothers will not remain
| here any longer than Is necessary to
complete their contract with the govern
| ment. One is going to Germany to make
| a contract for machine, and the other
will remain In the United States. They
| say they have made no entry SO far In
| the Hudson river race that will be held
simultaneously with the Fulton celebra-
| ton in October But the MANAGEMENT of
| the celebration wants to get the use OF
| the Wright aeroplane for the occasion
| C.. M. Hammer, manager of the aeronautici
end of the affair, was here today in con-
sultation with Gen. Allen, chief signal
officer. He asked. that if the Wrights did
| not enter one of their machines in the
| race from New York to Albany the army
| machine and one of the officers be sent
| there. either to enter the race or give an
exhibition. No decision has been reached,
as the request will be submitted to the
Secretary of War.
Start Without Apparatus.
| One interesting fact in connection with
the capabilities of the Wright machine
| has developed since the brothers have
been at Fort Myer. It will be recalled
that cable dispatches from Rome when
one start had been made without the use
of either the weight or the starting rail.
! The correspondents all agreed on that
| point at the time and it was commented
on by the technical journals as being i'm
portant IL true. but lacking in confirma-
ton from the Wrights themselves.
| Both the brothers said in conversation
with a Star reporter today that such a
start was actually made. The stretch
was on almost level ground. If anything
inclining TO upgrade. A run of between
| 400 and 800 feet was made and the ma
| chine then went into the air. 1t was the
only time that such a thing has ever
been done without the aid of wheels.
Valuable Adjunct in Scouting.
Orville Wright said when at Fort Myer
| last year that he was confident he could
start from an ordinary grass slope. and
| that he would try 1t some time when
| all the conditions were favorable. Nobody
| had believed, however, that the machine
could rise on level ground or up hill
| This ability largely increases the use
| fulness of the machine from war point
Of view Army officers say that 1t will
| be a most valuable adjunct in scouting,
even If it can only go fifty miles over
head and return to the starting point
reasonable clear space and can then go
into the air again by It's own power with
out any special arrangements for start
ing it, the usefulness will be enhanced
many fold.
The chances are that if the machine
is completed tonight, ready for flight,
that one will be made early tomorrow
morning. But there has been nothing
definitely announced on the subject by
the War Department.