New-York tribune., 1909-06-29
WIND DELAYS WRIGHTS
TOO STRONG FOR FLIGHT
another Big Cro7cd at Fort Niger
Disappointed.
From The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington June 2s-The Wright brothers this
afternoon disappointed pretty much the whole OF
the Senate and House of Representatives, besides
large contingent from the army and navy oy Iali-
ing 10 fly at Fort Myer. The disappointment came
the end of a long, hot and uresome daJ Oh
waiting. Great preparations had been mace. IoF
the flight. II had been announced that as the en-
CINE of the aeroplane in perfect order ana the
weather conditions were perfect there was no pros
pect of a disappointment Most of the camera
brigade had been hand all day
Seven tents had been erected at the north end OK
the big drill field for the accommodation OF the
members of the House and Senate and the Wrights
had the satisfaction. If it a satisfaction. OF
knowing they were the only men IN the Cnlted
States who could have stopped the progress OF the
tariff bill
II was the first time that an effort had ever been
made to control the crowd Major Fotz. of the 18TH
Cavalry with big detail Of troopers hao De0"
ordered to keep the grounds clear He did II 10 d
certainty. The whole Of the big drln helu ""
roped off and the Senators and Representatives
kept in a small at one end of the srounos,
General Allen the chief signal officer, uhoer "iios7
auspices the tests to be made came ID III q
big automobile with his assistant. Major Squef'
and Speaker Cannon. But the sentres had no or
ders 10 let any one the field and the party was
stopped at the edge of the drill ground and held
there minutes until an officer could be iouno 10
identify them
All around the edge OF the field automobiles and
carriages ranged. and there were ABOUT lii'se
hundred people present
The day was overpowerfngIy hot and "hour
Wright narrowly escaped a sunstroke When put
ting up the starting rail in front OF the senators
tents There was the promise Of storm IN the
air. The lightning flashed over the Virginia mus
and little rain fell At o'clock the big machhe
wheeled out Of its she'd and by 3 It was pIaceu
on the starting rail Then Major SQuter thought ne
would show the aeroplane to the members or tho
Senate and House. and. plotting few OF them
through sentries he led them down the field TO the
machine The move was fatal. The spectators be
hind broke out of bounds and in a moment the
machine was surrounded by curious crowd me
sentries tried 10 stem the torrent, but in van ana
after looking at their machine. which they could
not get near. Orville and Wilbur Wright. accom-
panied by their mechanic, walked a quarter OF a
mile down the fed 10 the aeroplane shed. where
they waited the crowd 10 disperse-
After a while the mob. mild hammered one II Is
true was driven back TO the side lines and the
aviators returned the machine. but by that time
the night was falling and the wind was blowing
in gusts so that the brothers were unwilling 10
test the machine.
Wilbur Wright did not express any disappoint-
ment at the delay He merely said; You cannot
tell how a new machine is going TO act II We
started it in a choppy wind like this. and It was
erratic we would not know how much Of its be-
bavior was due to the wind and how much TO the
machine Ny brother has not been in machine
since he hurt here last summer and do not
want him to take any chances with an untr1eo
aeroplane."
one of his aud rs suggested that the Senate
had adjourned to come and see the flight. We'll
he replied. they very foolish They might
have known something would happen
Among the well known persons present were
Secretary MacVeagh Huntington Wilson. Assist
ant Secretary OF State; Beekman winthrop, As
sistant Secretary OF the Navy; Charles P. Taft.
the Greek Minister and Senator Aldrich-