The Washington herald., 1909-07-02

Soaring upward until IT'S strange BODY
was outlined against the clouds; sailing
downward. until the wind from its lower
wing tips threw the dust into the air in
little eddies; at all times under perfect
control and responsive 10 the slightest
wish OF the man at the levers. the
wrights areopIane let itself out yester-
day afternoon, and, in round after round
OF the parade ground at Fort Myer gave
a convincing display Of the stun IL was
made OF.
II the Official scoher crossed to the
Virginia shore at the beginning Of the
afternoon with his lip stin curled at the
memory OF the disappoiatments Of the
two previous days. he returned with q
facial area Just south Of his proboscis
hanging as fat as a mainsau in a trop-
ical calm There was nothing left Tor
the spectators 10 do but take OF their
hats 20 the quiet men from Dayton. more
recently from France and most OF the
other places in Europe. and admit they
had lost none Of their cunning. and their
machine none OF its easy familiarity with
aerial excursions.
AS the weird thing OF canvas and iron,
Ike bird IN all but the truculent fusll-
Iade OF explosions from the engine. swept
out. circle after circle. the man az the
center Of the web was Orvnle Wright
His slender figure up there in the air
seemed to rest almost inJolently beside
The motor.
The Coolest SIan.
He was the coolest man IN Washing
ton, not only because he was cutting a
swathe through the atraosphers Al the
rate OF almost forty miles an hour. but
because he needs coolness in his busi-
ness. There was nothing tense IN HIS
attitude Ike that OF q learner IN an
automobile. The movements OF his wrists.
mere touches on the levers. by which
he bent the machine 20 his VIII, were
too minute 20 be seen by those below.
At the same time. the man who thinks
Orville was wondering how 20 spend his
vacation. does not know Orville.
II took a steady hand 10 fy so near
the ground that the machine had 10 be
raised and lowered. according 10 the con
tour OF the surface. It took a nervy
wrist and a confident mind 20 clip 50
close 20 the starting derrick that many
time the crowd gasped as the wing
tips passed barely thirty feet from the
wooden tower; and 1t took an intelligent
10 ra
Orvillc made il do.
AS was expected. there was no at
tempt at long flights. or the smashing OF
any records. There is plenty Of time for
that All the flyer vas asked 70 do
for the day was 10 show a reasonable
sense OF what was expected OF II. and
70 eat quietly out OF the aviator's hand.
Three flights were made. the first OF
little less than six laps. taking i've min
utes; the second OF a little less than
nine laps. taking seven minutes and
fftyrthree seconds. and the third OF nine
and a half laps. taking nine minutes
and twenty seconds. The total number
Of circuits. or laps. was about twenty
four. and the total time spent IN the air
was twenty-five minutes and thirteen
seconds.
one of the most interested OF the spec
tatOrs was Vice President Sherman, who
was taken in hand by Maj. George o.
SqUier. Of the Signal Corps. and shown
the aerOplane and a good time. Mai
SQuier's still-hunt for Senators and Rep
resentatives, IN spite OF Mondays set
back. netted aim quite 2 string. and
they all seemed properly impressed. Sen
ator Elkins, who is developing into
chronic Geroplaner. was there, and felt
sure the success OF the afternoon was
due in large part 20 his continued conf
dence. Vice President Sherman went
down 10 the machine as il rested on the
nonoran, poised for flight He was ac-
companied by Charles c. Bennett, secre-
tary OF the Senate: Col. Joseph Garrard,
in command at Fort NIyer, and Mai
Squier As the group approached. the
photographers stampeded in their direc-
ton, and for five minutes the camera
slides clicked nerrily. The Vice President
took II IN good part, and placed a smil-
ing face at the disposal OF the harmless
battery.
Their Father Greeted.
One man on the field shook hands
more than he ever did iE his life before
in the sawe space Of time. unless it
was during the recent celebration IN Day
ton. That was Bishop Wright, father
OF The Wright boys" Everybody had
a hearty word of congratulation for him.
which he took simply A small man.
his face fringed with white whiskers.
his feet shod with square-toed. Methodist
shoes: an umbrella in one hand and a
cardboard fan in the other. he came and
went. apparently not all nervous about
the way Orville and Wilbur were be-
having. He was asked after the first
fight II ne was not afraid Orville might
get hurt again.
oh, no. he answered I have seen
him fly before. twenty-four miles one
time, and I have gotten over feeling
nervous about It. I used 70 be fright
ened when they were making their first
experiments. but an not any more.
NO. indeed" he said emphaticaliy.
when asked IL he thought the accident
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