Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-07-16
,rROPLANITIS HITS
WASHINGTON PEOPLE
pablo Officials and Private CitIzeu,
Are Affected.

public OhiclaAS ana EFAFagS Citizen,
Are Affected.
WASHINGTON. ID. c., July H.
The national capital is now afflicted
nth the hot weather, the tarin de.
hate and the aeropIans fever, and
,hs greatest of these is the last.
Aeroplanitis thrIves and increases
IN spite OF the shriyelling sunshine
and choking dust OF the Fort Myer
parade ground. where the Wright
mothers are making their flights.
senator's, whose temperaments are
autipodal to that commonly described
as Gallo, forsake the chamber and
trudge patiently out into the unshel-
iered expanse of field. where the sun
heats mercilessly down upon them.
10 see the machine soar.
Even Steve ElkIns and Ben TIL
man, whose enthusiasm Is as wen
ordered and we'll controlled as that
b E. H. Hartman, will wait for an
hour-a patience-wrecking, temper
disturbing hour-and when the ma
ehine leaves its rail with a cIacking
b propellers wave their hats ecstat-
cally and shake hands with each
Dther, even il it goes only hundred
ards. And Senator Gore, who can't
zee at all, will wait with the others
hear the whirring engine whizz
ast him somewhere in the upper
evels.
1t is not a pernicious fever. 1t lays
Is grip stealthily. And its progress
not stimulated or encouraged BY
lther of the Wright brothers. 1t
Oesnt make any difference whether
ne or four or five thousand people
Ire waiting to see them fly. They
Il in their machine shed, each chew
BE- blade of timothy and displaying
much energy as a night watch
ian. The crowd may fume and
Eeat and mop its face and wonder
here there is drink Of water, but
e Wright brothers are not subject
such witching-hour influences.
II you happen to be one of the
Feating multitude and given to
rOng language you probably let go
several yards excoriating yourself
r having come several hot miles
ID stood in the dust and sun with
. net result of seeing Oryille chew
blade of grass. You don't blame
aviators. They are consistent, as
me one said, as consistent as hell.
ou feel that you are the goat. They
mt tell you where or when or how.
the wind is right and the engine is
prking and several other conditions
propitious they'll try-try, mind
q, not fy-so you turn loose on
weather and watch the anemom-
pr on the roof of the shed whirlI
the breeze. And then, when you've
ssed everything you can think of
have sweat pessimism at the
res and are able to prove to your
y satisfaction that the aeroplanaI
not worth hang and never viii
six signal corps men come out of
eir corners, Wilbur tinkers around
2 man trying to repair a trunk
n table knife and they put the
ng on two old pony pillow wheels
trundle it slowly up to the der
where the starting weight is
pended. That's the trouble with
outfit. It's amateurish. They
rent got any tools; there's no snap
put them. And that man Wright,
iDur, the long, lanky one, wears q
oy hat in the broiling sun with
thermometer at 100. Why can't
get a straw hat, anyway?
Wilbur thinkers around again and
us. Then Orville strolls up and
kers around and they both wait
ne more. Then Taylor, their me-
nieian. strolls down to the shed
ut four hundred yards away to
serewdriyer. OrviIle follows
and brings back a bit of rope.
this time your dinner is getting
and you are wishing you had
Cd up your wife to tell her you
idn be home in time-and won
ing how you will square yourself
= YOU do get there. At last they
the engine. It's a curious sound
there's quite a breeze shooting
from behind. Then they hoist
weight and orville climbs into
little two by four inch seat I'M
middle OF the lower plane for