Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-08-04
Orville Wright Meets
Test in Endurance
Requirement
Remains in Air One Hour
and Twelve Min
uteS
President Taft and Great
Crowd Cheer Success
full Aviator


Washington, July 2S.-The worlds
aeroplane record for two men, both
in time and distance, was broken
last evening, in flight of one hour,
IL minutes and 40 seconds-upwards
of so miles, and at speed averaging
40 miles an hour, by Orville Wright at
Fort Myer, with Lieutenant Frank P.
Lahm of the army signal corps, as
passenger. The former record was
made last year by his brother, Wilbur,
at Lemans, France, with Professor
Painleve, of the French institute, as
passenger That flight was one hour,
nine minutes and 81 seconds. Wilbur
was an eager spectator of his broth
er's flight yesterday.
The cheering which heralded the
setting of the new mark in the con-
quest of the air was led by President
Taft in person, who had sat an in
tensely interested spectator through
out the flight, and insisted, at it's con-
clusion, upon personally congratulate
ing the brothers upon their success.
Yesterdays fight completed the
first of two crucial tests of their ma
chine imposed upon them by the gov
ernments so called endurance test"
which required one hour continuously
did nearly Is minutes better than that
and could have kept on indefinitely
three hours and a half, the limit i'm
posed by the gasoline capacity of the
supply tank. The other test, for
speed, will be complied with today,
the weather permitting.
Poignancy was added to yesterday S
achievement by the realization by
everybody present upon Orville's last
attempt to navigate the air with a
passenger, that passenger, Lieutenant
| Slefridge, was killed, and he himself
terribly injured. Katherine Wright,
who nursed him through the period of
| his recovery from that disaster anx-
iously watched him yesterday from
the doorway of the shed where the
aeroplane is kept, and when he re-
turned unhurt from his flight, gripped
him eagerly by the arm, nestled her
face against his breast, and said:
Bully for you, brother, it was beau
tiful."
| President Taft shook hands with
| both brothers, and congratulated Or
! vile upon his success, and declared it
a great exhibition. You beat the
worlds record remarked the presi-
dent.
Eyes, sill" replied Orville, evidently
embarrassed. Il beat my brothers
| record"
The president and everybody in the
crowd about joined in laughter at this
sally.
Il congratulate both of you and l
thank you for the privilege of witness
ing such fight, added the president,
and again shaking hands with the
brothers, he entered an automobile
and rode away amid cheers.
Start Was Auspicious.
At 6 O'clock, the machine was
trundled to the starting derrick and
prepared for the flight. At $50 O'Clock
Lahm boarded the machine Five
minutes later Orville took his seat,
and at 6:36:40 the aeroplane scared
gracefully into the air, about so feet.
Round and round she went, IA times
about the great drill ground, some
times in shorter circles, but usually
out at the edges of the full boundary,
at height varying but slightly.
AS the hour drew to it's close, the
excitement became intense. A thou
sand watches were out and eagerly
scanned. At the conclusion of the
seventeen turn, a great shout went
up; automobile horns were footed in
deafen1ng chorus and hand clapping
and cheers and waving of hats and
handkerchiefs told the men in the f1v-
ing craft their task was ACCOMPLISHED
Wilbur Wright ran out beneath them
and waved his handkerchief. The
crowd expected Orville to come down
tneh, out ne kept on. He was after
his brothers laurels.
Wilbur returned to the starting der
rick, where the army officers were
gathered, and they began to chaff him.
about his record, now in peril With
broad grin of appreciation. he now
Kept count OF the minutes which re-
manned Of his own record, and then
he said:
On the next turn he has got me.
When he comes by let's give him :
cheer"
Wilbur waited until the machine