The Washington herald., 1909-10-08

Ah4nbo are coming dlOnB Tapiuly IN
the school OF aviation at College Park
II the sensational developments OF yes
terday are any criterion.
In the first place, Wilbur Wright
knocked of work long enough 10 eat
candy with two ladies who arrived
with Capt Chandler. OF the Signal
Corps. OrviHe used TO have that habit
al Fort Myer in the summer. but II is
not on record that Wilbur went in for
It hard.
In the second place. Lieut.. Lahm. ne
Of tho brown leather boots and the rid
ing crop at Fort Myer, appeared in
blue gingham shirt. with suspenders.
and a pair OF khaki trousers. The
trousers might have been pardoned-
but the suspendersl QUO usque tandem.
Catalina. abutere patentia nostra?
Carried an Alarm Clock.
And. in the third place, Lieut. Hum
phreys. Of the Olympian altitude and the
distingue mien. liked for his College
Park fan home with an alarm clock
tucked into his hip pocket Representa-
tlves OF the press were unable TO detect
the hour at which the alarm was set, but
they do say I'm those parts that II was
right early for an officer and a gentleman.
Beside these features of the day. the
other developments gasp in a vacuum OF
the commonplace. True Il Is that the
motor was completely rugged In the ma
chine, and given a successful run of
about three minutes. just as the sun
went down. IL Is also a fact that the
starting derrick was set I'm place, with
the monorail pointing southwest toward
a handsome red barn az the opposite cor
ner Of the field. The sections OF the
monoTail have not yet been t:ued up and
connected, but that will be done this
morning With two hours more time Il
IS probable a fight would have been
made last night
Gen. Allen chief OF the Signal Corps.
and Mai SQuier Of the same department.
arrived in an automobile shortly before
sunset. and took a look al the machine
and about the field
why. this is a splendid held' said
Gen. Allen II didn't have any idea II
would be as large as this"
Gen Aliens surprise comes from the
fact that Edwin A. Newman. OF whom
the government leased the place. has
done a great deal Of work i'm cleaning up
stumps and stray trees, which added no.
lceably 70 the apparent size OF the area.
euIet Family Party.
Wilbur Wrights desire for a quiet 1T
tie family party az his school Of aviation
is already giving out the death rattle.
The space In front Of the door Of the
aeropiane shed had an interested group
Of spectators on il through the day
the forerunner OF greater throngs that
q
The audience was not like the Fort Myer
assemblies Of statesmen. diplomats. Cab
fnet Officers. and what not II was
mostly College Park bred and didn't
know which end OF the canvas contriv-
ance was supposed to go through the air
first. But al that, il put up a very cred
liable bit OF excitement Just 10 show
Wilbur That II was with him.
Two young ladies, one with green
stockings and a pink dress and the other
with pink stockings and q green dress ar
rived I'm a buggy. and left the mustang in
the traces on Craze on the governments
hay while they had a look at the we'll
known Mr.. Wright. The steed finding il
was not made fast 90 an anchor OF any
sort started over toward the grocery
store. where It had noticed some of Mr..
Calvert's fire celery sprouts on the front
the road A member Of the newspaper
delegation. who claims he ran mile In
1l36 when he was in training in high
school made after the busy. The mus
tang heard him coming. and. having a
great distrust Of newspaper men and in
tervieWs ambled onward somewhat fast
er. The scribe got his finger nails on the
extreme back edge of the rig. and there
he stuck. He was going his fastest. and
so was the horse. After an invigOrating
stagger across the field. the man behind
hit his foot against one Of the stlll Un-
dynamited stumps and gave an exhibition
Maiden in the Chase.
The chase was taken up by Miss Ellen
May Howard. VINO was there on q horse
she bought from Preston Gibson, and
who, by the way, owns dog she bought
from the man who sold President Taft
horse All that qualified her for the
role Of buggy restorer, and she galloped
or, side-saddle, fippity-hop, across the
field.
BY this time. however the hayward
nag. having found that Mr. Calvert had
taken in his celery for the night. had
stopped of its own accord. very weary,
and the rescue didn't amount 10 any
thing. even in College Park
Wilbur Wrights little family party
settled itself again 10 watch the doings
In the shed. They were now ready to
start the engine, and for the first time
Mr.. Wright actively took the part of in
structor lie took the printing can in his
hand and stood beside the cylinders,
while Lieut. Lahm and First-class Pri-
vate Idzorek stationed themselves at the
propellers.
Give her half a turn" said Wilbur.
mo, no Slow. Now. give her a shove
one, two three"
Csnence from the other side OF the BIZ
plane)
You count" said Wilbur to Lieut..
Lahm
"One. two. three" counted Lieut.
Lahm, and the two OF them gave the
blades a push downward. There was
sound like the last quart Of water IN the
bath tub. and the motor settled back as
quietly as grandma does behind the stove
after she has removed a 1y with her
knitting needle
The operation was repeated a number
OF times, while Mr. Wright dabbed here
and there with the nose OF the printing
can. Lieut.. Lahm looked uncomfortable,
and the Indies with Capt. Chandler ate
candy and giggled.
Engine worked Well.
Wher the engine finally caught" how
ever. II worked in fine shape. and the
propellers sent out blast Of wind that
swept all the foreign material on the
floor OF the shed into the eyes Of the
population Of College Park After a run
OF three minutes. in which the motor
didn't miss an explosion. the engine was
cut off, and the Wright-Sigual Corps
candy party prepared to quit work for
the day
As noted before, Lieut. Humphreys had