The Dickinson press., 1909-01-02
Science. Sociology.
Religion and Other Data.

Continuous mechanical flight as q
human feat has been publicly demon
strated to the satisfaction Of the
world by the wv American a~viators,
Wilbur and Orville Wright, giving as
surance of new military weapons and
promise OF practical commercial ap-
plications. Having finished their Sc
cret trials at Kill Devil hill, North
Carolina, last May and having rcceiv-
ed patent protection here and abroad,
the Wrights made public the details
OF their work. Wilbur then took one
machine to lie Mans, France, and Or
Vile another to Fort Myer, Va, for
ctHc1al- trials in September. Orville
scored first, making a record flight Of
1 hour IA minutes 20 seconds prior to
the fatal trial Of Sept. q, when the
%aeroplane, carrying the inventor and
Lieutenant Selfridgc, fell with q
broken propeller, killing Selfridge and
breaking several of Wright's bones.
Later Wilbur sailed the air alone I
hour and 81 minutes and on Oct. 10
took along one man for l hour 8 min
utcs Is seconds. winning 100000 for
the invention from Il French syndi-
cate. Farmnn and Dclagrangc also
made successful acroplane flights in
France, the former winning the Arch
Deacon prize for the first circular
mile, while the etrahcdrOn machine
of Bell and Baldwin ut Hammonds-
port, n. Y. was flown short distances.
Count Zeppelin Of Germany again
led the world in the dirigible balloon
field. although his series of flights
eliminated Aug l In the burning Of
his huge rigid gas airshlp at Mayence.
where he had paused in n storm for
repairs after Il continuous journey Of
2G1 miles in II hours. With popular
aid he built another ship. in whicl, he
made more flights in November, win
ming the kaiscr's praise and selling his
invention to the government.
The dirigiblc balloon built by Thorn
as w. Baldwin on official trial at
Fort Myer, Va, in August attained a
speed of 19.1G miles an hour OH Il two
hour trip and was bought by the war
department for $4,000.
Both the pan-Anglican conference and
the Lambeth conference at London
went Oh record for socialism. The
Methodist general conference ut Dalti-
more took advanced ground for indus
trial reforms and prohibition. but re-
fused to change the code of discipline.
The Episcopal diocese of New York
made a working arrangement with or-
ganized labor. On the other hand, the
American Catholic society sharply CON
demned socialism. The first assem-
bling Of the Catholic hosts III this
country took place In Chicago in No.
vember, the occasion being the celcbra-
ton Of the transfer of the United
States from a mission country to q
country with an Independent national
church.
churches were seen first In the war;
interchanges between the Methodist
Episcopal conference at Baltimore and
the Methodist Protestant conference at
| Pittsburg, in the union motions be-
tween the, latter and the Congregation
! al and United. Brethren, III the union
favored by the Presbyterian general
| conference at Kansas City with the
Reformed church and finally In the
| first meeting Of the great federal
ell Of the Churches Of Christ in Amer
lea at Philadelphia in December. This
council also took advanced ground for
practical social reforms.
American athletes won a majority Of
the events in the Olympic games Mt
London in July. John Hayes being tho
Marathon winner. In November he
was. beaten. by. Dorandd..sin Madison
Square Garden, New York, and on Dec.
Is at the same place ,Dorando was
beaten by .ongboat, the Canadian In
dian. The baseball leaders were the
Chicago Cubs and the Detroits.
Famous persons who died in 1903
were: Charles Emory Smith, Edmund
G. Stedman, Edward: "A. McDon-.
aid, August Wilhelmj, Louise de la.
Rance (Ouida), RedAeld Proctor, SEN
ator from Vermont; William Pine
ney Whyte, senator from Marylan
William B. Allison, senator from Iowa:
Francois Coppee, Henry G. Potter,
Murat Halsted, Joel Chandler Harris,
Bronson Howard, Ira D. sankey, DAN
lei Colt Gilman, Charles Eliot Norton.
Donald G. .1itchell, Grover Cleveland.
Henry Campbell-B annsrman and VIC
EENSG[