The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1911-12-01


facts before INDUCING in more predlc-
tons that aviation will never be made
practical.
The Latest Wright Glider.
The scene of the latest experiments
by Orville Wright is the same that be.
held the birth of the aeropIane. being
at Kitty Hawk. among the XIII Devil
hills In North Carolina. We used to
have fun with that name of Kill Devil
also with the Wright brothers How
the people In their home town of Day.
ton would smile and tap their fore
heads when those Grst flying contriv
ances were mentioned. They seemed
to say: Maybe not crazy, but "a little
cracked. you know Think they can
make men dy like birds Haw, haw!
Remember old Darius Green? He
Thought he could fly too Rugged up a
couple Of boxes and jumped off roof
He. he!"
1t is great fun for us ordinary NOR
tails 10 watch one of these inventors
who change the history of the world
j suppose the same kind of sport was
made Of old Gutenberg when he was
Kidding around with movable types:
also or james Watt and his teakettle.
George Stephenson and his locomotive.
and Graham Bell and his telephone.
or was it Elisha Gray who invented
the telephone?
Fortunately the Wright brothers are
now past the phase of head tapping
ana grlns. Now the doubters stand
around on one foot. with their necks
twisted like that of a crooked necked
squash. and say: WAL. by gravy!
They kin iy, CANT they? Never thought
they'd do 1t. But"-always that but"
they never'll make it safe"
Why can they not make it safe? The
birds are safe. are they not? Why
should man despair2 Is not his brain
equal to that of the buzzard and the
crow? They fly by instinct you say?
Well, why cannot man develop the
flying instinct, just as he develops the
instinct for other things that become
habitual? The good operator in any
line comes to do thing that require
skill and a quick eye and hand. almost
unc0nsciously Man is new Mt the fy-
Ing game. Give him time There is
nothing Inherently impossible in the
problem There is no reason why men
should not learn to fly with nearly as
much safety as birds 1t is only
question of adaptation and practice
Like a Great Soaring Bird.
The Wrights are now at work on this
very question of safety. Heretofore
all aeroplanes have had to glide to
earth when the motor stopped All Kit
ty Hawk Qrville Wright remained aloft
ter minutes without a motor. More
over. he held the machine almost sta.
tiOnary In the air though there was
such high wind at the time that men
had to lie fias on the ground TO keep
from being blown off their feet. No
previous aeroplane would dare go up
in such a wind No previous aeroplane
could remain stationary in the air with
or without q motor No previous aero
er. Finally the Wrights have discov
cred the secret OF the soaring birds
The buzzard hangs motionless in the
air for indefinite periods. II goes for.
ward with scarcely an effort its wings
outspread and rigid or fitting slowly
from side to side. like rope walker
balancing himself with his pole. Those
who saw OrviIle Wright's glider In the
Kill Devil hills said II was like great
soaring bird
Ever since man has dreamed of flight
land when has be not 2 this Is the
mystery be has tried TO solve. the
mystery of the eagle that hangs aloft
watching its prey and drops like a
bolt from the blue" Why cannot
man make the airvcnrrents serve him.
and bear him up instead OF dashing
hin DOWN. Now they are bis peril.