The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-31
WILBUR WRIGHT DIES.
VICTIM OF TYPHOID

nptS Ss the wright brotners.
In fact. few people realized that
there were two other brothers in tho
family. kathrine Wright first was
generally known when she came to
Fort Niger to nurse Oryille after his
accident in 1908.
Wilbur was the elder OF tho two In.
ventors. and 1t IL to be suspected tho
leader In designing and laboratory
work. He was an exceptionally skill.
ful operator of u flying machine,
though he seldom let himself loo,5e in
an exhibition flight. Possibly OSyille
Wright was the more skillful aviator
OF the two. but there was little to
choose between them In this point
Wilbur was better known In Europe.
owing to his exhibitions at LIE Mans
Pau and Rome in 1e07-S. The French
people regard his memory with almost
superstitious reverence Inns and
hotels at ALe Mans. Rheims and Pau
retain the rooms he occupied in ex-
actly the condition they were in when
ne was stopping there. and visitors
from tho other side say they have had
these rooms pointed out to them a.
established sights of the towns.
Experiments at Kllldevil
The Wright brothers-that Is, Or
vile and Wilbur-went to the sand
hills OF Killdevil, N. c., IN 1900, at
the suggestion OF the late Professor
sonian Institution. They had been
studying and experimenting with n.y.
Ing machines at their home in Dayton
since their interest In the subject had
been reawakened by the published
accounts of tho death OF Otto Lilien-
thai. tho father OF gliding flight. In
1896. They had been In correspond
ence With Professor Langley. who
then. as always. was willing to help
any ono who had an intelligent in
terest In mechanical flight They had
asked him to suggest some spot for
field experiments that was remote
from crowds and where there were
reasonably strong and steady winds
He suggested Killdevil Hill. and the
brothers went there.
They could hardly havr. selected q
bstter place. 1t is on anSisoIated, low
sand Island twelve miles across Abe
marie Sotind from Roanoke Island, and
that Is almost the ultimate jumping
of place on tho North Carolina coast.
killdevil Hill is a sand cone about
seventy f,et high, mils from the life
saving station Of the came naIn.. At
the foot OF the hill tho brothers built
a shanty. and for three successive
years they experimental In soiitud..
so for as the outside world was con-
earned. though the members of the
i!fe-saving crew lent them all the aid
possible, and help OF fiat sort was
needed in tho shifting SAND.
Plans OF the Brothers.
The Idea Of the brothers was to use
their big flying mach,n-s as a kline and
ride II at the end of rope whenever
the winds were strong enough. They
had developed this Idea OF licking wings
in practical way. and were convinced
they could learn the art of balancing
by the time they had developed a sat-
isfactory gasc,ene motor.
the; ran a littls bicycle reG,a!r shop
in Dayton in r7>Ssiness hours. and here
they built their engine. 1t was their
own work. a vary simple. tour-cyiindcr
upright engine. But much OF their
first success abroad was attributed by
rho French to the fact that they had
engines of light weight that had been
produced.
The first engine that they tried at
Kilidevil was. long step beh.nd the
one they afterward built. It would
develop sixteen horsepower when first
started. but this was reduced TO thir-
teen horsepower after they had been
lying a few minutes. However. with
very efficient pair of double prope!-
lers they had designed they were able
to make their first motor-driven flight
OF $40 yards This distance next year
they increased up 70 1000 yards. and
in October of 1905 they flew at Dayton
fraction short of thirty-fve miles
Public Is skepticaI.
The world hesitated to believe this
flight, and for some time the Wr!ghts
We're regarded skeptically by the gan
eral public. One remarkable feature OF
the case at that time was the K neral
Ignorance of the world on the subject
6,-.. all
made at Dayton were open to the pub
lie; in fact. the newspapers We're in7
vited to send representatives. and did.
When the first flight of Ave minutes
was made in public one of the report
ers present turned on his heels and
walked OFF, remarking that 1t wasn't so
much after all. as a man in Germany
the previous week had remained in the
air half an hour. This was perfectly
true, but the fact was that the German
had been flying dirigible balloon.
The first public exhibition of i'm
portance that was given in this coun-
try WAS when Orville Wright came to
Fort Myer in tho summer OF 1908 to
demonstrate tho FIRST biplane for the
War Department. At the same time
Wilbur was abroad, making record
flights at lie Mans. France. The same
summer Oryille met with an accident
that nearly cost his life. and he did
not return to finish tho government
demonstrations till the following sum-
mcr.
Trains Signal Officers.
When he did come. Wilbur was with
him and 1t was a commentary on the
relations of the two brothers that Will
bur refused to get into the machine
until Orville had finished the demon
STATIONS he had started for the War
Department.
When Orvillc was through with his
flying tests, he returned to Dayton.
and Wilbur remained to train three of
the Signal Corps officers. This he did
at College Park. He was then a world
figure and had been received and con-
suited by Kings abroad. But when he
settled at College Park to train the
young signal officers, ne settled in a
single room In house overlooking the
flying field and spent his evenings sit
ting by the fire reading magazines and
occasional books of reference, though