The Washington herald., 1912-05-31
caneeI European TrIp.

the worse He fastened back 70 Day
ton.
Cancel European Trip.
The first real indication OF the serious
nature OF wiIbur's condition came when
orvine Wright cabled the European gov
ernments that he could not make a trip
TO Europe that had been planned to take
up the use Of the Wright flying machines
! by foreign armies.
Since then OrviIle has been almost con-
| stantly with his brother. Days ago he
gave up hope, saying that Wilbur had
no chance to live.
The avlator's death came quickly. The
fever burned itself out, and the long
struggle for life ended. For a man Of
ordinary endurance and physique death
would have come within a few hours OF
/ the time the fever reached so high a
mark as 104 degrees.
Arrangements for the funeral have not
| yet been made.
OrvIIIe Wright Overcome.
At wright's bedside to-day were his
father. Bishop Milton Wright; his sis
ter, Katherine; his brother and co-work-
er and inventor. .Orville Wright and
Llorin and Reuchlin Wright. younger
! brothers.
Orville Wright the brotheT who has
shared in Wrights work and his achieve
ments was overcome. Their sister, Kath-
crime, who helped the brothers when
they were struggling with their inven-
tion, and who shared their triumphal
| European trip and their homecoming
\ after the success of their machines had
been demonstrated, though overcome
| herself, strove to comfort Orville.
Wright's mother is dead. and his sis
ter Katherine has taken the mothers
place in the home since that time.
A complication of kidney trouble Is
FIRST sinking spell, after Il was believed
the fever had been broken
Started Experiments n Boys.
Wilbur Wright shared withNhis brother
OrviIle the distinction of being the first
to iy. Students Of world progress have
placed these names in the hall Of fame
in immediate proximity TO those other
pioneers of advancement. Gutenberg,
Watt. Fulton, Stevenson, Edison, Bell,
and Marconi.
Wilbur Wright and his brother, natives
Of Ohio, began their experiments in flying
when they were mere boys. Their step
father gave them a helicopter as a toy.
The curious little instrument, when
wound up, flew about the room over
the heads Of the delighted youngsters.
for possession Of the toy, they played
with it together and set their precocious
young brains to the task OF first imItat-
ing and then improving upon the toy.
As they grew up their interest in avi-
alton was manifested in the building of
kites. and finally in 1896 they took up
in earnest the study Of actual flight.
Experiment in Secret.
They were in the bicycle business in
Dayton. Ohio. 1t was with the profits OF
this. business that they betrayed their
expenses of experiment. In 1901 they
operated their first gliding mOtorless BIZ
plane. Exhaustive study of air pres
sure during the following winter was fol-
lowed by more experiments in 1892, In
creased in 1906, and they then attached
to the glider a gasoline motor of the
type used in automobiles.
These later experiments were con-
Quoted at Kitty Hawk, n. c., and in lieu
OF a passenger they attached an anvil
to the biplane for the first flight On
the 18th day OF October, 1903, the machine
few, with its inventor. Owing to their
secrecy the world doubted their sue
cess until four days later when they
publicly demonstrated their ability to ny
and proved beyond contradiction that
two years before any other man had
flown for one minute they had flown
repeatedly for more than twenty miles. |
Big Reception Abroad.
With the perfection Of the Wright BIZ |
plane, Wilbur Wright went abroad, |
where he was hailed in every land as
the ingenious Yankee who really could |
fly. In Paris the native aeronauts |
served only as a background for his |
fame. Royalty and nobility honored |
him everywhere, but he remained the /
dry, secretive, centered, good-natured |
American, who was making a business /
Of flying. After accepting contracts |
with several European governments for |
supplying aIrships for military purposes
Wilbur Wright returned to the United |
States to find that ''the prophet with
out honor in his own country was al
world idol, TO be honored at last at |
hons.
At the White House honors were
showered on him, and the army adopted |
him as savior Of the nations prestige
in aerial navigation as applied to MILL
tary maneuvers Dayton closed up
shop and held a three-day fete in honor
OF the two men who had been known
to them years agone as those crazy
Wright boys"
Too Busy to Play Hero.
But the Wright brothers were too
busy to play the hero. They had ma.
chimes to make for the world. They were
making them in Germany, in Scotland,
and in Dayton, and still they could not
make enough of them.
Their business grew and they quit fy-
ing. They taught others to fy, and
soon the countryside OF every State was
billed with flaming announcements of
aviators in thrilling exhibitions IN the
Wright machines.
wilbur Wright always counseled eau
don "a flying. It was a science with
Try MURINE EYE REWEU0 III