El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-30
80 - Wrieht -,

Those Crazy Wright Boys
At the white house hOnOrs were
shOWered on him and the army adopted
| him as savior Of the nations prestige
IN arelal 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
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.
Inelr business grew and they quit
. flying. They taught others to fly 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
caution In flying II was a science
with him, not a circus performance.
The heavier than air machine he had
perfected had valuable purpose iG
world advancement and his hopes for
IL were most sanguine, but at the same
time conservative The main purpose
of the biplane, he said. would be to
make short trips speedily; that it
would ever carry more than two or
three passengers or engage in freight
! traffic, he did not believe.
Taft Pays Tribute.
Washington, D. c., May 30.-Presi-
dent Taft, who presented the gold
medals granted by congress to Wilbur
Wright and his brother Orville. and
who had frequently seen Mr.. Wright
fly, today dictated the following state
ment-
great new science Of aeronautics is
dead and that he has not been per
mitted TO live to see the wonderful de-
TelOpment that is sure to follow along
the primary lines which he laid down
Dc #n 1rn1 for
Stephenson and Bell"
Sorrow in Government Circles
In government circles, especially in
the signal corps Of-the army, profound
sorrow was expressed at the news OF
the death OF Wilbur Wright. His con-
nectiOn with the government in the
early days Of aerOplane Development
was particularly close.
Wilbur Wright negotiated the first
contract with the war department Tor
an aerOplane in February, 1908 Prior
to the issuance of specifications for the
first heaVier-t han-air flying machine,
he was a frequent visitor to the army
signal corps headquarters. During the
visits, Brig. Gen. James Allen, chief
signal officer of the army said today
there never was a time when Wilbur
Wright showed any doubt OF his
ability to do exactly what he had un-
for his machine.
Made Record in France.
The first military aerOplane in the
world, which the Wright brothers built
for the United States, was brought to
Fort Myer in 1908 In it Orville Wright.
on Sept 9, 1903, maintained a cOntinu-
Gus flight of one hour, and the same
day carried a passenger on short
flight soon after Wilbur Wright went
to France, where he made better rec
Ords in a duplicate machine.
Gen Allen today paid a high tribute
to Wilbur and Orville Wright. ITO
them" he said, "is due the great
credit of first publicly demonstrating
to the world the practicabnity of
dynamic flight. The success of the
Wright brothers was not due TO
chance, or to any accident at dis
cOvery. but too their persistence. daring
and intelligence in scientifically work
ing out the different parts which go to
make up their machine and practically
testing the same in flight"
The Wright brothers received a
medal and thanks from congress and
also medal from the Smithsonian in
stitution for their achievements.