Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-07
Honoring Samuel P. Langley.

| Yesterdays ceremonies at the Smith
! sonian institution gave definite place to
| Samuel =. Langley the father OF
! hea vier-tha n-air navigation. leaving a
tangible symbol of his premiership IN
| the field OF aeronautics in the form oil
| a memorial tablet. For some years IL
! has been recognized that Prof Langley
was the first 10 solve the problem OF
/ human flight by means of ensine-driven
| planes. Although his experiments did
| not result in successful public demon
! strations. they established the principles
| which later investigators and expert
mentors utilized to the end of producing
| practicable flying machines All who
have followed in Langley's footsteps in
this great research have admitted their
debt To him. and il is fitting tribute
now that in the halls of the chief scien-
tific institution in tho western world, and
| one of the most distinguished in the
world. a tablet should he placed &C
knowledgng Langley's pre-eminence as
the discoverer OF the method Of navi-
eating the air.
All modern aviators who have studied
the subject scientifically declare that the
Langley machine which came to grief t
Whitewater i'm the lower Potomac through
the failure Of its launching device. was
a practical flying machine" capable of
sustained and accurate fight. Had cir
cumstances been such as to permit Prof.
Langley TO continue his experiments.
doubtless he would have soon effected
demonstration thoroughly convincing the
public of the possibilities of heavier-than-
| air navigation. But he was compelled to
n nd ria
remained for others to bring to perfect
application the principles which he had
shown to be effective not merely theo-
reticaliy, but to a demonstrating degree
! in practice. These experiments at Wide
water occurred less than ten years ago.
and in this past decade marvellous things
have been accomplished in aviation. Yes
terday in connection with the Langley
ceremonies medals We're given TO a
Frenchman and an American Eiffel and
Curtiss. for their valuable experiments
and researches in this line, and later
demonstrations were given of the eff
cheney of the hydroplane or air-driven
boat, convertible at will from an aero
plane into motor boat. and capable
of wide range of practical efficiency.
Considering the fate of the Langley ex-
perlmentai machine at w 1deWater, when
the failure of it's launching device pre-
ciptated it TO the bottom of the river
it was a striking illustration of the ad-
vances made since that day that yester-
day aeroplanes should have flown so
freely from aloft to the surface of the
water
In this connection il should be sug-
Sested that the United States is lamen-
tably negligent in the matter of the equip
ment of its navy with hydroplanes. 1t
has earned the distinction of having first
demonstrated the possibility of heavier
than-air navigation. 1t produced the
first aero boat device. 1t should be in
the lead of all other nations in the
matter of the practical utilization of this
machine instead of virtually at the rear
of the procession. Yesterdays demon
STATIONS at Washington barracks should
| have a good effect in stimulating con-
gressional interest and leading to liberal
| appropriations for the equipment OF the
| navy with hydropanes.