The Washington times., 1913-05-05

America believed in the posslnllltN OF
human flight was one of the lnt1u"n'es
that led us to undertake the prellm nary
investigation that preceded our active
work"
In 1891 Prof. Langley built his first
model flying machine, and b.. 1888 II.
had constructed three more. 1hree oi
these were driven by steam engines ano
the other by Carbonic acid gas None
of them eft the ground in flight hui
from each the scientist learned some
ne wtruth-lit some new torch to lllu'
mine the dark field he was exploring
and in 1905 he patiently started TO WORK
on "Aerodrome No. 3" whose frall
planes were destined TO bear their build
er to the Elysium of fame immortal.
Himself a painstaking scientist. who
would labor for years over statement
before he would venture to assert II as
a truth, Prof. Langley had little pa
tience for the press, which is neces-
proved unfortunate for both. Therefore
TO escape publicity he constructed a
houseboat on a scow at Whitewater, Va
Twentieth Journey.
Fifteen years ago tomorrow Prof
Langley made what was probably his
twentieth tiresome journey to the ex-
pertinent station. The steam engine
driven air machine was again hoisted
to the roof of the scow. Time and
again this had been done, only for
some new difficulty in the launching ap-
paratus to develop or something to &c
wrong with the machine itself. The
inventor tells how he watched 1,
launched again with hardly a hope
that the long series of accidents had
come to a close
But to the delight Of the spectators
and to the surprise of the most OF
them. il SCARED over the broad waters.
DIR. Bell. who was a witness to this
flight, estimated that the machine trav-
eled well over a half mile. and 1T times
attained a speed of twenty to twenty
five miles an hour in the face of a
brisk wind The extreme height reached
on the initial flight was from 50 70 100
feet.
Though this machine. engine included.
weighed but twenty-five pounds and
measured fourteen feet from tip to tip,
1t was the first to demonstrate beyond
the power of dispute the practicability
of sustained flight by machine heavier
than the air. To the most of the helpers
and spectators the contrivance might
have appeared to be an ingenious top,
but TO the scientist who '.roamed among
the starry hosts and to whom the eS-
panse of the heavens was a well-trav-
eled road. the result meant the dawn
of ne wepoch of human achievement
New Task.
As Octave Chanute later said, ii would
have been far better for Mr.. Langley s
happiness and reputation IL he had ter
minated his experimenting with the
demonstration that artificial flight was
possible. But in 1885 the army and navy
officers recommended that a full-sized
man-carrying machine be developed for
war purposes. A sum of $4,000 was set
aside for such purposes. ad Prof Lang
ley agreed to superintend the work.
To drive this machine the scientist
built a gasolene motor that for power
per-pound has hardly been equalled.
The first attempt to launch this ma
chine was made in December, 1903, but
trouble with the launching apparatus
prevented a start.
Members Of the press and the gen.
eral public as we'll were excluded from
this and subsequent attempts at fight,
and as the machine never rose from the
ground they naturally blamed the ma
chine itself. The disappointment and
severe. though unintelligent criticism.
deeply wounded the scientist and is be-
lieved to have induced the attack Of
paralysis that shortened his life.