The Washington times., 1913-10-04

the lower hall, the noisy laborS
of Lazare. the bringing Of my
aero compass to this place-all
found explanation in a single swift
glance.
Yet 1t was some minutes before I full
ly realized the daring. as well as the
effrontery. of the undertaking. Lazare
was evidently more than an expert in
mechanics; ne was an aviator. 1t was
he who was to make the actual service
test Of my invention. And the aero
dome was the back yard Of the late
home of Rufus Jennings.
So far as secrecy went the location
was as good as any that could be found
In a crowded city. None Of the houses
on this side OF Eutaw place were as
deep as this. and the high brick wall
was an effective screen against obser-
walton from the side. The block IN the
rear had not been built up. and there
were no windows, save our own. that
commanded a view of that part OF The
yard nearest the house.
But SO far as the room 1t afforded Tor
the start and rise of heavier-than-air
machine. the yard was periiousiy
small. 1t would be like a man standing
In a barrel and trying to jump out OF
II; an expert might accomplish the feat,
but to the unskilled a mishap was GER
tain.
The total depth of the yard. as 1
have said, was about $50 feet. Allowing
for the depth of the machine itseif'
which was not less than twenty feet.
there remained only 100 feet of maneu-
vering room. Had the problem been to
rise at the end of a 100-foot run, there
would be nothing difficult about 1t.
But the machine would have to leave
the ground within less than half that
space in order to clear the ten-foot
wall at the rear of the yard.
1t would have to be a sharp ascent
at that. made at less than half speed.
and before the plane was fully under
control. 1t was hard to believe that
Lazare was to attempt 1t, yet there
seemed no other explanation Of the as
sembling Of the machine in the yard
below. The little foreigner. l judged,
must be an expert in air navigation,
and a man OF iron nerve. I lad never
encountered his name In the literature
OF aviation; yet that. of course. had
no significance. for thousands Of men
were flying nowadays.
The machine, partly visible below my
window. was OF type familiar to me,
and OF American make. 1t was not
noted for speed. but for steadiness and
ability to take the air under adverse
conditions 1t had reputation excelled
BY none. 1t was, indeed, known as the
safest machine for the comparative
novice; that Is, 1t would upset shade
less easily than speedier and more dell
cate craft.
had used one OF these machines M
self In experimenting with my compass:
and, while ! could operate II with fair
enough success for my own PURPOSE
I never grew to have the confidence
aloft that is an all-essential quality IN
the expert airman. I wanted still air
and plenty Of room, and 1t was always
with quiet sigh of relief that l
touched earth after flight.
My flying had been strictly devoted TO
compass testing. and l possessed neither
the desire nor the ATTITUDE for ava
ton as a profession. Never In my lie
had / fiown for pleasure. and never did
/ intend to fly again after I had fui,y
demonstrated that my compass would
do the work requpired of 1t.
As I looked down upon the yellow
upper plane. 1t vibrated. and 1 knew
that Lazare, concealed from my view
by the shed, was tinkering at II. Pres
emily he stepped out into view. TO
make some adjustment OF the front
controls and drew back from tne