The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21

devislng, and | showed myself upward
but Immediately struck my head agains.
the shattered parts Of the frame above
me This stunned me for moment.
and then | tried to get out from under,
but the back of my life jacket had been
caught. | felt the pressure of the
water upon my lungs and realized ] had
TO act quickly.
THE tailor that had made the jacket
had wanted to use canvas. but l in
sisted upon using light material that
could be easily torn apart in an emer-
gency. This saved me. I got free and
dived clear Of the aerodrome. but came
up under big block of ice and cut my
scalp severely. Again I dived. and for
tunately arose in clear water and just
as one of my companions was about
to plunge overheard after me. I called
10 him as he was dropping through the
air and saved him from risking his life
in the maze Of the wreckage of the
flier.
I'VE don't know even to-day just
what caused failure that last time
had overhauled most OF the wires after
my first flight. but it is not unlikely
that the gusty wind of that afternoon
had weakened something or actually
snapped guy which We had not no.
ticed in the falling light of that winter
afternoon. Anyway the whole tail and
the rear wings dropped and were crum-
pied before the aerodrome cleared the
catapult. That failure was indeed
dreadfully disheartening.
Financially, We were up against IL,
( and to make matters worse the lack OF
spectacular success had turned the
Langley experiments into political capi-
nj Incl h,
Republicans We're attacked by the
Democrats during the Presidential cam
| paign of that fall and charged with
! using the national funds to promote an
| impossible project. Indeed on the floor
, of Congress Mr.. Langley was character
| lied as a charlatan and a man that
| was holding out false hopes as long as
he could drain money from the national
| Treasury.
1T seemed quite impossible to get
terms mean enough to apply to him.
| Is ii at all wonder that he broke more
| and more and suffered intensely under
| these attacks that took no notice what
ever of the brilliant work he had done
in demonstrating by his models the cor
rectness OF the principles he had dis
covered? He had not set out originally
| to produce a flying machine but rather
to determine the laws underlying the
flight of bodies heavier thansair.
| "Out Of private gifts, Mr.. Langley's
last resource, money enough was left to
take the wrecked aerodrome and to re-
pair 1t so that 1t might be a model for
future work and an example of Just so
| much achieved. This was done in 1904
| and 1t was at that time that the St
Louis Exposition authorities announced
| In no liuh
given power.
| II wanted to take this engine out
there at my own expense to enter It In
competition. hoping to win the prize
and thus to give us funds TO make an
| other flight at least with the aero
drome. That engine was capable of de-
veloping 52.4 horse power and with all
its accessories weighed less than 1888
pounds. We should certainly have Won
| the award, but the exposition authorities
telegraphed just before the motor was
| shipped that 'on account of lack OF
competition engine tests Abandoned
Shortly after this severed my connec-
tons with the Smithsonian Institution
and came to New York.
Not long before Mr.. Langley died l
gave a little talk here about his expert
ments and practically that evening the
| Aero Club OF America was born. At
the same time resolutions We're passed
commencing Mr.. Langley's splendid
work, and these were read to him by n
friend just after his first stroke Of
paralysis and brief while before his
demise. With an unusual show of feel
ing for him he exclaimed. Thank God
for that
THAT was the only public evidence OF
his last hours. Others were winning
the worlds plaudits, others that had
built upon the firm foundation which
his long years of extraordinary research
and tireless labor had made possible.
Can one wonder that he died broken
hearted"