The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-06-21
Earliest yuoe 9Fhte A@ySht Ai5OAv7e -

ly upon the earth after short flights
measured in time by seconds. An ac-
curate description of the contrivance
in which the Wrights flew was impos-
slble, as no close view Of it could be
obtained even by an adroit and re-
sourceful reporter. So determined
were the inventors to guard their craft
with secrecy that they announced they
would pack up their machine and re-
turn to Dayton the instant they learn
ed they were spied upon. 1t was no
part of Salley's plan to spoil a good
story.
First Long Flight Made.
The afternoon of May was cloudy,
with a tendency toward rain. The
wind was northeast and blowing IA
miles an hour. Ordinarily the Wrights
would not fly in this sort of weather.
Nevertheless the machine was brought
from the hangar and started. The
glasses showed that it was not only
equipped with a gas engine but that it
carried seats for two and had pair
of prOpellers. The group Of life savers
prevented clear view Of the start, but
a moment later the reporter did see
the machine take the air, head directly
for the ocean and land thousand feet
distant, apparently under full control
of the pilot. At dusk, no more flights
having been attempted, the reporter
made his way back to ManteO, well
aware that he had story of world
wide interest, but depressed by the
knowledge that the facts would be gen.
orally diScredited.
Next day half a dozen newspaper
men from New York arrived at Man
teO. Every one was a doubling Thom-
as straight from Missouri They were
all going right over to the flying fields
and talk to the Wrights. But they |
didn't. For one thing, the Wrights
weren't talking. For another, lifesav-
ers b0bbed up out of nowhere when |
one had labOred through the sand to
n point n mile from the hangar. They
were acting under special instructions
from Washington, which were to the
effect that the inventors were not to
be disturbed. The Wrights had the
legal end of the argument, as they had
borrowed the land from the lifesavers
who owned 1t.
There was but one thing to do and
he reporters did it. They followed the
example of Salley and climbed trees.
May II the Wrights made flight of
wo and seven-siXteenth miles and
this with flight Of two and
miles. The longer flight
vas made at the rate of 46.774 miles
md hour and the shorter at 32.2S1.
Z each instance, as in all the others,
t was necessary to wheel the machine
o the top of the incline railway, no
method at that time being known
Whereby the airpianes could rise in the
ir from level ground.
Flights Epoch Making.
Both these flights were epoch max
ng in that the Wrights did not
.eep to a straight course. For the
rst time they circled one Of the dunes
nd also returned to the starting point
fter straight flight of three-quar-
ers of q mile. The observers COM
rented ON the skillful manner in which
he big canvas bird made the curves. ,
The writer's who covered these ini- ,
al flights stuck strictly to such I
lcts as they were able to obtain. I
here was no romancing, no fanciful 7
escriptions and no haphazarding of s
uesses. Yet these plain accounts,
ow known to be accurate, were re-
lrded with great suspicion when
ley were received in newspaper of
ces. The reporters were frequently u
to be conservative and one 7
an was commanded by the editor of Il
Cleveland paper to confine himself \
facts and "cut out all this wildcat "
uff about two-mile flights" "
The final experiment was made May f
!. At noon that day the Wrights h
# the grounds and made flight of 8
ght miles, the distance being judged q
.curately over ground carefully b
All previous speed records f:
ere broken, two Of the eight miles be- Il
g made in two minutes and forty sec II