Evening star., 1928-09-09
18th Anniversary Of First Flight

any indi' dual to handle. Representa-
/ tives of the press came storming into
/ the sand-dune country-Byron Newton,
| Fred Palmer, Arthur Rulll and host of
others. But the Wrights held them all
| at bay. Leased ground was leased
ground. Nd interviews. no news re-
| leases, no pictures, nothing. 1t was grim
business. 1t was writing about the
worlds greatest sight from a vantage
point that was not leased. And Salley
| held his own.
THE flights are observed by news
paper men concealed in the jungles,"
wrote Salley. I'm the group of cor
respondents are several veterans VINO Tor
years have been accustomed to witness
ing the most important events in the
world, But they sat speechl2Ss with
an1aZement today as they watched the
graceful machine gliding through the
air and realized that they were priv
/ ilcged at last to see the GolSummatlon
Of a dream since civilization began.
! ASKED if ne thought an aerOplane
| could be made to fly across the Atlantic
| Ocean, Wilbur Wright replied that that
| is impossible with the gasoline engine
as the motive power"
| Then the climax. on May ID. 1908:
After scoring triumph in splendid
| flight of more than eight miles this
afternoon. the Wright aeroplaue was
suddenly dashed to earth and completely
wrecked Wilbur Wright. operator. was
not injured, but the wreck was so COM
rlete that the parts will be shipped back
to Dayton"
And on the following day, the last
dispatch:
The Wrights appeared to need no
comfort today. In the small building
situated in the center of barren wastes,
in which the Wrights have eaten and
| slept little and devoted much care to
their machine. they were boxing for
shipment back to their factory at Day.
ton the remains of their machine, to
whistling or humming cheerful tunes.
Its all right they said. We have
new machine and what do we care.
This was an old one and could not last
always anyway But they would not
consent to discuss their machine in any
way
Then the postscript:
Editors: AS flying machine has flown
its last flight, return home tomorrow"
With these dispatches brought to
Eght, there will be editors whose fore
sight and initiative will mark Sallev
as the man to cover" the Forthcoming
Jubilee in commemoration of the first
fights. But let them look for Sallev.
"when's whenS."
Salley-Salley is dead.
Z * *
WILLIAM P. McCRACKEN Assist
ant Secretary of Aeronautics and
chairman of the executive L L1mmittee.
VIII shortly lead special delegation to
the Dayton home of Mr.. Wright and
acquaint him with plans of the con-
Nof 1o~k-
greatest figure would care to take in II.
Last meeting of the executive COM
mittee gave tentative approval to a
plan for pilgrimage of visiting dele
gates to the Kill Devil site, us guests
of the American Government
Starr Truscott, national advisory COM
mlttee OF aeronauticS. has been I1a;:::.d
to investigate and submit a :sport on
transportation facilities afforded to XIII
Devil Hills. ~>-1A
Five departments Of the Federal Cow
ernment will participate actively in the
congress They are: Departments of
State, War. Navy, Commerce and Post
Once Bureaus Of Aeronsutics of the
Navy. War and Commerce Departments
VIII take the most active roles. A sne-
cial committee of the Post Once ne
nartr'ent will acnuaint delegates with
me American system of handling air
mail. az
The Weather Bureau and Bureau ot
Standards will participate in their ro-
spective fields. The National Advisor,
Committee for Aeronautics also viii he
represented. besides civil organizations
such as the Guggenheim Fund for the
Promotion of Aeronautics, the Aeronau-
tical Chamber Of Commerce. United
States Chamber of Comr,erc~ and the
National Aeronautic Association.