The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-15
Giant Infant Among Industries
Monday Pays Tribute to
First Hop

The continent has been crossed
by an airplane in less than IS hours.
The Atlantic and Pacific have
been hoped, the North Pole circled,
the Pacific Ocean flown from San
Francisco to Australia, the known
world explored.
Soon the last uncharted area Of
the earth-the grim Antarctic con-
tinent-will yield to the prying eyes
Of daring men roaring high above
it in throbbing planes.
Man has flown 278 miles an hour
more than four and one-half miles
a minute; scared to 38,4l8 feet
seven and one-quarter miles above
the earth; remained aloft IS hours
Is minutes, almost three days.
And all this in the rs short years
since the Wright brothers, Orville
and Wilbur, first demonstrated hui
man flight in heavier-than-air ma
chine on Dec. II, 1908.
The giant infant among industries
is celebrating this month the 25th
anniversary Of that flight.
Aviation leaders from the four
corners Of the earth will pay tribute
to the surviving brother Of the two
men who made history on the hard
sand dunes at Kitty Hawk, N. c.,
that winter day Is years ago.
On Dec. II, the anniversary of
that first flight in flimsy thing of
bamboo and wire, they will gather at
Kitty Hawk to honor Orville Wright,
the Dayton, O., engineer, who helped
more than any other man to give the
world a new and amazingly fast
means Of transportation.
With them will be American lead
crs of the industry, Wright, Colonel
Charles A. Lindbergh. the other men
who have helped to write Americas
name in the skies.
The airplane as vehicle of COM
merce is a thing Of very recent de-
velopment.
It demonstrated it's worth as a
weapon in the World War, but il
was not until 1927 that Lindbergh's
spectacular hop to Paris first opened
the worlds eyes to it's commercial
| value.
In Europe passenger lines had
grown in popularity under the spun
of government subsidy and the ever
present urge to build up a new arm
of defense for their borders.
And Americans had looked across
/ tho Atlantic onI 1x,nrIowol ~x,I,y <hoi,
nation was falling behind.
| Was America to lag in the air
Men pondered that question.
And then blond youth leaped Out
of the unknown across the sea ane
| America joyously, almost over night
took to the air.
The nation became air-consciou
almost in day.
Aviation, which had fought TO
years to live despite public neglect
suddenly began to feel the throb O
new life. Plane and engine factories
strained to meet the call. The littl
band of men who fly plunged int.
the task of equipping the nation
with wings.
| The boom is only beginning. Air
plane manufacturers are grudgingl,
promising deliveries months afte
orders. Engine builders are swampe,
with demands from an industry whic1
has grown tremendously in 1
months.
| Manufacturers are rushing tn
building Of additions and wondering
whether even these enlarged plant
will be able to keep pace with tn
orders pouring in.
! Financiers are plunging into tn
new industry and pouring million
into the new industry. Merger
] and the building Of far-flung al
lines recall the hectic days Of cor
solidation in the infant railroad II
dustry.
il The nation is webbed with d mel
work Of airmail, express and passer
j ger lines. Sturdy planes are flynn
! daily in these services lO,65l mile
in the United States alone, aboe
twice the distance round the eartl
The nation Is girdled with 1l,0d
miles Of airways, 5000 Of them lieh
ed, and 1000 Of new routes schedelel
i Airmail planes afs flying 20o(
I'm 4sir s1 sssssn u l