The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-17
'AIRMINDED' World
PAYS FLYING FOOLS
TRIBUTE TO WRICHTS
Windswept Sand Dunes Be.
Come international Shrine
to Aviation
MARKS 25TH anniversary
Four Living Witnesses Of First
Flight Recount Story
of 1903

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, De-
cember 17.-(R-Kill Devil Hills
wtndswept sand dunes on the North
Carolina coast, became an Interna-
tional shrine today as an "airminded"
world paid tribute to the men 1t
called flying fools" IS years ago.
Orville Wright. the first man to
fly. was the center Of an internation-
al celebration in observance OF the
twenty fifth anniversary Of mans
first flight. Scores Of hardy seafar-
Ing folk who live along these sandy
shores anxiously awaited the return
OF the man whom they regarded as
"foolhardy but harmless" q quarter
Of a century ago.
The four living witnesses Of the
Wright Borthers' first flight here, Is
years ago today. related incidents
from their memory Of the first flight.
Three OF the men, John T. Daniels
w. 8. Dough, and A. D. Etheridge.
are now past so years Of age, and
their graying hair and ruddy faces
tell the story of hardy early lives as
members Of the Kill Devil Hills life
saving crew. The fourth living spec
tator of the first flight, John Moore.
was only Is years old on that cold
December morning Is years ago to-
day, when the Wrights asked the life
saving crew to aid in launching their
flying machine.
Flew 12O Feet
The machine flew 12O feet in II
seconds before settling onto the sand
without damage.
1t was short flight compared to
the present world record OF more
than 1000 miles between Rome and
Brazil. but it proved for the first
time in the history of civilization that
man could fly in q machine of his
own design. Three other flights we're
made by the Wrights Is years ago to-
day, Wilbur staying aloft for 50 sec
onds and flying $50 feet against q 20
mile wind on the fourth attempt.
The stiff winds. which still blow In
from the Atlantic with terrific veloc-
ity. not only aided the Wrights in
their first flights. but proved disas-
trous to the machine they had de-
vised. A few minutes after Wilbur
hael completed his flight. q strong
gust Of wind upset the frail plane
and wrecked 1t, closing the Wrights
experiments at Kitty Hawk on the
same day that they had enjoyed sue
cess.
Today representatives of more than
80 nations as we'll as delegations from
the senate, house of representatives,
state department and a dozen Amer
lean aeronautical interested, gathered
here to honor Orville Wright anc: the
memory of his late brother, Wilbur.
Unveil Memorial Tablet
Senator Hiram Bingham of Con-
necticut, president Of the National
Aeronautical association, was named
to unveil a huge granite boulder
bearing memorial tablet upon the
very spot from which the living spec
tators Of the first flight remember
seeing the Wright plane take off.
Captain William ]. Tate. whose lit
tie daughters wore sateen dresses
made from the covering Of Wright's
first glider, arose early to meet the
man whom he had as his guest long
before fame was to claim him.
The Wrights turned over their 1900
glider to Captain Tate, lighthouse
keeper near Coinjock, North Caro-
lima, who was their host at Kitty
Hawk, with the understanding that 1t
should be broken up and the pieces
put to his own use. Tate, little real
ling what part the queer contraption
might play In future aviation history,
tore It apart and had his wife make
dresses for his two little daughters,
Irene and Pauline.
The people here now try to say
that they had confidence in the
Wrights." Captain Tate said. "But
I'm here to tell the world that they
all thought they were q pair Of harm
less nuts. not dangerous, but crazy on
the subject Of flying"