Evening star., 1928-11-01
Says Kill Devil Hill
Is Being Driven Awav
To the Editor Of The Star:


Government officials are at this time
very active in the vicinity of Kill Devil
Hills, NJ c., In making preparations for
the coming Of many pilgrims from vari-
our parts of the earth to this birthplace
of aviation on December II, the twentv-
fifth anniversary of the first aeroplane
flight.
Much discussion Is going on in this
section as to what the Wright memorial
at Kill Devil Hills will finally be, and
this is the subject that / want to talk
about and especially about one particu-
lar phase of it.
Although Orville Wright made the
actual first fight from the level plain
near the foot of the largest of these Kill
Devil Hills, the fact remains that the
actual experiments were done on the
hill. Many thousand glides were made
during three successive seasons from the
top OF the hill, and it was the making
of these glides that gave the Wrights
that feeling of being accustomed to
being afioat in an unstable element,
taught them the use of the control of
the gliders, and made them satisfied
that should they succeed with applied
power in driving their gliders through
the air they were sufficiently ex-
perienced to guide and balance them
1t was on these glides that confidence
overcame doubt, and brought these men
to that point Of human confidence that
paves the way for greater things.
In taking over a Government reserva-
ton as a shrine to the honor of the
Wrights and as heritage for the Amer
lean public, as coast man, native
of Kitty Hawk, as one who often saw
and helped in the many glides which
were made possible by the hill, want to
put in plea that this hill be taken in
the Government reservation, and made
a part of 1t. In that greatest of all hu-
man achievements-the conquering of
the air by successful flight on Deem
Der II, 1903-Kill Devil Hill played its
part nobly and should not be forgotten.
It is true that this hill Is slowly but
surely moving. Sixty-three per cent of
all winds of sufficient strength to move
dry sand sweeps over this section from
a northeast direction, consequently all
sand dunes move in SouthWeSterly di-
recticn. 1t has recently been estimated
by competent measurements that Kill
Devil Hill moves at the rate of one mile
in so years Naturally the thought
arises, where will it be in two or three
hundred years? When future genera
tions visis the Wright memorial and are
shown a hill some miles away and are
Wrights got their first experience IN
gliding, which finally led to the motor
driven flight, things will look out of pro-
portion.
am convinced that the hill should
be part of the memorial, and that 1t
should be held where it Is for all time
and for all the future generations to see
it where it is, and where it was when
the Wrights availed themselves of its
eminence to aid them in their first ver1-
lures. It's no use to say it cannot be
held where it is. We have positive proof
visible to all those who will look, within
a few miles of the Kill Devil Hills. On
the north end of Roanoke Island a
high sand dune was about to cover up
and destroy State highway. The State
Highway Commission covered this hill
with brush, seeded it among the brush
with certain species of grass, and today
1t stands permanently as proof that
such feats can actually be accomplished
Again. If am properly informed, out in
Michigan sand dune was about to drift
over and destroy very important shore
drive way; 1t was covered and held per-
manent. It's no use to say this hill cam
not be stopped. 1t can, and this great
Government has men who are expert
along this line who could turn this bleak
mountain of sand into verdant green
surface and change it from rambling
hill to permanent one.
Believing most conscientiously that
this should be done, have taken this
method of addressing those who are in
authority in the matter, hoping that
the old hill that so kindly lent its ele-
vation to the successful solution of an
age-old problem may be saved to pos
terity where it is