Evening star., 1932-07-03

in North Carolina was the birthplace of aviation,
and, as the science of aviation made great
strides forward, merely took things for granted.
But in August 1927, a group of people in
North Carolina. near the scene of the famous
experiments of the Wrights, concluded that the
Government of the United States should take
steps to perpetuate the memory of those palms.
taking and tireless aviation pioneers Conse-
quently, the Kill Devil Hill Memorial Association
was organized, with the end in view of having
a suitable monument erected to the spectacular
achievement of the Wright brothers.
This plan captured the Imagination of Con-
gress, which body appropriated sum of $225.-
600 for the work. The corner stone was laid
on the 17th of December 1928, on the 25th
anniversary of the first fight of man, and con-
struction was Immediately begun on the granite
shaft chosen as the memorial.
THE first serious drawback to the construction
Of this great memorial to the wrights and
aviation was encountered when a site for the
structure was determined upon This site was
the great sand dune, nearly 100 feet high
known as Kill Devil HILL This dune COM
posed Of thousands of tons of fine drift beach
sand under the influence of prevailing winds
habitually drifted several feet from its former
position each year having drifted 200 or 300
feet since the time when the wrights first
came to the section
And since 1t was atop this great mound
OF moving sand completely free of any verdure
that the memorial was to be built engineers
in charge of the project asked the constructing
Quartermaster's Office of the Army If the lob
OF anchoring the vast hill of sand was feasible
Engineers inspected the hill and Capt william
II. Kindervater, retired Army officer and an
engineer OF unusual skill, was placed in charge
Of the work
Capt. Kindervater decided that the only way
to anchor the huge hill was to plant it with
various sorts of grasses, etc. But the drifting
sands, with no base for the seed to germnate
seemed efectually TO bar such a course But
the problem was finally solved by covering the
entire dune with woods mold underneath
which covering were planted various seeds and
grass roots, some Of which were obtained nrona
places as far away Puerto Rico
A o result of these operations the great sand
dune is completely covered with growing
verdure, with many varieties of plants -four
1shing upon its once barren slopes and no
further danger to the monument by reason
OF the drifting sands is expected
So, while the same winds blow and the
silence Is broken by the same dull boom of
tine great breakers as they curl and finally
crash upon the hard, white sand of the beach
as In the days when the Wrights first came
to the section, the future visitor will be struck
oy something else besides the vast stretch a
plains and sand and dunes
For, from the crest of the great sand dune
which guards the broad, wind-swept plain at
its base where man first few, q great. white
granite shaft, towering skyward with proud
ana naughty mien, will greet the eye-an
eternal and mighty memorial to the men who
conquered the whole trackless domain of the
sky and made it possible for mankind tn
realize a dream as old as the centuries.
(Copyright, 1s32l j